POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Courting the Latino vote

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY LOOKING AT THE LATINO VOTE — Boston’s two remaining mayoral hopefuls have spent much of the three weeks since the preliminary election courting Black voters. But they’re also making plays for another crucial constituency — Latinos, who make up about 15 percent of registered voters. Wu and Essaibi George both spent time last week in East Boston, home to the city’s only majority-Latino voting ward. Wu won 10 of the neighborhood’s 14 precincts in the preliminary, and Essaibi George, who taught at East Boston High School for over a decade, won four. Wu rallied with Laborers’ Local 22 in an Eastie park, where a murmur of excitement ran through the crowd when she briefly addressed the dozens of orange-clad union workers in Spanish. Minutes later, at a community center a mile away, Essaibi George sat down with Latino community advocates for a discussion that focused largely on education needs, support for small business and approaches to policing. The roundtable was part of her ongoing “Listen & Learn Tour” promoting her equity, inclusion and justice agenda. Latino leaders supporting both candidates identified education, access to economic opportunity — particularly when it comes to city contracts — and language barriers as key issues. “There’s so much overlap, near 100% overlap between issues of concern,” for Latino and Black voters, said state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, a Wu supporter who’s running to be the state’s first Latina governor. As candidates vie for Black voters, they also need to continue outreach to Latinos, said City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, who, along with his father, Suffolk County Register of Probate Felix D. Arroyo, endorsed Wu last week after backing Acting Mayor Kim Janey in the preliminary. “One of the things Michelle has done spectacularly to reach out to Latino voters, to bring folks like me into the fold, is she’s been a steady, steady, steady voice on language access,” Arroyo said, gesturing to the multilingual signs her supporters were holding at a Saturday rally in Hyde Park, which he represents on the council and which has a sizable Latino population. “She does a number of things to make sure she’s in community with us and actually hears from folks. That goes a long way to us.” Felicia Teruel, a Dorchester resident who is supporting Essaibi George and attended her Eastie roundtable, said “we don’t need someone that speaks well Spanish [sic]. We need someone to help us raise our voice and to notice us as human beings.” Regla González of the League of United Latin American Citizens, who also took part in the Eastie roundtable and is backing Essaibi George, said the mayoral hopeful is “very easy to communicate [with]. She’s very warm. She listens.” Both candidates will participate in an Amplify Latinx mayoral forum on Wednesday. And a group of Black and Latino politicians and community leaders organized by state Rep. Russell Holmes is finalizing a list of priorities related to economic development, public health, public safety, education, housing and the city’s budgeting process. They’ll be asking the candidates to address those issues in coming weeks in separate, 45-minute forums. The group is calling for a Cabinet-level public health position, more diversity among the upper ranks of the police department and a fully elected school committee — something neither candidate supports. Wu has called for a hybrid committee with elected and appointed officials. Essaibi George would keep the school committee fully appointed, but would have both the mayor and city councilors choose the members. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Speaking of the mayor’s race... FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: State Rep. Adrian Madaro, an Eastie resident, has endorsed Wu, adding to her growing list of State House supporters. Also FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Essaibi George is being endorsed this afternoon by the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35, adding to her expanding list of union support. TODAY — Wu officially announces Madaro’s endorsement at 10:15 a.m. in Central Square Park in East Boston. Essaibi George receives the Painters and Allied Trades DC 35 endorsement at 3 p.m. in Roslindale. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com.   THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2021 IS HERE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider” newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from one of the largest and most influential gatherings of experts reinventing finance, health, technology, philanthropy, industry and media. Don’t miss a thing from the 24th annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, from Oct. 17 to 20. Can't make it? We've got you covered. Planning to attend? Enhance your #MIGlobal experience and subscribe today.     