News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Courting the Latino vote

Monday, October 4, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Courting the Latino vote

Oct 04, 2021

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.

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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

– "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.

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