News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who WASN'T in the BOSTON MAYORAL POLL — DAS ARRESTED by FEDS

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who WASN'T in the BOSTON MAYORAL POLL — DAS ARRESTED by FEDS — The LATE STATE BUDGET tradition

Jun 30, 2021

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PICKING APART THE MAYORAL POLL — The 500 likely voters who were surveyed in the Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll of the Boston mayoral race provided a long-awaited barometer for where the field currently stands. But the 593 people who were screened out of the poll could potentially serve as a bellwether for where the race is heading.

Out of the nearly 1,100 voters called up by the pollsters, 54 percent could not identify the month of the preliminary election that will whittle the mayoral field down from six major candidates to two — and were therefore screened out of the poll, according to data shared exclusively with POLITICO. Suffolk has long used that as a way to filter out people who are unlikely to vote; for reference, the preliminary contest is Sept. 14, and the general municipal election is Nov. 2.

Here's why that matters: Those 593 people are indicative of a larger pool of still-untapped voters that candidates — particularly those further back in the pack — could engage with to change the trajectory of the race, but are rapidly running out of time to reach.

"No one's exactly broadening the voter base right now," Suffolk University Political Research Center Director David Paleologos told me.

But doing so could be particularly helpful to middle-tier candidates like City Councilors Annissa Essaibi George and Andrea Campbell, who are trying to close the gap with polling leaders City Councilor Michelle Wu and acting Mayor Kim Janey. It could also give a needed boost to state Rep. Jon Santiago and former city economic development chief John Barros as they try to climb out of the single digits.

Campaigns have plenty of tools — door-knocking, phone-banking, digital ads, television spots — to reach more voters. But only one, Santiago, has actually gone up on the air so far, though he's now being followed by a super PAC backing Campbell. The field was sitting on a combined nearly $4 million in the bank at the beginning of June, including more than $1 million each for Wu and Campbell — money that could, and strategists say should, be going toward ads with just 76 days left to reach voters. The candidates also keep burning daylight at largely virtual forums that tend to draw the activist crowd instead of the average voter.

"That doesn't leave a lot of time to go out and beat the drums to get people more educated about when the preliminary is or to make them decide," Paleologos said.

Here are some other takeaways:

— The historically diverse mayoral field may yield historic results. The four women of color in the race have held onto the four top polling spots through the spring, setting Boston on a real path toward electing a mayor who's not a white man for the first time in the nearly two centuries since the job was created — not only smashing the post's patriarchal past, but taking another step in combating the city's history of racism.

— Marty Walsh may not be in as much hot water as it seems, at least with Boston voters. President Joe Biden's labor secretary had a higher favorability rating, 68 percent, than any of the candidates vying to succeed him as mayor. That's despite the Boston police commissioner scandal that continues to dog him. It's validating for Walsh's allies and a positive sign for the former Boston mayor's political future in the Bay State. But it doesn't mean he'd be immune to the Dennis White controversy — and the others that happened under his watch here — should he look to run for office in Massachusetts again. Walsh also had the highest unfavorable rating, 22 percent, of the group.

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's the last day of the fiscal year. Keep your eyes on the budget battle in Boston. But don't look away from the State House just because an interim budget's already been passed — there's a fight brewing over the Holyoke Soldiers' Home construction labor agreement.

TODAY — Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey, Housing and Economic Development Sec. Michael Kennealy and more speak at the Hearth at Four Corners ribbon-cutting at 10:30 a.m; Janey speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for new land at Eastie Farm at 6 p.m. At 11 a.m., Secretary of State Bill Galvin details his office's plans to welcome tourists for exterior tours of the State House starting July 1. Sen. Ed Markey tours the YMCA of Greater Boston Springfield Child Care Center at 11:45 a.m. and Holyoke's Lyman Terrace at 1 p.m. State Health and Human Services Sec. Marylou Sudders delivers remarks at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation's 20th anniversary virtual event at 2 p.m. WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn participates in a virtual White House Summit on Eviction Prevention at 1:20 p.m. Rep. Jake Auchincloss speaks at The Hill Live's "ESG + Corporate Responsibility in America" at 2:50 p.m. Auchincloss and Rep. Seth Moulton are guests on GBH News' Greater Boston at 7 p.m. Moulton is also a guest on WBUR's Radio Boston. State Sen. Adam Hinds, state Rep. Liz Miranda, NFL players Devin and Jason McCourty and more speak virtually at "Democracy Denied: A Town Hall Discussion on Incarceration & Political Power in Massachusetts" at 6 p.m.

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

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Active COVID infections in Massachusetts fall to 1,361 as hospitalizations tick back above 100 on Tuesday," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "The number of active COVID-19 infections in Massachusetts continued to decrease on Tuesday, now down to 1,361 from the 1,422 reported the day before. Massachusetts health officials reported 63 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. Officials also reported another single COVID-related death, bringing the death toll from the pandemic up to 17,629."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— UPDATE: A source close to state Rep. Maria Robinson confirmed to me that the Framingham Democrat has been vetted by the White House as a potential Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner. Robinson previously led the Advanced Energy Economy's program on wholesale markets, including engagement at FERC, and focused on regulatory issues surrounding air and energy. The news comes less than a week after state House Majority Leader Claire Cronin was nominated as U.S. ambassador to Ireland.