THE LATEST NUMBERS – “The pandemic death toll is now the equivalent of all of Boston dropping dead,” by Philip Bump, Washington Post. DATELINE BEACON HILL – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards has been endorsed by Cambridge School Committee Vice Chair Manikka Bowman and committee members Ayesha Wilson and Rachel Weinstein in her bid for the 1st Suffolk & Middlesex state Senate seat. – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Anthony D’Ambrosio has hired Sydney Rachael Levin-Epstein, former deputy national finance director for Sen. Ed Markey, as campaign manager for his 1st Suffolk & Middlesex state Senate bid. Lisa Stevens-Goodnight joins the campaign as field director and Maura McCarthy as special assistant. – State. Sen. Julian Cyr left the door open for a possible congressional run down the line when asked on WCVB’s “On the Record” Sunday if he had eyes on the 9th Congressional District seat should Rep. Bill Keating not run again. “Certainly I would take a look. Bill’s got a lot of years of service left in him, I think, but [I] would take a real look at that,” Cyr said. But Cyr also said “I can do a heck of a lot more on housing” and other challenges facing the Cape “in the state Senate ... than I could do in Washington.” Keating is running for reelection next year, and faces two Republican challengers, Jesse Brown and Mark Littles. Watch more from Cyr’s interview. – “With redistricting, federal stimulus decisions, and more on the menu, there could be legislative feast before Thanksgiving,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Before Thanksgiving, Massachusetts lawmakers could rearrange their districts for the first time in 10 years, begin tapping potentially billions of dollars of federal stimulus money, and move — again — to reimagine how voters cast their ballots. That may not be all.” – “After Bitter Mandate Debate, Reps Held Bipartisan Affair,” by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): “...House Democrats and Republicans had leveled sharp accusations against one another regarding the new House policy on vaccinations … But now some of those same Democrats and Republicans who were on opposite sides of the vote were ready to put the emotions of the afternoon behind them to mingle and celebrate [former state Rep. Brad] Hill. The venue they chose was the popular Chinese restaurant owned by the family of Rep. Donald Wong, a Saugus Republican.” – “The push to make phone calls free for people incarcerated in Massachusetts hits a crucial moment Tuesday,” by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: “In Massachusetts, the Building Up People Not Prisons coalition is leading the push for a bill that would make phone, video and other electronic communication free for people incarcerated in the state. … Supporters are looking for a Tuesday legislative hearing to move the needle on that bill." – “Emotional pleas heard for physician-assisted suicide,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Newburyport Daily News. – “Schools Sitting On Large Pot Of Fed Aid, Peyser Says,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall). VAX-ACHUSETTS – “Behind the state’s school masking policy: a collision of science and politics,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “...internal state e-mails suggest that anti-masking activists are having a significant impact on the Baker administration, which has resisted full compliance with federal guidance that students should wear masks at school even if they’ve been vaccinated. ... When a Massachusetts General Hospital doctor asked in an e-mail why the state was not following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, a top state health official was blunt: pressure.” – “Few giving up their jobs over vaccine mandates,” by Steve Koczela, CommonWealth Magazine/MassINC Polling Group: “A [MassInc Polling Group] analysis of news articles about companies who have lost employees shows the numbers who have lost their job appears to be less than 1 percent of the company’s workforce on average.” – “Mass. General Hospital says 2 to 3 of its nurses face assaults every day,” by Beth Healy, WBUR: “Here’s a chilling statistic from one of Boston’s most prominent medical institutions: On any given day, two to three nurses at Massachusetts General Hospital are assaulted. The incidents can range from a shove or a kick to verbal harassment and even threats by patients, according to hospital officials.” – “From COVID tests and contact tracing to angry parents, school nurses say it's hard to keep up,” by Lisa Mullins and Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR. – “Delays hinder state’s pooled testing program for schools,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine. FROM THE HUB – “More than a thousand gather in Franklin Park to rally for abortion rights,” by Laura