News : Chang-Díaz backers keep Dem convention spicy

Monday, June 6, 2022

Chang-Díaz backers keep Dem convention spicy

Jun 06, 2022

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CONVENTION CORONATION — State Attorney General Maura Healey resoundingly locked up her party's endorsement for governor at the Democratic convention this past weekend. But her expected victory came with a few warnings from party activists.

Delegates gave Healey's rival, state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, 29 percent support — nearly double the 15 percent she needed to get on the September primary ballot and a mirror of how delegates at last month's GOP convention split their vote for governor.

Like their Republican counterparts, Democratic delegates told Playbook they want a contested primary. "My preference is Healey, but I want to see Sonia on the ballot," said delegate Scott MacPhee, who came into the convention undecided. "Both should be on there. You want a pull for people to come vote."

Delegate Francis Mand planned to cast a "protest vote" for Chang-Díaz because he's worried Healey is too focused on national issues rather than local ones. "This state has a lot of governors that turn to the national level or presidential seats," Mand said.

Chang-Díaz has engendered fierce loyalty among her core supporters and turned some new ones Saturday with her calls to disrupt the status quo — which to some includes Healey. But she's struggled to make significant gains against an attorney general who's run and won statewide twice before. And Chang-Díaz continues to trail badly in fundraising: The $62,196 she brought in during May is her lowest fundraising haul since November. She started June with $321,184 in her campaign coffers, a far cry from Healey's more than $5 million war chest.

Some delegates told Playbook their decision came down to who can beat a Republican come November — a concern top of mind among the Democratic activists, candidates and elected officials at the convention, even as the party holds near-total control of the state's top elected offices.

And the majority settled on Healey. "I went back and forth a lot," said delegate Devin Sheehan, who voted for Healey. "I like Sonia's work, but Healey can get the job done."

Sonia Chang-Diaz and Maura Healey speak to reporters.

From left, Democratic primary Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates Sonia Chang-Díaz and Maura Healey speak to reporters following the Massachusetts Democratic Convention on June 4, 2022, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. | Madison Fernandez/POLITICO

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Here are a couple other convention takeaways:

MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU EVERYTHING — State Sen. Eric Lesser, who leads the lieutenant governor field in money raised and banked, finished third in his race — a result that took plenty of political watchers by surprise. NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan bested Secretary of State Bill Galvin for the party's endorsement, even though the incumbent has 15 times more money in the bank than his challenger.

Lesser and Galvin's flush coffers will help them get on the airwaves and reach more voters as their primaries move beyond party activists. But they could lose that edge if their rivals are able to build more financial support following the convention.

"These things are a bit of a black hole, so you just do your best," Lesser told Playbook of the convention results. "We're continuing a very brisk fundraising pace."

PALFREY'S PATH — The attorney general race has been a two-on-one against polling and fundraising leader Andrea Campbell for months now. But it was Quentin Palfrey, the party's 2018 lieutenant governor nominee, who secured activists' endorsement for AG.

"There was a real sign that the delegates wanted an independent AG," Palfrey, who's been hammering Campbell for refusing to disavow third-party spending in the contest, told Playbook.

He'll need to turn that momentum into money, and fast — Palfrey raised just $18,280 in May and has $138,147 in the bank, compared to Campbell's $143,517 May haul and $651,308 war chest and Shannon Liss-Riordan's ability to self-fund.

Plus, convention endorsements aren't always predictors of primary success. Galvin lost the party's endorsement in 2018 yet won his primary handily.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito participate in a roundtable discussion on the administration's dangerousness and "revenge porn" bills with survivors at 10 a.m. at the UMass Law School in Dartmouth. Baker highlights potential investments in Fall River at 11:15 a.m. Baker and Polito join legislative leaders for their no-longer-weekly leadership meeting at 2 p.m. at the State House. Rep. Ayanna Pressley delivers $300,000 in federal funding to the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology at 11 a.m.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will not publish on Thursday, June 9 or Friday, June 10 — because I'm heading down to POLITICO HQ. D.C. Playbookers, email me at lkashinsky@politico.com to meet up! After the brief hiatus, I'll be back in your inbox on Monday, June 13.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "May tax revenues below last year, still more than expected," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "'Preliminary revenue collections for May 2022 totaled $2.478 billion, which is $1.524 billion or 38.1% less than actual collections in May 2021, but $138 million or 5.9% more than benchmark,' the state Department of Revenue said in a release."

