| | | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky | Presented by Uber Driver Stories | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Soak up some sunshine! THE NUMBERS ARE IN — Burn rates are rising among Boston's mayoral candidates, but cash flow is falling. Five of the six major candidates — City Councilors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu, state Rep. Jon Santiago and former Boston economic development director John Barros — brought in less cash in April than March. And five of the six — Essaibi George, Wu, Santiago, Barros and Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey — spent more. Janey, who launched her bid to drop "acting" from her title on April 6, raked in the most money that month but has the least cash on hand. Campbell, who raised the least of the field last month, has the most in the bank. Take a look at the candidates' coffers:
- Campbell: $1,027,482
- Wu: $1,015,417
- Santiago: $497,897
- Essaibi George: $496,020
- Barros: $317,747
- Janey: $304,244
This breakdown isn't surprising. Campbell and Wu have been in the race since last September, and Janey just jumped in. But what each candidate has banked will be increasingly important as the race heats up through this September's preliminary election, and campaigns need more cash for things like advertising and polling. Right now the later entrants have some ground to make up , but strategists say it's still anyone's game. The next couple of months could be particularly telling, especially as donors and voters watch how Janey handles police controversies. "When she initially got in, I really thought every other candidate would love to be Kim Janey," UMass Boston associate political science professor Erin O'Brien told me. "But now that she's been handed those scandals, it will definitely affect her candidacy how she deals with them." FEELING '22? — A recent push poll appeared to test potential messaging for Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, hypothetically pitting her against the state's top Republicans, Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, even as all three remain mum on their intentions for 2022. Healey's camp funded the poll, the contents of which were first reported by the Boston Herald. The survey asked respondents to react to statements such as "Maura Healey has defied the odds her whole life — from playing college and pro basketball at 5'4" to defending Massachusetts' first in the nation gay marriage law in front of the U.S. Supreme Court" and "Maura Healey will be a governor who stands up to powerful special interests and fights for the underdog," according to screen shots obtained by POLITICO. Baker got his own batch of statements, like "Charlie Baker is a small government Republican at heart who has shown he'll side with corporations and the wealthy" and "Charlie Baker was totally unprepared for the COVID vaccine rollout." Healey's campaign declined comment. Healey's fundraising also ticked up in April as other major Dems' numbers fell: - Healey raised $121,388 and now has $3,100,704 in her war chest.
- Former state Sen. Ben Downing, a declared candidate, collected $39,063 and has $107,725 in cash on hand.
- Harvard University professor Danielle Allen, who's still in the exploratory stage, raised $65,489 and has $236,425 banked.
- State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, who's mulling a run, raised $21,763 and has $223,473 in her account.
But Allen is planning a fundraiser on Monday with Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who served as the lead House impeachment manager at former President Donald Trump's second Senate trial, according to an invite obtained by POLITICO. Downing's team says it's nonplussed by his smaller sum in the race's early days and is currently interviewing campaign managers. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Ayanna Pressley will speak with regional business leaders during The New England Council's virtual "Capitol Hill Report" at 9 a.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren appears on Washington Post Live at 9:30 a.m. Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey tours three businesses in Roslindale beginning at 1 p.m. Sen. Edward Markey and Rep. Lori Trahan will make stops in Fitchburg and Gardner to promote President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan. Trahan will then host a virtual discussion on the relief package with state Reps. Kate Hogan and Frank Moran at 4 p.m.. Markey joins Tufts' Fletcher School for a virtual roundtable on a global commitment to climate action at 6 p.m. The NAACP Boston Branch holds a mayoral candidates' forum on racial justice at 6 p.m. | | A message from Uber Driver Stories: Meet Jesus. A US Army veteran and single father, Jesus's number one priority will always be his 14-year-old daughter. Having the flexibility to work his own hours allows Jesus to be the dad he wants to be. Watch his story in his own words below. | | | | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS | | – "Active COVID cases statewide drop to 21,300 as nearly 40% of Massachusetts is fully vaccinated," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Active COVID cases in Massachusetts fell further on Wednesday as infections statewide continue to decline, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health." | | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | – "Lizzy Guyton, Baker's top press aide, to leave administration," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Lizzy Guyton, one of the longest-serving members of Governor Charlie Baker's inner circle, is stepping down as his communications director later this month, ending more than six years of speech-writing and corralling reporters on Beacon Hill." – "The Massachusetts millionaire's tax is back, and it's a little different this time," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "With eyes on 2022, supporters are taking a similar, if slightly different, approach to putting the millionaire's tax on the ballot, sidestepping the legal pitfalls that doomed the question in 2018." – "Animal rights groups seek limits on rat poisons," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Salem News: "The recent poisoning of a bald eagle along the Charles River is spurring proposed limits on the use of highly toxic rat poisons." – "Caucus of Women Legislators Outlines Priority Bills," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): "The caucus of 62 House and Senate women legislators endorsed 17 pieces of legislation on Wednesday and identified its top four priorities for this session, including whatever comes from the ongoing review of the state's early education and care system and a bill that would allow candidates to use campaign funds to pay for child care." – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: State Rep. Tram Nguyen is one of 19 leaders from across the country to join NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a national network of 178 state and local elected officials from 47 states. Nguyen was selected as part of the new class due to her "dedication to issues of racial and economic justice, as well as her commitment to protecting the rights of the most vulnerable populations," according to NewDEAL. | | VAX-ACHUSETTS | | – "Healey expands call for mandatory vaccinations," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Attorney