Crimaldi and Charlie McKenna, Boston Globe: “Two days before the US Supreme Court opens a session in which it is expected to overturn abortion rights, more than 1,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday afternoon in Dorchester with a unified message: The fight is not over.” – “Federal judge denies parents group’s request to set aside exam school ruling,” by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: “A federal district court judge once again refused to throw out a new admissions policy for Boston’s vaunted exam schools, issuing a scathing ruling Friday that criticized both school officials and the group of parents who had challenged the city’s efforts to increase diversity among accepted applicants.” – “It was a record-hot summer. Then a (nearly) record-hot September. Get used to it,” by Martin Finucane, Travis Andersen and Ryan Huddle, Boston Globe: “This September notched a new record for this measure, featuring 28 days at 70 or more. That put it ahead of the 27 days of 70-plus temperatures logged in the Septembers of 1921 and 1930, the previous record holders.” THE RACE FOR CITY HALL – “Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George had far different approaches as councilors, hinting at how they might govern as mayor,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “Wu, a 36-year-old mother of two from Roslindale, was elected to an at-large seat in 2013, promising ambitious changes that could transform Boston. Essaibi George, 47, a mother of four from Dorchester, was first elected in 2015, on a platform of addressing social-service needs such as mental health counseling and homelessness. No episode highlighted their contrasting approaches and positions as sharply as the June 2020 vote on the city budget, perhaps the most divisive council vote in recent years.” – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo and his father, Suffolk County Register of Probate Felix D. Arroyo, have endorsed Carla Monteiro for Boston City Council at-large, per her campaign. – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston state Rep. Ed Coppinger has endorsed Bridget Nee-Walsh for Boston City Council at-large, per her campaign. – Rep. Ayanna Pressley hit the campaign trail with Wu on Saturday, a day after the congresswoman endorsed her for mayor of Boston. "She is determined, she is innovative and she is committed to advancing policies that uplift everyone in Boston," Pressley said in Hyde Park. "I'm not giving Michelle anything. She earned my vote and she has earned this endorsement." MAPMAKER, MAPMAKER – “Draft House, Senate Districts Likely Early This Month,” by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): “...it's increasingly likely that Democratic leaders will release a draft map of new House and Senate districts within the next two weeks, according to one top Democrat, while the committee working on the decennial redistricting project may take longer with a new Congressional seat map.” – “Berkshire County likely to see four Mass. House seats cut to three in redistricting,” by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: “Berkshire County’s population fell, and so will the number of House members it sends to Beacon Hill, lawmakers signaled this week." – “After decades, Boston is suddenly redrawing its voting precincts. Many, including Michelle Wu, say it’s the right move at the wrong time,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “There is widespread support for redrawing the lines — advocates say the arcane maps present an urgent threat to voter access — but some critics have questioned the last-minute push. They warn that it may lead to administrative scrambling and voter confusion down the line, given that state lawmakers are in the middle of mapping new political districts. " THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP – NEW THIS MORNING: Pressley has endorsed Somerville City Councilor Katjana Ballantyne to be the city’s next mayor. Pressley also endorsed at-large City Councilor Kristen Strezo, Ward 1 City Councilor Matt McLaughlin, Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott and Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen for reelection; Willie Burnley Jr. for councilor at-large; Judy Pineda Neufeld for Ward 7; and Andre Green for reelection to the Somerville School Committee. – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Longtime Cambridge resident and nationally recognized civil rights activist Janet Jemott Moses has endorsed Cambridge City Councillor Quinton Zondervan in his reelection bid, per his campaign. WARREN REPORT – Elizabeth Warren has some advice for the lovelorn: Post a selfie with her on your dating-app profile. “Hey, grads - I’ve heard from folks that if you add a selfie with me to your profile the matches roll on in,” the senator told George Washington University graduates at their commencement Saturday. FROM THE DELEGATION – “How a freshman