| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY | AND THEY'RE OFF — Boston state Rep. Liz Miranda is launching her long-anticipated campaign for the Second Suffolk District state Senate seat being vacated by governor hopeful Sonia Chang-Díaz. “I’m a former youth worker. I’m a community organizer. I’m an entrepreneur. All those things have shaped my agenda when I’ve been in the House, and I feel like I can continue that in the Senate,” Miranda told me, emphasizing her work on economic opportunity and health equity. Miranda currently represents parts of Dorchester and Roxbury in the House. The Roxbury native will face Jamaica Plain state Rep. Nika Elugardo in a redrawn district that cuts through the heart of Boston’s predominantly Black neighborhoods. Elugardo jumped into the race Monday night after initially saying in October that she would seek reelection to the House. “You can feel it on the streets, whether it’s doorknocking, or walking around, or going to church or the park — people are hungry for change,” Elugardo told me, casting herself as a candidate who can be a bridge between the whiter areas in her current district and Boston’s BIPOC communities. The first open seat in decades in the majority-Black Senate district could draw a crowded field beyond the two Black progressives who've both pledged to fight for the city's long-underserved communities. Dianne Wilkerson — who held the seat until Chang-Díaz beat her in a 2008 primary, then was convicted of federal corruption charges and spent time in prison before reemerging as a prominent activist — is weighing whether to run for her old job, per the Dorchester Reporter, which also has more this morning on Miranda's campaign. Another Democrat, state Rep. Chynah Tyler, is being floated as a possible candidate; she couldn’t be reached for comment last night.
MASS GOP attack because they have nothing of substance to offer! The marquee race could spark some fireworks. Miranda has already been dogged this fall by negative blog posts and tweets from the state Republican Party alleging she made “offensive” remarks on social media nearly a decade ago. POLITICO can’t independently verify the tweets, which reference a Twitter account that no longer exists, but Miranda called them partisan attacks. Political observers had expected that either Miranda or Elugardo would run for the seat, but not both. But by vacating their House seats, they’re also creating new opportunities for office-seekers in a city where open seats are rare. Elugardo ousted an incumbent to win her seat in 2018, while Miranda won an open-seat race that same year. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. There's some action north of the border today. Former Vice President Mike Pence will be in New Hampshire for a fundraiser for state Senate Republicans and an event sponsored by the conservative Heritage Action group. Sen. Cory Booker is slated to be the special guest at a major state Democratic Party fundraiser on Saturday and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) recently visited as potential 2024 hopefuls parade through the home of the first-in-the-nation primary. They all follow President Joe Biden, who touched down in the Granite State last month to tout his bipartisan infrastructure bill. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker participates in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new WORC2 Center in Roxbury at 3:30 p.m. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito presides over a Governor’s Council meeting at noon. State Rep. John Lawn and Election Modernization Coalition advocates brief House members on the VOTES Act at 11 a.m. Sen. Ed Markey and immigrant advocates call for a pathway to citizenship in Build Back Better at 11 a.m. Rep. Lori Trahan speaks at "The Promise of Fusion Energy & the Challenges Ahead" at 11:15 a.m. The Senate moves forward on Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins’ U.S. attorney for Massachusetts nomination. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com. | |
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|  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “Massachusetts reports 3,720 new coronavirus cases, breakthrough case count hits record high,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “State health officials on Tuesday reported 3,720 new coronavirus cases, while total COVID hospitalizations in the Bay State continued to spike as the state reported the most daily deaths since March. The state Department of Public Health also reported a massive jump of 11,321 breakthrough cases during the last week, a record high for the state and a 71% increase over the previous week’s tally of 6,610 breakthrough infections.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Baker administration remains vague on UI holdup,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Despite growing pressure from Republican and Democratic legislators, the Baker administration is continuing to offer vague statements on why it is having difficulty producing a financial accounting of the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. No monthly report on the trust fund has been issued since June and administration officials have provided no clarity on what the holdup is.” – “Rollins Backs Tougher Penalties in Abuse of Power Cases,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “Warning that existing law leaves a dangerous ‘loophole’ in place, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins pushed Tuesday for the Legislature to create a new criminal charge for adults who exploit positions of authority to engage in sexual acts with minors.” – “With a new requirement to build housing near train stations, towns brace for density — and drama,” by John Doherty, Boston Globe: “It’s a measure signed by Governor Charlie Baker in February that requires communities, like Rockport, that have an MBTA train station to revise their zoning to allow apartment construction within a half-mile of those stops. It’s one of the most ambitious housing laws to clear Beacon Hill in years, but ten months later many details — like how much housing, exactly how close to the T, and how much should be affordable — remain unclear.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – "Protesters in Cambridge demand Moderna share vaccine formula," by William J. Dowd, Wicked Local: "About three-dozen people converged on Technology Square outside Moderna headquarters late last week, protesting the Cambridge-based biotech company’s reluctance to share its coronavirus vaccine formula with countries that need more doses. ... State Rep. Mike Connolly characterized Moderna's decision to withhold the vaccine technology as 'unconscionable.'" – "TJX among the first big firms to require boosters for employees," by Greg Ryan and Jessica Bartlett, Boston Business Journal: "The Framingham-based retail giant is ahead of even large Massachusetts hospital systems in requiring the boosters. The policy applies only to U.S. office workers." | | WU TRAIN |
