News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The crowded BOSTON MAYOR’s race — Baker signs ECON BILL, vetoes CLIMATE BILL

Friday, January 15, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The crowded BOSTON MAYOR’s race — Baker signs ECON BILL, vetoes CLIMATE BILL — CAPITOL SIEGE fallout continues

Jan 15, 2021

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!

WHERE THE RACE FOR MAYOR STANDS — It's been about a week since news broke that Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is bound for Washington, though it feels more like a year.

The race to replace him is shaping up. Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell have been in for months, raising money and racking up endorsements. Boston Police Commissioner William Gross is somewhere between 90 and 95 percent committed to running, depending on where you read about it. And state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins both announced they have decided not to run.

The list of others to watch remains the same: City Council President Kim Janey (soon to be the acting mayor), along with her fellow Councilors Annissa Essaibi-George and Michael Flaherty . State Sen. Nick Collins and Boston's economic development chief John Barros could enter the race. And the city's chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez is openly weighing a campaign. State Rep. Jon Santiago may also run, he said on The Horse Race podcast, which I co-host.

It boils down to this: The race will probably be crowded because an open mayoral contest is so rare. This is only the second open seat race in 28 years. And if the preliminary draws a huge field, whoever advances to the general election may get there with a pretty small number of voters.

Take a look at the last open seat. Turnout in the 2013 preliminary election was 31%, and a total 113,300 ballots were cast. The top two finishers — Walsh and John Connolly — each got fewer than 20% of the vote because there were 12 candidates. Put another way, Walsh received 20,800 preliminary election votes, and Connolly received 19,400 votes. Turnout went up slightly in the general election, and Walsh won with 51.5% of the vote.

The preliminary election turnout was only a sliver of the city's registered voters in 2013, which is a challenge for any candidate running in an off-year municipal election. Boston now has 432,000 registered voters, according to data from the Boston Elections Department, which was recorded at the time of the 2020 presidential election.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.

A NEW YEAR, A NEW CONGRESS, A NEW HUDDLE: It was an ugly and heartbreaking week inside the Capitol, particularly for all of those who work on the Hill. How are lawmakers planning to move forward? How will security change? How will a new Senate majority impact the legislative agenda? With so much at stake, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings you the most important news and critical insight from Capitol Hill with help from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the essential guide to understanding Congress. It has never been more important. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 5,545 new COVID cases, 74 deaths Thursday as high-risk communities grows by 10," by Noah R. Bombard, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts reported 5,545 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday and 74 more deaths. Although cases and deaths remain high, seven-day averages of both cases and deaths, which tend to smooth out the highs and lows of the daily reports, show some slowing to the spike that started the week of Christmas and peaked just after New Year's Day."

– "Mass. Unemployment Claims Climb To Nearly 36,000, U.S. Claims Jump To 965,000, WBUR: "Close to 36,000 Massachusetts residents filed for first-time unemployment last week, an increase of nearly 5,200 from the week prior, according to the latest federal data."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– Reluctantly, governor vetoes Mass. climate change bill, but it may soon be back on his desk," by Matt Stout and David Abel, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker vetoed a far-reaching package of climate change and energy legislation Thursday, rejecting — perhaps temporarily — a bill that would have set the state on a path to in effect eliminate its carbon emissions over the next three decades."

– "Baker signs economic and housing package, but vetoes some tenant protections," by Matt Stout and Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday signed a nearly $627 million economic development bill, but rejected a handful of measures in the sprawling package, including two designed to further protect tenants. Baker's signature will put in motion hundreds of millions of state borrowing over the next five years, which officials say will help jumpstart a state economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic."

– "Baker approves order to send up to 500 National Guard troops to Washington for inaugural security," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday approved an order to send up to 500 National Guard troops to Washington D.C., to provide security around President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, following last week's deadly violence at the US Capitol, officials said."