congressman with a long last name and military résumé is winning friends and influencing enemies in Biden's Washington,” by Adam Wren, Business Insider: “Auchincloss' ascent is a story about a media-savvy millennial politician with media-savvy handlers who have embodied the lessons of now-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's go-everywhere strategy. … But Auchincloss' story is also one about how power, rewards, and loyalty work in Biden's Washington — one that is not entirely different from in Donald Trump's Washington: At a fraught moment, Biden officials saw someone defending them on television and rewarded that person.” – “Ayanna Pressley declares ‘great victory’ for progressives with Biden support of infrastructure bills in Congress,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley claimed a ‘great victory’ for progressives in Washington as President Biden relieved the pressure on Democrats to hammer out a deal on both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a further left social spending bill.” DAY IN COURT TROY SARGENT: – “U.S. Capitol riot defendant from Pittsfield asks judge to dismiss case,” by Amanda Burke, Berkshire Eagle: “A Pittsfield man accused of tussling with police officers during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot wants his case dismissed on grounds that the government’s case lacks facts." IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN – “From novelist to climate crusader: How one woman is working to put a stop to natural gas,” by Tik Root, Washington Post: “[Audrey Schulman] is not an engineer or a scientist. By profession, the 58-year-old is a writer with five novels to her name, and a sixth set to publish next year. But she is also the founder and co-director of an environmental nonprofit called the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET). Founded in 2009, the organization has evolved from focusing on weatherizing buildings in the Boston area to putting an end to natural gas — a mission that could eventually reshape how the entire state and beyond gets energy.” – “As Massachusetts envisions a fossil fuel-free future, gas companies are quietly investing billions in pipelines,” by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe. FROM THE 413 – “‘The hatred has not dissipated one bit’: UMass students protest racism, sexual assault on campus,” by Laura Krantz and Julia Carlin, Boston Globe: “In September alone, there were seven incidents of bias reported to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and nine reports of sexual assault, three of which allegedly occurred in just the first few weeks of the school year. … In an interview, Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy expressed concern about the incidents, but pushed back on the notion that there is a systemic issue with the culture at UMass.” – More from the Boston Globe’s Sahar Fatima: “These are all the reported incidents of bias at UMass Amherst since September 2018.” – “‘We are under attack’: Smith & Wesson CEO says gun legislation forced move away from Springfield,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Smith & Wesson president and CEO Mark Smith says the company doesn’t want to make an enemy of the state of Massachusetts. But he feels at least some lawmakers have made an enemy of Smith & Wesson with legislation that would ban the manufacture in Massachusetts of firearms that are unlawful to sell here.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “St. V doctors back CEO Jackson, health care workers union supports nurses,” by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “After a week with plenty of input already, more parties weighed in on the St. Vincent Hospital nurses’ strike Saturday, with hospital doctors backing CEO Carolyn Jackson and the United Healthcare Workers East union backing the nurses. ” – “Scituate Coast Guard station saved after months of rallying by local officials, residents,” by Mary Whitfill and Ruth Thompson, Patriot Ledger. – “Feds to seize Duxbury home owned by Richard Hajjar, former Alden Shoe Co. CFO who embezzled $30 million from the company,” by Scott J. Croteau, MassLive.com. EX-PATS – Tom Brady won in Foxborough and the sound of the football hitting that goalpost will haunt our dreams. But Jane Swift, the former acting and lieutenant governor, went for the glass-half-full take on Mac Jones: "Buy those #10 Jerseys @Patriots friends," she tweeted. At least the Sox won! HAPPY BIRTHDAY – former Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who turns 41; Jessicah Pierre, Max German, Miles Halpine, Eliza Adelson, Alexis Cantor, Will von Meister, Steve Picheny and Jon Tapper. HAPPY BELATED – to the Boston Herald’s Joe Dwinell, Sejal Hathil, Marlena Baldacci and Robin Goldberg, who celebrated Saturday; and to Madonna Meagher and Juan Gilces Coronel, who celebrated Sunday. 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.   BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.       Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The governor’s race waiting game