— "Massachusetts gig economy comes under scrutiny as lawmakers, labor leaders examine future of work," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Lawmakers, union leaders and labor analysts in Massachusetts face the gargantuan task of analyzing what the post-COVID economy and workforce look like ... experts speaking before the Future of Work Commission Monday honed in on one area that is quickly becoming a heated debate in the Bay State: the gig economy and the rights and benefits for its workers, particularly at app-based companies."

— "Continuing an annual tradition: The late state budget," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "It may be an unusual year, but one annual Beacon Hill tradition is continuing: getting the state budget done late. July 1 marks the start of the 2022 fiscal year, but a final budget bill is nowhere in sight."

— "Lawmakers plea for safety-net hospitals," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: "Lawmakers are urging support for the state's safety-net hospitals that are struggling to stay afloat following the pandemic. During a livestreamed hearing Tuesday, the Legislature's Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing heard the pleas of lawmakers from the Merrimack Valley and other regions where hospitals that served large numbers of COVID-19 patients are buckling financially."

— "Department of Correction moves to end solitary confinement," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The Massachusetts Department of Correction on Tuesday announced its intention to end solitary confinement as currently constituted within three years, based on the recommendations of an independent consultant. … But the department did not lay out details about what specific steps it would take and when, leading some advocates to question what exactly the announcement means."

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VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "Massachusetts VaxMillions registration opens Thursday for fully vaxxed residents to win $1 million," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Fully vaccinated Massachusetts residents can register to win cash prizes or college scholarships in the state's VaxMillions Giveaway starting on Thursday, the Baker administration announced."

FROM THE HUB

— "Kim Janey, Boston councilors haggle with stimulus funds to try to get city budget passed," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey's administration and City Council budgetary leadership continue to horse trade over just how much federal stimulus money Janey will have to throw to the assorted councilors' priorities in order to get them to drop their opposition to her budget."

— "Task force calls for exam school admission changes, but gives in on exception for high-ranking students," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "A task force recommended that Boston make sweeping changes to the admission criteria for the city's exam schools to give priority to disadvantaged students, but in a bow to political pressure included a last-minute change to appease middle-class families. The changes finalized at a public meeting Tuesday night would place much more emphasis on a student's grades than test results, and would separate applicants into eight groups based on their socioeconomic status, so that a low-income child would not be competing with a wealthier student for the same seat."

— "Street violence is up throughout US, but not in Boston," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Major American cities have convulsed with increases in street violence during the first half of the year, but Boston appears to be an exception. Through June 27, the city had experienced 19 homicides, versus 21 slayings for the same time period last year. This year's number of killings was also less than Boston's five-year average of 28 during the time period, according to the Boston Police Department."

— "Longtime director of Boston rape crisis center leaves amid a broiling controversy over racial equity," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "When the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center announced on its website in early June that longtime executive director Gina Scaramella was retiring at the end of the month, the board of directors lauded the innovative ways she had helped survivors of sexual assault in her 26 years at the agency and highlighted glowing praise from supporters, including Representative Ayanna Pressley. What wasn't mentioned were the circumstances surrounding Scaramella's sudden departure: a broiling controversy over racial equity that resulted in 32 people — more than half the nonprofit's staff — sending the board a letter of no-confidence detailing what they said was her failure to 'rise to the current challenge of addressing white supremacy.'"

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— "Boston Black Men's Committee Launches, Vows To Register Thousands Of New Voters," by Adam Reilly, GBH News: "At a midafternoon event on a scorching-hot City Hall Plaza Tuesday, former city councilor and mayoral candidate Tito Jackson announced the formation of the Boston Black Men's Committee, saying the group would push for more civic engagement, increased economic and educational opportunities, assistance for previously incarcerated individuals and greater attentiveness to mental-health concerns in the run-up to the 2021 city elections."

— "For Boston's Next Mayor, Boston Police Will Be A Tough Fix," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "One of the biggest issues facing the next mayor of Boston is how to fix the problems at the police department. Boston's police department is in disarray. The police commissioner was fired over domestic violence allegations. More than a dozen police officers have been charged with overtime fraud. The former head of the police union is accused of molesting children. And the department has long faced criticism over whether it does enough to solve shootings in the poorer parts of the city."

— "What do Bostonians think of police? About half of those polled had a generally positive perception of the force," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Following months of sustained calls for structural changes at the scandal-battered Boston Police Department, a new poll shows that city voters have a complicated and nuanced view of the city's force, with just over half of respondents agreeing that its officers generally do a good job. The poll of 500 Boston voters by Suffolk University and the Globe indicates many likely voters appear to harbor more moderate views on issues of policing than some local progressive political candidates and advocates who are calling for a continued overhaul of the department."