| – “Wu names Franklin-Hodge chief of streets,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu named Jascha Franklin-Hodge her chief of streets on Tuesday, elevating someone who is already familiar with City Hall and shares many of Wu’s transportation priorities. Franklin-Hodge said he intends to focus on expanding fare free transit in the city, improving the safety of city streets, and building out a more interconnected bicycling network. Even though Wu in the past has favored charging for residential parking permits, Franklin-Hodge said he was not prepared to make any policy announcements in that area.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Allston-Brighton politicians ‘unable to support’ big Harvard project,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “A cadre of politicians representing Allston-Brighton wrote in a letter that they’re ‘unable to support’ the proposed Harvard project that’s due to go up for approval soon. City Councilor Liz Breadon and state Reps. Mike Moran and Kevin Honan, who all represent the neighborhoods, dated the letter Monday as they continue to go back and forth with the esteemed university over the Enterprise Research Campus and other development planned for Allston.” – “Pine Street Inn receives $15 million from Yawkey Foundation to help house people who've been chronically homeless,” by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: “Boston homeless service organization Pine Street Inn has announced a $15 million gift from the Yawkey Foundation, which it says will allow it to dramatically expand its supply of permanent housing with support services for people coming out of long-term homelessness. The multi-year commitment represents the largest individual donation made to Pine Street Inn in its 52-year history." – “470 Boston city retirees rake in $100,000-plus annual pensions,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “A raft of commissioners, captains, deputies and others account for the 470 city retirees who pull down $100,000-plus in retirement pay, with many others kicking the tires on when they can quit. The Boston pension payroll, obtained by the Herald, shows 12,700 ex-city workers receiving a monthly check. Former police Commissioner William Gross tops the list at $193,570 a year, but he has company at the top.” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – “Judge says special election warranted in Framingham's District 3 City Council race,” by Zane Razzaq, MetroWest Daily News: “A Superior Court judge decided on Tuesday that a special election for the District 3 seat on the City Council is warranted. Incumbent Adam Steiner and challenger Mary Kate Feeney are deadlocked for the seat. Unofficial election results from the Nov. 2 municipal election had Steiner leading, 997-995, but Feeney picked up two votes during a Nov. 16 recount, resulting in a tie. Associate Judge Christopher Barry-Smith said those two votes should have been counted as blanks, describing them as ‘the single point of a felt-tip pen’ that is ‘apparent to the naked eye, but very small.’ Even so, the judge said that Feeney had raised two irregularities in the election that make the results uncertain.” | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “T says it doesn’t have enough drivers, will have to cut bus service starting Dec. 19,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Hamstrung by a severe worker shortage, the MBTA announced service cuts on Tuesday that will take effect later this month on some bus lines. ... Come Dec. 19, three bus routes will operate with more scheduled frequency, 31 with less scheduled frequency, and 40 bus lines will have changes in their scheduled timing.” – “Boston is 4th most congested city in the U.S., drivers lost 78 hours sitting in traffic,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Boston traffic has jumped this year as drivers lost 78 hours sitting in gridlock, but congestion around the Hub is still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. That’s according to the INRIX 2021 Global Traffic Scorecard, which ranked Boston as the fourth most congested city in the U.S. for the second straight year.” | | FEELING '22 |
| – “As AG Healey ponders a run for governor, local Dems back state Sen. Chang-Díaz,” by Mike Deehan, GBH News: “Nearly a week after Gov. Charlie Baker announced he won't join next year's race for governor, and as Attorney General Maura Healey weighs her own run, progressive state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz has been endorsed by 12 local Democrats who want her to take Baker's place. The Chang-Díaz campaign said Tuesday that fellow senator Edward Kennedy of Lowell, Suffolk County Register of Probate Felix Arroyo, Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, state Rep. Carmine Gentile of Sudbury and a slew of municipal elected officials are now backing the Democrat from Jamaica Plain. Many of the dozen endorsers are blue-chip progressive.” – “If Maura Healey Runs for Mass. Governor, How Would She Fare?” by Alison King, NBC10 Boston: “[UMass Boston Professor Erin O'Brien] explained that Healey would be the most moderate of the very progressive Democratic candidates — which would play well for Healey in the general election, but not the primary.” – “Diehl In Market For Running Mate,” by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service (paywall): “Unlike the Democrats, Republican candidates for governor have built a tradition of teaming up early with running mates and then successfully selling themselves to voters as a ticket. And while there's still time for more candidates to get in the race, former Rep. Geoff Diehl has been running for governor since July and he's apparently in the market for his own running mate.” | | TODAY'S SPECIAL (ELECTION) |