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY ALL EYES ON HEALEY — State Attorney General Maura Healey still hasn’t decided whether she’ll run for governor, but she seemed to be testing out her stump speech at Saturday’s MassDems Platform Convention. Healey used Gov. Charlie Baker’s recent dismissal of same-day voter registration as a launching pad to address the “bigger problem.” Massachusetts is in “a moment of great challenge, a moment that demands greater urgency” given rising food insecurity, racial wealth gaps and “systemic racism and misogyny," Healey said via video. "My work has been taking on these injustices." Healey acknowledged the elephant in the room — that everyone’s waiting to see what she’ll do in 2022 — before closing out her speech with a lengthy list of what she believes Massachusetts needs in a governor. That list includes someone who will fight to cancel student loan debt, who supports a millionaires tax, who won’t support Maine Sen. Susan Collins (as Baker did) and who will support abortion rights here and across the country. And, of course, someone who’s a Democrat. One of the Democrats already in the race for governor, Harvard professor Danielle Allen, urged party activists not to waste time waiting around for Healey. “Please don’t delay considering your options,” Allen, who jumped into the race in June after a six-month exploratory committee, said. “The single most precious resource we have for beating the Baker-Polito administration is time. I’m not waiting.” Baker hasn’t said whether he’s running for a third term. But all three Democratic hopefuls laid out their cases against him — and against the Beacon Hill establishment — to varying degrees. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz blasted the Republican governor who she said “looked the other way on our broken and racist criminal legal system” and who was slow to get behind the movement for education funding reform. Now, she said, “we’re building a movement to take on Charlie Baker himself." Former state Sen. Ben Downing slammed leaders from both parties who “waste our time. I’m tired of watching a governor with all the popularity and a legislature with all the power refuse to use either to fight for us” while rents rise and childcare gets harder to find. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. As Acting Mayor Kim Janey endorsed City Councilor Michelle Wu in the Boston mayor’s race on Saturday, nearly six dozen of Boston's Black and Latino leaders were huddling to discuss the key issues they want the city's next leader to address. The meeting, organized by state Rep. Russell Holmes, included two former mayoral candidates — state Rep. Jon Santiago and former city councilor Tito Jackson, who’d both endorsed Janey — state Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley, faith leaders and community leaders including former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts President Segun Idowu and former Urban League president and CEO Darnell Williams. The group plans to finalize its goals in coming days. Then "we'll go and meet with the candidates and get some quantifiable data, measure some real metrics as to whether they’ve done what they said they were going to do on housing, economic development and education," Holmes told me. Some of the organizations involved, like the NAACP, won’t endorse in the mayor’s race. But Holmes said it’s important for their members to be part of the conversation as Black and Latino leaders work to ensure the city’s next leader — and its first non-white elected mayor — delivers on promises made to Black and Brown communities. The group's goals will also factor into "report cards" the NAACP plans to issue at the middle and end of the next mayor's term, similar to the one issued during Labor Secretary Marty Walsh’s tenure as mayor, in order to promote ongoing accountability, Sullivan said. TODAY — Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka hold their weekly leadership meeting at 2 p.m., media availability to follow. Former Boston mayoral candidate City Councilor Andrea Campbell is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 3 p.m. The Legislature's joint Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Recovery Committee holds hearings on decriminalization and safe consumption sites beginning at 9 a.m. Boston’s Board of Election Commissioners hosts a 10 a.m. public meeting to provide updates on reprecincting ahead of 2022. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com.   