— "This American city has a long history of racism. Now, all top mayoral candidates are women of color," by Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times: "The voters of Boston, a city with a notorious history of racism, face a once-unimaginable political tableau in the mayor's race this year. For the first time, the four top candidates are all women of color. Boston is an unlikely pioneer in a change that is inching into electoral politics across the nation: A growing number of women of color are running for the highest offices."

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: 314 Action Fund, which works to elect scientists, doctors and STEM professionals, is endorsing Santiago in the Boston mayoral race. "Dr. Santiago's backgrounds in medicine and policy make him uniquely qualified to lead Boston as the city continues to recover from the pandemic and into a more just and more equitable future. We're proud to support him and are eager to help make sure Bostonians know his story," 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton said in a statement.

JOIN FRIDAY FOR A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH ANITA DUNN: Anita Dunn, a senior White House adviser to President Biden and one of the most influential women in Washington, will join Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss the administration's legislative priorities, including getting the massive infrastructure plan through Congress, the latest on efforts to get 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated against Covid, and preparations for the White House's first big public event on Independence Day. Don't miss this Playbook Live event, REGISTER HERE.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Boston drivers wasted 50 hours in traffic in 2020, despite pandemic," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Boston-area drivers had the second-longest average wait time in traffic out of large U.S. cities in 2020, at 50 hours per driver over the year, according to a new study released by Texas A&M University's Transportation Institute."

DAY IN COURT

— "Feds arrest former Massachusetts congressional candidate for allegedly using campaign funds to pay hotel debts," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "In his 2018 concession speech, former Massachusetts congressional candidate Abhijit 'Beej' Das said that his bid to succeed former Rep. Niki Tsongas came at 'incredible cost, both personally, professionally,' and 'for our company.' But according to federal prosecutors, his troubled hotel company was also a significant — and illegal — drain on Das's campaign. In a press release Tuesday, the U.S. attorney's office for Massachusetts announced that they had arrested Das, a North Andover resident and Democratic primary candidate in the open 2018 3rd District race, for soliciting illegally excessive campaign donations from friends and family, dipping into his campaign account to pay for business debts, and covering it up with falsified campaign finance reports to the Federal Elections Commission."

— "Driver in New Hampshire crash that killed seven people takes case to state Supreme Court," by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: "The case of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the Massachusetts truck driver accused of killing seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire's White Mountains two years ago, went before the New Hampshire Supreme Court on Tuesday, offering a glimpse of his possible defense at his November trial on manslaughter and negligent homicide charges. Zhukovskyy, 25, who has been imprisoned for two years without bail, wants a judge to hear his account of the fatal crash on June 21, 2019, in hopes of being freed before trial."

— "Duxbury teen who allegedly drowned his 'possessed' dad told police he was 'baptizing his father in order to exorcise these demons'," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "A Duxbury teenager accused of killing his father by repeatedly dunking his dad's head in a local pond told police that his dad's body was 'possessed by a spirit' — and that he was 'baptizing his father in order to exorcise these demons.'"

THE PRESSLEY PARTY

— "Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Maxine Waters and Rashida Tlaib unveil bill to empower HUD tenants, improve housing conditions," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "The Tenant Empowerment Act of 2021 would protect tenants' rent money and subsidy payments if they find themselves in substandard housing conditions in properties taking part in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs. The bill would strengthen HUD tenants' rights to organize and give them more power to negotiate or fight with negligent owners and management companies through court."

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP

— "Former councilor, Diosdado Lopez, joins Holyoke mayoral race," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Longtime former city councilor Diosdado Lopez has announced that he is running for mayor. Lopez, 56, is the eighth candidate who has pulled papers to run for mayor in Holyoke."

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— "N.H.'s Sununu, the GOP's top Senate recruit for 2022, may have just created a big political problem over abortion," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "In a little-noticed move on Friday, the Republican Party's top recruit to run for the US Senate next year— and possibly flip the balance of power in the chamber ― may have committed a mistake that will likely dominate next year's election, should he end up running."

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THE NATIONAL TAKE

— "Latest New York mayoral count voided after 'test' ballots included in tally," by Joe Anuta and David Giambusso, POLITICO: "The New York City Board of Elections accidentally included results from a mock trial of the city's new ranked-choice voting system in unofficial primary returns released Tuesday — a snafu that threw the election process into chaos."

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MEDIA MATTERS

— "WEEI's Glenn Ordway will retire at the end of the summer," by Chad Finn, Boston.com: "Glenn Ordway, who in a near 50-year career broadcasting career established himself as one of the most influential voices in the history of Boston sports radio, announced Tuesday afternoon that he will be retiring from his full-time role at WEEI at the end of the summer. "

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Plymouth County Register of Probate Matthew McDonough and Daniel Goldhagen. Happy belated to state Rep. Liz Miranda, who celebrated Tuesday.

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