– "AG Reviewing Driver's Complaint Of Parking Lot Dispute With DA Rollins," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said Thursday her office is reviewing a complaint filed against Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins over a Christmas Eve incident in Dorchester."

– "Bill would let hotels assess guest fee," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Fed up with what they see as years of state underfunding of tourism, some local tourism officials and hoteliers want to collect marketing money on their own – by charging a fee to hotel guests. A provision in the economic development bill sitting on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk would allow for the creation of Tourism Destination Marketing Districts."

– "Distribution of housing assistance funds lagging," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "Despite efforts to bolster staffing, the Baker administration is having trouble getting housing assistance funds to families facing eviction. According to state officials, $22.6 million of the $100 million available through the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, or RAFT, program has been dispensed so far."

– "More than 1,500 Massachusetts businesses awarded $78 million in grants to weather COVID-driven recession," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Polito and Gov. Charlie Baker showcased Il Ristorante Saraceno as one of 1,595 businesses receiving small business grants, $78.5 million worth in total, from the state to help weather the COVID-driven recession that has stretched into its 10th month."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Charlie Baker defends coronavirus vaccine rollout as Massachusetts lags behind its neighbors," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Massachusetts is set to begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to individuals in congregate care settings next week, the latest group to become eligible as officials work through the first phase of the state's rollout. However, with the pandemic raging, some are questioning why the process isn't happening faster."

– "When the Rollout Ramps Up, What Do We Do about Vaccine Line-Cutters?" by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "For this early, and admittedly very 'bumpy,' phase of the vaccine rollout in Massachusetts, much of the focus has been on making sure the right people go first: doctors and nurses who need to stay healthy to keep hospitals running, first responders who come face-to-face with the public every day, and, next up, people in congregate settings where outbreaks thrive."

FROM THE HUB

– "Marty Walsh doesn't take questions in first press conference after Labor nom," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "So long, Marty. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh skedaddled in the middle of his first press conference since becoming President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Labor secretary a week previous, leaving without taking questions about the move or the potential mayoral transition."

– "Boston police investigating whether officer attended Capitol siege, posted threats on social media," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "The Boston Police Department said it is investigating whether one of its officers took part last week in a rally and ensuing siege on the US Capitol, and the agency is examining social media posts in which the alleged officer threatened Vice President Mike Pence."

– "Boston public schools share more about return to in-person learning, starting with 4,900 high-needs students on Feb. 1," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Boston Public Schools students will have the option of returning to in-person learning in phases between February and March, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius told reporters Thursday. Cassellius, appearing with Mayor Martin J. Walsh at his regular press conference, said that starting on Feb. 1, approximately 4,900 students with 'high in-person priority needs' will be invited back to learn in-person."

– "Boston Planning Agency Adds New Language Access Rules," by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "Under the new policy, slated to go into effect early this year, the Boston Planning and Development Agency will require that those meetings and relevant materials be interpreted in the popular languages of the city's various neighborhoods."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Go Straight To September: Expect Special Boston Mayoral Election To Be Waived," by Adam Reilly, Mike Deehan, and Peter Kadzis, GBH News: "Boston will be able to skip special elections and proceed directly to September's non-partisan primary and November's final contest, officials on Beacon Hill and at City Hall have told GBH News. Gov. Charlie Baker, who has the final word, said Thursday that he would most likely approve that plan."

THE OPINION PAGES

– "One red hot mayoral race is enough," Boston Globe Editorial Board: "In a city where politics is a favorite pastime — right up there with the Red Sox and the Celtics — is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Well, yes. If the nomination of Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston as the Biden administration's labor secretary touches off four elections in the city over the next 10 months, that would indeed be too much of an ordinarily good thing."

DAY IN COURT

– "Federal Authorities Charge MIT Professor With Hiding Ties To Chinese Government," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "An MIT professor was arrested this morning on federal charges that he failed to disclose ties to the Chinese government as he sought — and was awarded — research grants from the U.S. government."