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     DATELINE BEACON HILL – “Governor Baker wants more housing. A fight in his backyard shows how hard that will be,” by Zoe Greenberg, Boston Globe: “Almost everyone in this idyllic seaside town of 15,000 can agree that Swampscott, like many places in Eastern Massachusetts, needs more housing that regular people can afford. Governor Charlie Baker, himself a resident of Swampscott and former town selectman, has been pushing communities across the state to build more housing near public transit. But a battle over a proposed apartment building half a mile from the governor’s home — one that ticks his development boxes and could directly benefit people like Esquilin — illustrates the enormous challenges the state faces in actually increasing the supply of such housing.” – “In tweet, Baker urges St. Vincent Hospital brass, nurses to 'reach consensus'; both sides respond,” by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “Gov. Charlie Baker weighed in on the nurses strike at St. Vincent Hospital on Friday afternoon, urging striking nurses and hospital owners to return to the negotiating table ‘and reach consensus.’” – “Student nutrition bill, barring ‘meal-shaming,’ on the move,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “After three years of advocacy, Massachusetts lawmakers are on the verge of adopting new policies that would provide free lunch to more children while ending the practice of ‘meal shaming,’ placing restrictions on children whose families owe money for meals.” – “Jack Lewis' bill to name an official state dinosaur continues legislative path,” by Haley Chi-Sing, Boston University Statehouse Program/Metrowest Daily News. VAX-ACHUSETTS – “‘Dozens’ of Massachusetts troopers line up to quit over COVID vaccine mandate,” by Joe Dwinell and Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “‘Dozens’ of state troopers fed up with the governor’s vaccine mandate are filing paperwork to quit the force as a Superior Court judge has denied any delay in the mandate that kicks in Oct. 17. ‘Many of these troopers are going to be returning to their previous municipal police departments within the state that allow for regular testing and masks,’ said union boss Michael Cherven.” – “Nursing homes ramp up vaccinations ahead of mandates,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Newburyport Daily News: “Gov. Charlie Baker announced in August that the state will require staff at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice programs to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 10 or face disciplinary action, including termination, unless they've been granted a medical or religious exemption.” – “Massachusetts makes COVID-19 vaccine booster available at 460 locations,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com. – “DCU Center not requiring proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test for most events,” by Anoushka Dalmia, Worcester Telegram & Gazette. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL – NEW THIS MORNING: Rep. Ayanna Pressley has endorsed David Halbert, Ruthzee Louijeune, Carla Monteiro and incumbent City Councilor Julia Mejia in the Boston City Council at-large race. Pressley also endorsed Kendra Hicks for District 6. “Each of these candidates has shown their deep commitment to the Boston community and to advancing policies reflective of the real and pressing challenges people face,” Pressley, the first woman of color elected to the city council, said in a statement. No word if she's endorsing in the mayoral. – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Assistant House Majority Leader Mike Moran has endorsed Erin Murphy for Boston City Council at-large, per her campaign. – “Boston District 7 recount finalizes ballots for November election,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “Perennial candidate Roy Owens Sr. actually had slightly extended the lead in his preliminary-election success over community organizer Angie Camacho in Boston’s District 7 by the time city elections workers wrapped up the recount on Saturday, with Owens’ advantage rising from 28 to 37 votes.” – “In an unprecedented moment, Kim Janey endorses Michelle Wu for Boston mayor,” by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: “In an unprecedented moment in Boston politics, Acting Mayor Kim Janey on Saturday endorsed City Councilor Michelle Wu for mayor during a jubilant gathering in Nubian Square, where the first woman and first Black person to lead the city shared the spotlight with a candidate who could become the first woman and first person of color to attain the top job through a win at the polls. … While campaigning Saturday, [rival Annissa] Essaibi George put Janey’s endorsement aside. ‘I got work to do,’ she said.” – More from GBH News’ Saraya Wintersmith: “‘Janey said she chose to endorse Wu based on a belief that she is best qualified to address racial and systemic inequities that have plagued the city.” – From the Boston Globe opinion pages: “How will mayoral candidates address inequities and empower Black Bostonians?” by Andrea Campbell: “My challenge to Essaibi George and Wu is to tell our communities — not merely in private