News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Jake Auchincloss’ coup

Friday, September 10, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Jake Auchincloss’ coup

Sep 10, 2021

THE POWER OF PELOSI IN #MAPOLI — Two of the most powerful Democrats in Congress helped Rep. Jake Auchincloss kick off his new leadership PAC yesterday — a coup for a first-term congressman looking to shore up his defenses against a potential primary challenge next year.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark joined Auchincloss in Newton to launch his MA 4 Dems PAC, which aims to help elect Democrats in vulnerable districts in 2022 and protect the party's majority in the House.

"What you are doing is very important because it helps ensure that Jake will serve in the majority … so he can make the difference that he came to Congress to do," Pelosi said, according to an attendee who asked to remain anonymous to provide some first-in-Playbook details. Pelosi also lauded Auchincloss's military service and "entrepreneurial spirit" as "the full package."

Clark, a surprise guest who wasn't listed on invites sent out for the event, introduced Auchincloss and said she was honored to help him "make sure we keep that gavel in Nancy Pelosi's hands come 2022."

Auchincloss has allied himself with leadership in his short time in Congress and it appears to have paid off so far, landing him two plum committee assignments and a helping hand from the House speaker. While yesterday's event wasn't a reelection endorsement — and while Pelosi-backed pols haven't always had the best track record in Massachusetts — both Pelosi and Clark bring clout to Auchincloss's new political operation, and could give him a boost with some voters in his district down the line.

For what it's worth, Pelosi said Democrats have "no intention" of losing the House in 2022 during a separate appearance in Worcester with Rep. Jim McGovern yesterday, in which the two toured a child-care center and met with striking St. Vincent nurses.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

POLL POSITIONS — City Councilor Michelle Wu topped two more polls in the Boston mayor's race yesterday, while both surveys showed a close race for second between Acting Mayor Kim Janey and City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George.

An Emerson College/7 News poll showed Wu with 30% support, followed by 18% for Essaibi George, 17% for Campbell and 16% for Janey — within the survey's +/- 3.9% margin of error. Wu grew her support by 6 points from Emerson's last poll just two weeks ago, and Campbell jumped up by 3. Essaibi George and Janey both held steady. No other candidate topped 2% in the poll of 600 likely voters, and 14% were still undecided.

Wu also topped a Beacon Research poll obtained by POLITICO that was conducted for the Better Boston independent expenditure PAC supporting Campbell. The survey — which combined people who had already voted with people who had picked a candidate and leaners — showed Wu with 33% support, Campbell and Essaibi George tied at 19%, Janey at 15% and former city economic development chief John Barros at 3%. Among the 164 voters sampled who'd already cast their ballots, Wu was at 36%, Campbell at 20%, Essaibi George at 17%, Janey at 13% and Barros at 3%. Both surveys were conducted Monday through Wednesday.

All five recent public surveys have shown Wu with a sizable lead over her competitors and what's essentially a jump ball for second place between the three other women heading into Tuesday's preliminary election.

That dynamic was on display at last night's debate, where both Campbell and Essaibi George sparred with Janey, and the candidates were sharper in their criticism and more direct in their policy distinctions. Even Wu wasn't immune to the attacks — she took heat from Barros over her support for rent control. The Boston Globe's Stephanie Ebbert and Danny McDonald and the Boston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter have your debate recaps.

TODAY — State Sen. Eric Lesser holds a livestream discussion at noon with Col. Joseph Janik, commander of the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, in honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Janey joins Latinx community leaders for a mystery endorsement at 3:30 p.m. in Jamaica Plain. The MassGOP hosts a veterans' cookout at 5:30 p.m. at the Lyons Family Barn in Andover.

THIS WEEKEND — Sen. Elizabeth Warren hosts a GOTV rally with Boston City Council at-large candidate Ruthzee Louijeune at noon at Jamaica Pond and with Wu at 5:30 p.m. at the Chinatown Gate. Warren hosts a meet-and-greet in Northampton at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The Dorchester Reporter's Bill Forry and Gintautas Dumcius break down the Boston mayor's race on WBZ's "Keller at Large" at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Barros is on WCVB's "On the Record" at 11 a.m. Sunday.