— "Goldberg urges lawmakers to divest gun holdings," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "The chief custodian of the state's retirement system is urging lawmakers to divest the pension fund of any holdings tied to gun manufacturers in response to a spate of mass shootings across the country. Treasurer Deb Goldberg, whose office oversees the pension fund, said the $101.5 billion retirement system has about $2 million in firearms-related investments."

— "Massachusetts issued nearly $100 million in film tax subsidies in 2019, the most in a decade," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "After surviving repeated attempts to curb it, the state's film tax credit program appears poised to grow bigger than ever, issuing nearly $100 million in subsidies in one year and helping strengthen the state's foothold in the film and television industry."

— "With free lunch cutoff looming, advocates seek 1-year extension," by Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: "For more than two years, since the pandemic shut down schools in March 2020, students in Massachusetts have been spared the worries that once plagued Miranda, under an emergency expansion of the federal school lunch program that made meals free for everyone. But with the end of that program looming on July 1 — and without an agreement by state legislators to permanently take it over — advocates for children now hope the state will fund a one-year extension, postponing a cutoff they say will leave kids hungry and less able to learn. The House of Representatives included the $110 million cost of the extension in its proposed $50 billion budget for fiscal 2023, while the Senate has not made it part of their plan, setting up a potential deadline standoff when the two legislative bodies head into conference to hash out a consensus."

FROM THE HUB

— "With BPS in crisis, pressure mounts for Wu to become the 'education mayor'," by Emma Platoff and James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "A perennial disappointment for parents and albatross for city leaders, Boston Public Schools is snowballing into a political emergency for Mayor Michelle Wu, presenting a pivotal moment in her young tenure. A mayor who entered office with an ambitious list of priorities will need to course correct the city's schools, or risk being defined by their failure."

— "Hundreds celebrate Trans Pride on Boston City Hall Plaza," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "At a time when multiple state legislatures have recently passed laws limiting the rights of transgender Americans, the mood among the hundreds of trans people and allies who gathered for the Trans Pride celebration was one of solidarity — but even more of jubilation."

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

ON THE STUMP

— Here are a few more observations from the Democrats' confab in Worcester:

THE VOTES — Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll earned 41 percent support for lieutenant governor, followed by 23 percent for state Rep. Tami Gouveia and 21 percent for state Sen. Eric Lesser. State Sen. Adam Hinds and businessman Bret Bero failed to reach the 15 percent support among delegates needed to advance, receiving 12 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan notched 62 percent support against Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who received 38 percent. Chris Dempsey edged state Sen. Diana DiZoglio 53 percent to 47 percent. And while Andrea Campbell won the first ballot for attorney general, she lost the second to Quentin Palfrey, 46 percent to 54 percent. Shannon Liss-Riordan received enough support on the first ballot, 22 percent, to advance in the AG primary.

MassDems Chair Gus Bickford defended the party's use of the 15-percent requirement on WBZ's "Keller @ Large" in a pre-convention interview. Bero's attempt to eliminate the threshold at the convention failed.

THE FIRSTS — Democrats made some history on Saturday: Sullivan is the first woman of color to receive the party's endorsement in a statewide race. Chang-Díaz's campaign said she's the first woman of color to make the ballot for governor. And Campbell's said she's the first woman of color to make the ballot for AG.

"I have mixed feelings of elation and 'what the heck, why?'" state Rep. Nika Elugardo, who supports all three women, told Playbook. "You should be able to be a regular, amazing woman of color and from time to time get a state endorsement."

— Related: "Mass. Dems lean toward women candidates," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine.

GREAT DEBATE — After months of dodging pre-convention debates, Healey said she's ready to engage.

"We look forward to debates," Healey said to reporters following her win. "We've already promised a couple of debates."

Healey has said she'll commit to two debates between now and September. But as for how many Chang-Díaz wants over the next four months: "Give me a beat to enjoy this day, and we will get back to you on that," she told reporters on Saturday.