meetings or phone calls with me or stakeholders, but publicly and directly to residents — what specific, tangible plans they have to deliver racial equity in our health, housing, schools, public safety, and economic systems. … My endorsement will go to the candidate who makes the most credible case and who inspires the most confidence that she will meet these challenges.” – “Be prepared for a weird series of electoral events in Boston,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s administration announced that the next elected mayor of Boston will be sworn in on Nov. 16, two weeks after the Nov. 2 general election between City Councilors Annissa Essaibi-George and Michelle Wu. … One consequence of the early swearing-in is that it will, no matter what, create a vacancy in an at-large council seat for about a month and a half." ON THE STUMP – Essaibi George is launching a “Listen & Learn” conversation tour today to “inform her official Equity, Inclusion and Justice Agenda,” according to her campaign. The tour will focus on prioritizing access to and representation in city government, ensuring the city is “intentional in rooting out inequity and dismantling racism in our city and systems” and forming community partnerships to “find solutions to the city’s most pressing problems through a lens of equity and justice,” per her campaign. Essaibi George will kick things off with a coffee and conversation on equity at Dudley Cafe in Roxbury at 7 a.m., followed by other stops. – WATCH: “Annissa Essaibi George: Any Suggestions Of Ties To Donald Trump Are ‘Gross Statement’,” by Jon Keller, WBZ: She also talked about how to tackle Mass and Cass and education reform. FROM THE HUB – “Sheriff Proposes Committing People Living At Mass And Cass To A Re-Purposed Detention Center,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins wants to move people living in tents near ‘Mass and Cass’ to a former detention center in the South Bay House of Correction. … Tompkins says up to 100 people could be involuntarily committed to receive drug treatment and mental health counseling there." – WATCH: “OTR: Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards weighs in on Mass & Cass crisis,” by Ed Harding and Janet Wu, WCVB. – “Secrecy around exam school admission data prompts lawsuit,” by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: “The Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence filed the lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court on Thursday, accusing the school department and the city’s legal department of failing to provide data, text messages, and other documents related to exam school admission changes, which increased the odds of Black and Latino applicants getting in while decreasing the chances of white and Asian applicants.” – “Protesters gather in Boston to oppose treatment of Haitians at the border,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald. FEELING '22 – “Geoff Diehl takes center stage at anti-vaccine, mask mandate rally,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “A State House rally against Gov. Charlie Baker’s ‘forced’ vaccine and mask mandates doubled as a campaign rally for Republican candidate for governor Geoff Diehl, who took shots at Baker over everything from mail-in voting to free choice.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES – “Oversight of potential safety risks at MBTA stations under question after BU professor died in fall from staircase,” by Elizabeth Koh, Boston Globe: “Outside the MBTA’s Fenway Station, an aging three-story staircase rusts under a corrugated metal awning. In Alewife, it’s a deteriorating pedestrian bridge. At the Red Line’s Milton stop, stairs have sprouted cracks that expose rebar underneath, while years-old signs perpetually declare the steps closed. ... They’re among dozens of state public spaces that straddle administrative borders of different state agencies, putting them in a bureaucratic vortex where oversight can be lax and ownership uncertain.” MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS – “State cannabis chief questions impact fees after city claims $1.3 million in costs,” by Mike LaBella, Eagle-Tribune: “A state official said Friday he has concerns about the relevance of impact fees being charged to retail marijuana shops by communities across the state, including in Haverhill.” – There’s always a Massachusetts connection: “Some cannabis firms see ‘disaster’ in federal legalization,” by Natalie Fertig, POLITICO. THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP – NEW THIS MORNING: Former state Rep. Denise Provost and Somerville City Councilor Bill White have endorsed City Councilor Will Mbah for mayor of Somerville, per Mbah’s campaign. Provost previously endorsed Mary Cassesso, who finished third in this month’s preliminary election and did not advance. – Northampton: “Mayoral, council hopefuls make last pitches to survive ballot cut,” by