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

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– Essaibi George won the Marty Walsh's mom endorsement in the Boston mayor's race yesterday.

"She grew up down the street from me. ... She grew up with my kids," the former mayor's mom said after casting her ballot for Essaibi George, noting that she hadn't spoken with her son about her vote and didn't know if he's voted yet. Mary Walsh was joined at her Dorchester polling location by Essaibi George and her mom.

– "Essaibi George weighs in on super PAC led by former Boston police chief," by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: "City Councillor Annissa Essaibi George is distancing herself from one of the two super PACs supporting her mayoral candidacy, saying she's 'not happy' about its ties to former President Donald Trump."

– "Mayoral candidates share visions for Boston's economic future at forum," by Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: "... the mayoral hopefuls offered their visions for addressing the racial wealth gap and promoting broad-based economic growth at the 'Building Boston's Economic Future for Everyone' forum, hosted by the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts and A Better City, a business group. … Acting Mayor Kim Janey initially accepted an invitation to the event but withdrew on Wednesday night, saying she needed to help oversee the first day for the city's public schools, forum organizers said."

– Some FIRST IN PLAYBOOK endorsements: The Boston Teachers Union has endorsed David Halbert for Boston City Council at-large, per his campaign. The MBTA Management Union Office & Professional Employees International Union Local 453 has endorsed Alex Gray in the at-large race, per his campaign.

FROM THE HUB

– "Busing woes plague Boston's first day of school," by Felicia Gans, Naomi Martin and Bianca Vázquez Toness, Boston Globe: "Valdir Monteiro and his 6-year-old son arrived at his bus stop in Dorchester at 6:30 a.m., 15 minutes early. The first-grader, dressed in a yellow T-shirt and jeans, was nervous about the first day and didn't want to go, but his father kept assuring him everything would be OK. And then the two waited for two hours for a school bus that still hadn't shown up."

– "Boston hands out 'Mayor Kim Janey' pencils on first day of school," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey is drawing some criticism from the fact that city employees were out and about during the first day of school to hand out city-bought pencils and masks with her name on them."

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP

– Sen. Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer's reelection bid, per her campaign. "Framingham can count on Mayor Spicer's bold, persistent leadership to move the city forward and tackle our biggest challenges," Warren said in a statement. The senator previously hosted a fundraiser with Spicer, according to Framingham Source. Spicer, the city's first mayor, is facing challengers Charlie Sisitsky and Carlos Valadares in a Sept. 14 preliminary election.

– "In Everett's Mayoral Race, Identity And Governing Style Are Both On The Ballot," by Adam Reilly, GBH News: "As Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria seeks a sixth term, he's comparing himself to a legend of Massachusetts politics. … But DeMaria's re-election bid involves a hurdle [former Boston mayor Tom] Menino never had to clear: an ongoing, citywide reckoning with the politics of race."

– "Holyoke mayoral hopefuls lay out priorities at economic forum," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Seven candidates running to become Holyoke's next mayor tried to separate themselves from the pack Thursday during the first and only debate before city voters decide which two will move on to the general election in November."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts coronavirus cases spike 2,096 — the highest daily count in 5 months," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The more than 2,000 single-day infections is the highest Bay State tally since April 10, with its count of 2,107 cases. The last time the state reported more than 2,000 cases in one day was April 14."

– "Town-by-town COVID-19 data in Massachusetts," by Ryan Huddle and Peter Bailey-Wells, Boston Globe.