| – "In Mass. Senate special election, it’s progressive muscle versus hometown(ish) appeal," by Adam Reilly, GBH News: "The Dec. 14 primary for the First Suffolk and Middlesex District pits [Boston City Councilor] Lydia Edwards and her progressive supporters against Revere School Committe member Anthony D'Ambrosio, who's leaning on support from the district's more conservative communities and running as a political moderate." | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “Elizabeth Warren blasts Hertz for $2 billion stock buyback while jacking up rental car prices,” by Matt Egan, CNN Business: “Hertz has gone from bankruptcy court to buybacks in the span of five months. And Senator Elizabeth Warren is not happy about it. The Massachusetts Democrat wrote Hertz (HTZ) a letter Monday calling the company out for rewarding shareholders with up to $2 billion in stock buybacks despite skyrocketing rental car prices.” | | THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
| – "Rep. Pressley to introduce resolution to condemn Rep. Boebert," by Marianna Sotomayor and Jacqueline Alemany, Washington Post: "Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) plans to introduce a resolution Wednesday to strip Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) of her committee assignments for repeatedly making anti-Muslim remarks aimed at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), hoping the action forces House Democratic leadership to punish the lawmaker before the end of the year." – Jetpac Resource Center, a Massachusetts-based group working to increase Muslim political representation, had sent a letter to Pressley and the rest of the state's House delegation Tuesday urging members to “take a leadership role” in combating “continued anti-Muslim attacks” from Boebert and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Two crucial pillars of the state’s plan to cut carbon emissions have crumbled. Where does it go from here?” by David Abel, Boston Globe: “The ambitious cap-and-invest pact known as the Transportation Climate Initiative, or TCI, promised to cut transportation emissions ... A separate initiative, the New England Clean Energy Connect project, sought to build a $1 billion transmission line in Maine to deliver large amounts of hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts. … Without those projects, the Baker administration lacks a clear path to meeting its obligations under the state’s new climate law, which requires officials to cut emissions 50 percent below 1990 levels by the end of the decade and effectively eliminate them by 2050.” – More from Abel: “Kathleen Theoharides, Mass. secretary of energy and environmental affairs, sizes up state’s climate goals.” – “Local governments staff up, team up to confront climate change,” by Hannah Reale, GBH News: “Storms along the Charles River will flood dozens of critical facilities such as fire stations, hospitals and schools in towns down the riverbed, from Newton to Dedham to Franklin. … More than a dozen municipalities worked together to create the flooding model through the Charles River Watershed Association, conducted by environmental consulting firm Weston & Sampson, to assess their collective needs. Local governments are also jointly applying for grants, collaborating on plans to reduce emissions and advocating for policy changes at the state level in the face of a monumental challenge with limited resources at their disposal.” | | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
| – “Highly satisfying? This may be the world’s largest pot brownie — and it’s made in Massachusetts,” by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: “Wednesday happens to be National Brownie Day, and with that in mind, one Massachusetts cannabis business has perhaps taken the celebration to a higher level. Enter what’s thought to [be] the world’s largest pot-infused brownie.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “LGBT Chamber expands into western Mass.,” by Brian Steele, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “LGBT community leaders and small business owners gathered on Tuesday to welcome the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce as it expands into the western half of the state.” – “Mold contamination costs hit $1.4 million at South Hadley High School,” by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “The cost of remediating a massive mold infestation at South Hadley High School earlier this year has ballooned to $1.4 million, according to figures provided in Select Board documents for its meeting Tuesday.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – "Former Bourne school committee member announces recall against Kari MacRae," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "A former Bourne School Committee member announced Tuesday that she is spearheading a campaign to recall school committee member Kari MacRae and plans to collect 250 signatures during the next few weeks to jumpstart the process. Anne-Marie Siroonian said if the recall is successful, she plans to once again run for a seat on the school committee and take MacRae’s place." | | MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND |
| – “Senator Mendes and others have slept in tents outside the R.I. State House for a week. Now, a storm is coming,” by Alexa Gagosz, Boston Globe: “[Senator Cynthia Mendes, who’s running for lieutenant governor], [former secretary of state Matt Brown, who’s running for governor], and a group activists pitched tents a week ago on the Smith Street side of the State House, sleeping outside to call attention to the plight of hundreds of unhoused Rhode Islanders. And they want Governor Dan McKee and state leaders to take action.” TRANSITIONS — Alex Sarabia has joined Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office as communications director. Sarabia previously worked for Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and is an alum of Warren and former HUD Secretary Julián Castro’s presidential campaigns. John Bivona has joined Rasky Partners as senior vice president at the firm and head of its D.C. office. Bivona was previously the Biden administration’s White House liaison at DHS. CONGRATS — to Steve Grossman, a former state treasurer and DNC chair and current CEO of Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, who has been selected by Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman to serve on the reconvened Council on Underserved Communities to help increase access and opportunity across the SBA’s programs. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Scott Ferson, founder of Liberty Square Group, Margaret Geller, Sophia Narrett and Honey Sharp (h/t son Daniel Lippman). Happy belated birthday to Rick Pozniak, who celebrated Tuesday. REWIND — I joined CBSN’s “Red & Blue” to discuss Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision not to seek reelection and what it means for the MassGOP and state politics. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | |
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