General Maura Healey, who has said COVID-19 vaccinations should be required for public employees, indicated on Wednesday that she believes inoculations should be mandatory for at least some private workers as well. She specifically mentioned health care workers ." – "In Mass., you can now walk into any one of hundreds of COVID-19 vaccination sites for a shot," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "After months of agonizing waits online to book appointments, lines at clinics that sometimes kept people out in the cold for long stretches, and the occasional mad rush for leftover doses, residents can now receive a COVID-19 vaccine at hundreds of sites across the state without scheduling a slot, Massachusetts officials said Wednesday ." – "Will Mass. achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus pandemic? Maybe, experts say, but it could be difficult," by Martin Finucane and Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts' coronavirus vaccination campaign has been among the most successful in the country, with 57.3 percent of residents — 3.9 million people — having received at least a first shot of the vaccines as of earlier this week, according to federal data. That progress has people wondering if the state can vaccinate enough people to reach herd immunity." – "Brookline To Lift Outdoor Mask Mandate On May 21," by Juli McDonald, WBZ: "Brookline health leaders Wednesday agreed they would lift the community's outdoor mask mandate. It had remained in place even after Governor Baker ended the state's last week." | | FROM THE HUB | | – "Boston officials mull what should be done about ATVs and loud parties in and around Franklin Park," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Speed bumps? More speeding enforcement? A dedicated space for motorbikes and ATVs in Boston? City residents, lawmakers, and officials on Wednesday evening batted around ideas of what to do about off-road vehicles and loud parties in and around Franklin Park, the city's largest tract of open space." | | | |   | | | | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL | | – "Boston mayoral candidates crank up spending in April," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Mayoral spending heated up in April even as donations dropped, with candidates hurling cash at pollsters, ads, staff and consultants." | | DAY IN COURT | | – "SJC rules Zoom court hearings OK, but…" by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The trial court is within its rights to hold hearings via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in certain circumstances a criminal defendant should be allowed to postpone a hearing until it can be held in person, the state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled Wednesday ." – "'Jasiel was dirty': Marijuana vendors detail bribes demanded by former mayor Correia," by Jo C. Goode, Dan Medeiros, Lynne Sullivan and Linda Murphy, Herald News: "For the first time on Wednesday jurors heard how former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II demanded a bribe — with no middleman involved — accepted the cash and then promptly handed over a coveted non-opposition letter to a hopeful marijuana vendor." | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | – "Members Of Mass. Congressional Delegation Request $100 Million For 'Community Projects'" by GBH News, "The nine Democratic members of the U.S. House from Massachusetts have requested a total of nearly $100 million in federal funding for local projects, ranging from education and human services to drinking water and climate resilience." | | TRUMPACHUSETTS | | – "What Facebook's Decision To Dump Trump Means For Mass. Tech Companies," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Around the same time Mark Zuckerberg was starting Facebook in a Harvard dorm room, Jamie Heywood began building an online community called PatientsLikeMe, a place for people to talk about medical conditions. So, Heywood was among the Massachusetts technology entrepreneurs and investors who were watching closely when Facebook's oversight board ruled Wednesday that the social network does not have to reinstate former President Donald Trump." | | FROM THE 413 | | – "Pornographic 'Zoom bomb' disrupts West Springfield Town Council meeting," by Stephanie Barry, The Republican: "A hardcore pornographic 'Zoom bomb' forced the West Springfield Town Council to adjourn their Monday night meeting early — an unfortunate sign of the times in the coronavirus pandemic era." – "Former Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse ignores hometown in charitable purge of federal campaign funds," by Stephanie Barry, The Republican: "Former Mayor Alex B. Morse left nonprofits in his hometown out in the cold during a charitable purge of leftover donations to his unsuccessful run against U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal." | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | – "Ayanna Pressley joins calls for independent investigation into Mikayla Miller's death," by Sahar Fatima, Boston Globe: "Other public figures have also tweeted calling for answers in Miller's death, including Ibram X. Kendi, head of Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Representative Liz Miranda, and state Senate President Karen Spilka. Former Boston city councilor Tito Jackson is among the organizers of a rally on Thursday to demand answers from Ryan's office." – "As Evictions Slowly Return, Advocates Say More Help Needed," by Simón Rios, WBUR: "Liliana Cruz choked up at her kitchen table in New Bedford as she talked about faithfully paying her rent — every month over the last five years. Despite that, her landlord has sent her a notice ordering her to leave the three-bedroom house by the end of this month." – For my fellow New York transplants: "Wegmans has no plans to bring back self-serve food 'in their traditional way'" by Shaun Ganley, WCVB: "It appears one of Massachusetts' most popular grocery stores, which previously offered dozens of different hot food options to customers, may not bring their previous style setup back, at least anytime in the weeks and months ahead." | | MEDIA MATTERS | | – "After apologizing to readers, Nantucket Magazine publisher now says Dave Portnoy 'should be applauded,'" by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Nantucket Magazine publisher Bruce Percelay is hoping to clarify his stance on the controversial subject of Dave Portnoy." HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Paul Clark, Daniel Jick, David Rogers, Lori Lefkowitz, Meg McIntyre and Amanda Drane. 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. | | A message from Uber Driver Stories: After 9 years in the Army, and missing the birth of his daughter because he was stationed overseas, Jesus decided to make changes in his life.
Jesus chooses the flexibility of Uber because it lets him be there for his daughter—which has become even more important now that she's in distance learning due to the pandemic.
"It's tough being a single parent," Jesus says. "Without Uber, I wouldn't have been able to bond with my daughter because I wasn't able to spend time with her."
"Flexibility is important to me because I'm able to spend those magical moments with my daughter. Those moments are irreplaceable."
To see more stories like Jesus's, click here.
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