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Biden outlines sweeping vaccine requirements; Charlie Baker says no mandate in Massachusetts," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "As many as 100 million American workers will be mandated to get vaccines or undergo weekly coronavirus testing as part of a sweeping set of new federal vaccine conditions where President Biden also pressured governors to require vaccines for school teachers. … 'Governor Baker recently directed all cities and towns to require all municipal employees, including their school employees, to be vaccinated and is committed to assist local officials to implement these measures,' Press Secretary Terry MacCormack said..."

– "Moderna developing combination coronavirus and flu booster vaccine," by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– State Sen. Joe Boncore has turned in his resignation — effective just before midnight — and bid adieu to the Senate as he prepares to take on his new role as CEO of MassBio. Boncore thanked several of his colleagues in his farewell speech yesterday, including state Rep. Adrian Madaro, who's expected to run in the yet-to-be-scheduled special election to replace the outgoing senator. "When we met we were political neophytes and it's been wonderful to see you rise, Adrian, in the House," Boncore said, adding, "I'm looking forward to seeing what's next."

– "Hearing Shows Desire To Spend ARPA $$$ On Infrastructure," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): "Three committees heard testimony from three Cabinet secretaries and host of mayors, lawmakers and advocates on the need to use money to mitigate the overflow of sewage into clean water supplies and ways to support small downtown businesses and the arts sector still recovering from the worst of the pandemic."

– "Mass. Senate President Spilka Eyes Mental Health Parity Bill For Busy Fall Agenda," by Mike Deehan, GBH News: "Senate President Karen Spilka wants the Legislature to put a mental health care parity bill on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk by Thanksgiving, adding a tricky piece of policy to Beacon Hill's fall agenda that's already crowded with legislation on federal spending, absentee voting and redrawing political districts."

– "Feds request 18 months behind bars for former state Rep. David Nangle in political corruption case," by Alana Melanson, Lowell Sun: "Citing his 'persistent and pernicious abuse of power,' federal prosecutors will ask that [former state Rep. David] Nangle be sentenced to 18 months in federal prison at his sentencing hearing, set for Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. before Judge Rya W. Zobel."

BALLOT BATTLES

– "Supreme Judicial Court grants injunction in newborn ballot question," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "The state's highest court has granted a preliminary injunction allowing a ballot initiative petition to move forward that seeks to amend existing abortion laws to ensure babies born alive are given lifesaving medical care. … Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey tried to put the kibosh on the question, disqualifying the initiative petition outright last week, claiming the wording to be too 'ambiguous.'"

PELOSI'S PUSH

– "Nancy Pelosi, Jim McGovern plug Joe Biden child tax credit during Worcester visit," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made a pit stop in Worcester to meet children and families who have benefited from President Biden's child tax credit and plug a bill that would expand access to affordable child care including free pre-K. 'The child tax credit is our focus. It's making a big difference,' Pelosi said."

– Pelosi's visit drew a handful of protesters, according to GBH News' Craig LeMoult, some of whom balked at the $3.5 trillion price tag for the budget reconciliation bill currently working its way through Congress.

FROM THE DELEGATION

– "Anniversary of 9/11 Prompts Calls for Aviation Security Boost," by Lillianna Byington, Bloomberg Government: "Democratic Sens. Edward Markey (Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) released a bill Thursday that would send additional funding to the Transportation Security Administration to bolster its security technology and pay salaries."

– "Sen. Elizabeth Warren's red line on budget talks: 'We must have a child care bill,'" by Ted Nesi, WPRI: "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday she remains confident Democrats in Congress will soon reach agreement on a far-reaching budget bill despite significant disagreements, while making clear she has no higher priority than additional funding for child care."

FROM THE 413

– "Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi refusing to send inmates to Springfield courthouse for appearances, cites mold concerns," by Stephanie Barry, MassLive.com: "Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi is the latest to boycott the ailing Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse over its extensive mold problem. Cocchi on Thursday announced he will temporarily suspend sending inmates to the building for court appearances even as it reopened today, following a mold assault that triggered an employee walkout and two-week shutdown by state officials."