– "Environmental Groups Sue EPA Over Alleged Civil Rights Violations In East Boston And Chelsea," by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: "The environmental nonprofit GreenRoots, the Conservation Law Foundation and Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for allegedly violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act when it declined to investigate language access concerns during the on-going siting process of a controversial electrical substation in East Boston."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Removal of panic buttons from Ayanna Pressley's office being reviewed by House committee," by Jazmine Ulloa and Jess Bidgood, Boston Globe: "The removal of panic buttons from Representative Ayanna Pressley's Capitol Hill office before an armed insurrection overran the complex is under review by the House Administration Committee, as Congressional Democrats push to determine whether the mob had inside help."

– "'The difference is skin color': Rep. Katherine Clark says she wasn't booed like Rep. Cori Bush for condemning white supremacy in Capitol attack," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "One congresswoman received boos, the other did not. U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark took to Twitter on Thursday to highlight the sharp disparity in how congressional colleagues reacted to her and Rep. Cori Bush's condemnation of white supremacy as they called for President Donald Trump's impeachment for inciting an insurrection."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "BIG TIPPER," "AG VS. DA," — Globe : "Chief's presence at D.C. rally roils N.H. town," "Biden package targets virus and economy," "IF YOU WANT RESTAURANTS TO STAY, TAKE IT TO GO."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "As Worcester begins vaccine distribution, COVID numbers start to plateau but officials warn city is 'still surging,'" by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "Officials in Worcester on Thursday spoke with cautious optimism for the first time during a COVID-19 briefing since the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. In the same week the city began providing coronavirus vaccines to first responders, the number of new cases was similar to the total last week."

– "Cape Cod detox center assailed by staff over allegedly lax COVID precautions," by Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe: "A Cape Cod detox facility has come under fire from staff members who allege that management is not adequately protecting them from the coronavirus, just weeks after an outbreak of 19 cases forced a companion treatment center to shut down temporarily."

– "Panel: Drop Barnstable mascot name and logo," by Jeannette Hinkle, Cape Cod Times: "Those tasked with identifying potential mascots for Barnstable Public Schools say the stain on the name 'Red Raider,' which has been associated with logos of Native American people and imagery for decades, can't be washed away by pairing it with a new mascot."

– "Lowell City Council condemns Capitol chaos," by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: "The chaos at the Capitol on Jan. 6 shook many, and the City Council has decided to use its platform to condemn President Donald Trump's role in the violent attack by rioters that sought to stop the Electoral College vote count."

– "Worcester schools nearing finish of building air system upgrades," by Scott O'Connell, Telegram & Gazette: "While external factors continue to stymie the city schools' attempts to resume in-person learning, the district's own requirement for reopening schools – the upgrading of buildings' air systems – is nearly done."

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY – to Boston City Councilor and candidate for mayor Michelle Wu, who turned 36 on Thursday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to state Rep. Kate Hogan, Pittsfield City Councilor Helen Moon, Omar Sedky and Bruce Schneier, who is 58.

HAPPY (LONG) BIRTHWEEKEND – to Erin Buechele and Jonathan Hankin, who celebrate Saturday. And to Sunday birthday-ers Shane Cardillo, senior analyst at Hamilton Lane; and Northampton activist Marty Nathan. Plus David Jacobs, publisher of the Boston Guardian, who celebrates Monday.

NEW EPISODE: CHARTER SCHOOL – On this week's episode of The Horse Race, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss President Donald Trump's impeachment, whether Boston will have a special election to replace outgoing Mayor Marty Walsh, and new polling on Beacon Hill budget priorities. Guest state Rep. Jon Santiago shares his experience as an emergency room doctor and state lawmaker during the pandemic, and discusses why he's considering running for mayor. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

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KEEP UP WITH THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: It was a dark week in American history, and a new administration will have to pick up the pieces. Transition Playbook brings you inside the last days of this crucial transfer of power, tracking the latest from President-elect Biden and his growing administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today.