— "Use of voter ID app may have blocked ballots at Dem convention," by Matthew Medsger and Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: "A voter identification and ballot casting app forced on delegates at this weekend's Democratic state convention left some unable to vote for their chosen candidate and left at least one elected official wondering if the party was taking a new look at voter ID."

— WATCH: Republican Anthony Amore talks about his auditor campaign, gun control and Gov. Charlie Baker's endorsement on WCVB's "On the Record."

A message from PhRMA:

MARKEYCHUSETTS

— "US Sen. Edward Markey laments 'pandemic of gun violence' outside gates of Smith & Wesson," by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: "U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey said a 'pandemic of gun violence' and senseless mass shootings have brought the country to a turning point where Congress must act to restrict ownership of AR-15-style weapons or suffer the political consequences. … Markey spoke Friday across the street from the main entrance to the Smith & Wesson gun manufacturing plant on Roosevelt Avenue. The event coincided with National Gun Violence Awareness Day."

FROM THE 413

— "Holyoke students say teachers used racist slur in classroom, demand action from school officials," by Tristan Smith, MassLive: "The two incidents, which occurred on April 5 and April 15, sparked an investigation and disciplinary action for the two teachers involved, according to Anthony Soto, superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools, who added that such incidents were rare in the district. But the students who complained and some parents want the school to go further, sending out a public notice to the school community."

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— BET ON IT: Sports betting isn't legal here (yet). But Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto have agreed to a friendly wager over the outcome of the now-tied Celtics-Warriors' NBA Finals: The winner will make a donation to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of their respective county.

— "Hunger on the rise in Mass. as aid ends and food costs soar," by Diti Kohli, Boston Globe: "At least 1.8 million people — or 32 percent of the state's adult population — are food-insecure, a new survey from the Greater Boston Food Bank found. The burden lies most heavily on minority communities and families with children."

— "Milton town official resigns after making anti-Biden remark at Memorial Day observance," by Fred Hanson, Patriot Ledger: "A town official has resigned after he used a code phrase popular with opponents of President Joe Biden to conclude his remarks at the town's Memorial Day observance on Monday. Steven Fruzzetti, who is an elected member of the town's cemetery commission, resigned from the post late Thursday afternoon, said Milton Town Clerk Susan Galvin. Fruzzetti is also an elected member of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee."

— "More than 50,000 Mass. driver licenses and ID cards to be reissued due to printing 'anomaly'," by Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe: "Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents will soon receive new driver licenses and IDs in the mail because the cards they were issued weren't printed properly, officials said Friday. Jacquelyn Goddard, a spokeswoman for MassDOT, said more than 50,000 residents received licenses and ID cards that need to be replaced. The cards are valid but lack a certain fraud prevention feature, she said."

— "US Attorney Rachael Rollins opens probe of racism in Everett city government," by Adrian Walker, Boston Globe: "US Attorney Rachael Rollins notified Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria this week that she has launched an investigation of possible civil rights violations in city government. The probe comes in the wake of months of well-documented racist comments and behaviors that have roiled the insular city of 49,000. A city councilor — who is a relative of the mayor's — and the mayor's communications director both recently resigned, after coming under fire for racist comments."

— IN MEMORIAM: "Former WBZ-TV anchor and reporter Shelby Scott has died," by CBS Boston staff.

A message from PhRMA:

Did you know that PBMs, insurers, hospitals, the government, and others received a larger share of total spending on medicines than biopharmaceutical companies? That's right, more than half of spending on brand medicines goes to someone who doesn't make them. Let's fix the system the right way and ensure more of the savings go to patients, not middlemen. Learn more.

TRANSITIONS — Meteorologist David Epstein joins GBH News.

— Natasha Silva is now senior director of federal government relations at the National MS Society. She previously was legislative director for Rep. Bill Keating, and is a Stephen Lynch alum.

CONGRATS — to Ryan and Steph Evans , who married over the weekend in a gorgeous vineyard ceremony in the Merrimack Valley. And thank you to the bride for allowing this Playbook scribe to keep an eye and ear on the convention along the way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Grace Ross, Donna Fenn, Jen Hemmerdinger, Elvira Mora and Christopher Rowland, Washington Post reporter and former Boston Globe Washington bureau chief. Happy belated to Mort Zuckerman, who celebrated Saturday.

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.

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