Brian Steele, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “After a decade in office, Mayor David Narkewicz is not seeking reelection. Five mayoral candidates will appear on the ballot: City Council President Gina-Louise Sciarra, retired resident Roy Martin, social worker Shanna Fishel, transportation analyst Marc Warner, and Rosechana Gordon, who dropped out of the race after the ballots were printed.” – “'Embarrassing' low turnout mars Beverly election,” by Paul Leighton, Salem News: “The 7.1% turnout was astonishingly low — the lowest in recent history for the city, and maybe ever.” FROM THE 413 – “UMass IT staff, police investigating racist messages,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Racist email messages delivered to Black student organizations on the University of Massachusetts campus, and a recent incident in which a driver yelled an epithet at Black students, are being investigated by campus police and information technology staff, according to a letter sent to the campus community Thursday.” – “UMass students pack chancellor’s office, continuing week of protests over fraternity sexual assaults claims,” by Wil Katcher, MassLive.com: “Students filled the offices of University of Massachusetts Amherst administrators Friday afternoon, demanding a meeting with school leaders and continuing a week of protests over claims of sexual assault at UMass fraternities.” – More: “Fraternity’s national leader calls on UMass chancellor to stand by chapter,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette. – “Few abuse survivors were involved in task force report on Springfield diocesan reforms,” by Anne-Gerard Flynn, Springfield Republican: “A total of 11 abuse survivors participated in three, 90-minute focus groups held online this winter, a form of response selected by the task force. In contrast, an online survey asking lay people for feedback drew 492 respondents, while a phone survey of clergy involved 83 priests.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “Boycott targets college admissions boost given to children of alumni at Harvard, other elite schools,” by Rebecca Ostriker, Boston Globe: “Now a grad student at the Harvard Kennedy School, [Viet] Nguyen is leading a national grass-roots campaign to end admissions preferences for alumni children at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, and many other selective schools, including elite New England liberal arts colleges such as Amherst, Williams, and Bowdoin.” – "Mass. Locked Up People With Mental Illness For Decades. Now Advocates Want Their Stories Told," by Steve Brown, WBUR: "For many years, people with disabilities and mental illness in Massachusetts were locked away in state institutions to be kept separate from the rest of society. Now some advocates and families are pushing to create a commission to reckon with the way patients were treated and the abuses they endured." – “'A complex problem': Could changes be coming to flight paths over Milton, Hull?” by Fred Hanson, Patriot Ledger: “A study done for Massport and the Federal Aviation Administration recommends no changes to the flight path over Milton and a slight change for one near the tip of Hull. The study also does not recommend dispersing aircraft headed into and out of Logan Airport, a solution sought by residents and officials of communities hardest hit by airplane noise.” – “Pembroke selectman compares diversity committee interview questions to Nazi Germany,” by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Patriot Ledger: “A Pembroke selectman is under fire from his fellow board members, the public and the Anti-Defamation League after he compared interview questions for diversity committee candidates to Nazi Germany.” "As first Afghan families arrive in Mass. this weekend, state faces historic humanitarian challenge," by John Hilliard and Nick Stoico, Boston Globe. MEDIA MATTERS – “Senators say they pulled out of a Boston Globe conference to back a union,” by Marc Tracy, New York Times: “Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Democrats from Massachusetts, said Friday that they had backed out of a virtual conference hosted by The Boston Globe earlier in the week in solidarity with the journalists’ union there, which is in a yearslong dispute over a new labor contract.” CONGRATS – to Lauren Goldman Moran, Fair Labor Division chief at the state AG’s office, and Matthew Moran, assistant secretary and chief engagement officer at the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, who recently welcomed their second daughter, Hannah Maeve Moran. A FOND FAREWELL – to Chris Lovett of Boston Neighborhood News Network, who's called it a wrap after 34 years. Tweet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Jack Eccles, Robert Cohen, Francisco Urena, Misha Hyman and Abby Curran. 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? 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