– "Northampton School Committee to revise policy on hate symbols after ACLU advises it could chill free speech," by Brian Steele, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "After receiving a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that a proposed anti-bias and 'symbols of hate' policy for the schools could have a chilling effect on free speech, the School Committee has decided to make changes before putting the policy to a vote."

– "Gym owner: Alleged Jan 6 rioter not representative of 'Berkshire Nautilus, or the Berkshires'," by Amanda Burke, Berkshire Eagle: "The January day that the nation watched an insurrection overwhelm the U.S. Capitol, Jim Ramondetta received a video on social media. It showed one of many melees that played out Jan. 6 at the seat of the country's legislative branch. He watched the video. To his surprise, he spotted a white-haired man wearing a sweatshirt that bore the name of the health club Ramondetta owns, Berkshire Nautilus."

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

– "Harvard commits to divesting from fossil fuels," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "After years of pressure from students, Harvard University will divest itself from holdings in fossil fuels, President Lawrence Bacow said Thursday."

– "Jobless claims edge up in Massachusetts, bucking national trend that saw new claims hit pandemic low," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "For the week ending Sept. 4, Massachusetts had 5,712 people file initial claims for unemployment insurance."

– "Massport Leader During 9/11 Reflects On 20th Anniversary Of The Terrorist Attacks," by Dan Guzman and Steve Brown, WBUR: "As CEO of the organization in charge of the airport during the terrorist attacks, [Virginia Buckingham] says it has taken her a long time to mentally recover from what happened and to rebuild her life in the aftermath."

– "Report slams police for not finding dead vet on VA campus," by the Associated Press: "Confusion over proper procedures at a Veterans Affairs hospital allowed a dead veteran to go unnoticed in a stairwell for more than a month after he was reported missing, according to a federal report released Thursday."

– "Town offers apology after Black couple wrongly accused of stealing apples," by Julie Manganis, Salem News: "Town of Danvers officials apologized on Thursday to a Black Cambridge family after they were wrongly accused of trying to steal apples during a Labor Day visit to Connors Farm — then accused by a Danvers police officer of 'playing the race card' when they questioned why they were singled out to be searched."

– "Former mayor Jasiel Correia could owe over $566,000 in his fraud and extortion case," by Dan Medeiros, Herald News: "On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office filed a motion of forfeiture with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts requesting [former Fall River Mayor Jasiel] Correia repay $566,740 he illegally obtained from investors in his SnoOwl smartphone app and extorted from people looking to open marijuana businesses in Fall River."

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

– "Gail Huff Brown files statement of candidacy for 1st Congressional District US House seat," by John DiStaso, WMUR: "[Gail] Huff Brown, who called herself a proud supporter of former President Donald Trump's 'America First' agenda, said in an interview Thursday that she filed her statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in order to begin fundraising and to continue to gauge grassroots support. … She said that as much as she loves and admires her husband, 'I'm not Scott. We are very different people with different ideas.' She said she is 'much more conservative' than her husband."

SPOTTED – at Auchincloss's PAC kickoff: Former interim Sen. Mo Cowan, former ambassador Alan Solomont, state Sen. Cindy Creem, state Reps. Claire Cronin, Ruth Balser, Kay Khan, Jim Hawkins, Carol Doherty, Alice Peirsch, Edward Philips, Adam Scanlon and Tommy Vitolo, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Newton City Councilors Alicia Bowman, Andreae Downs and Andrea Kelley, Dighton selectman Brett Zografos and state auditor candidate Chris Dempsey. Pic ... another pic ... and another

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Karissa Hand, the Boston Globe's Martin Finucane, Meg Wheeler and Annika Jensen.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to gubernatorial candidate former state Sen. Ben Downing, Andrew Sagarin, POLITICO's Joe Schatz and Matt Giancola, who celebrates Saturday; and to POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger; former senator and U.S. ambassador Scott Brown, Waterville Consulting Principal Sean Curran and MassGIS' Paul Nutting, who celebrate Sunday.

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