News: Battle lines drawn

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Battle lines drawn

Aug 04, 2022

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook won't publish next week. I'll be back in your inbox on Aug. 15.

TWO CHRISES WALK INTO A ROOM — To hear Chris Sununu tell it, the New Hampshire governor endorsed Chris Doughty for Massachusetts governor out of his own "self-interest."

Sununu wants a Republican to remain in control of Massachusetts so that New Hampshire can keep benefiting from the region's economic driver. And he definitely doesn't want the "socialism" he claims Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey would bring to the Bay State.

"All that matters is winning in November," Sununu told a few dozen Doughty supporters at a fundraiser in Peabody last night. "People say, 'Well, I'm going to vote for [Geoff] Diehl because, you know, he's the more, he's the ultra-conservative and I agree with him on this point.' Well what's the frickin' point if you're not gonna win in November? Because that guy's not gonna win."

Sununu and his team insist that his support for Doughty has nothing to do with the fact that Donald Trump, with whom the New Hampshire governor has a complicated relationship, endorsed Diehl. Or that former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who called for Sununu's ouster, is advising Diehl's campaign.

But by picking Doughty over Diehl, Sununu is making clear what he thinks the direction of the GOP should be at a time when the party is warring over whether Trumpism is its past or its future — and as a shrinking cast of Sununu-like characters try to keep the old flame of New England's moderate Republicans alive. The battle continues next week, when South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is expected to come to town to fundraise with Diehl.

Chris Doughty and Chris Sununu

Massachusetts governor candidate Chris Doughty (left) and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (right) at a fundraiser in Peabody on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's Annissa Essaibi George versus Michelle Wu all over again.

Essaibi George is endorsing Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden for a full term. Her support of Hayden pits her directly against Wu, who's backing Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, in a Democratic primary that increasingly echoes the ideological divides displayed in last year's mayoral contest between the two women.

"Since taking office, [Hayden] has made clear his commitment to keeping our neighborhoods safe while working to create a more equitable system for all," Essaibi George said in a statement shared first with Playbook. "From his initiative to get guns off our streets to his Services Over Sentences program, helping those struggling with substance abuse get access to the recovery services they need, Kevin has already shown that he is the right person for the job."

Hayden is also rolling out endorsements today from IBEW Local 2222, AFSCME Council 93 and Supreme Judicial Court clerk Maura Doyle.

TODAY — Vice President Kamala Harris holds a roundtable on reproductive rights with state lawmakers and abortion-rights advocates in Boston and attends a DNC fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard. It's her first trip to Massachusetts since taking office and the latest stop in her nationwide tour of sorts on the issue.

Rep. Seth Moulton visits Beverly Library at 10 a.m., speaks at Beverly's Senior Day at 11:30 a.m. and holds a Facebook town hall on reproductive rights at 6 p.m. State Sen. Eric Lesser campaigns for LG in Great Barrington.

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YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— CASH DASH: Shannon Liss-Riordan gave her campaign for attorney general another $2.5 million in July, bringing her total loans to $3 million, state campaign finance records show. Liss-Riordan also poured $3 million into her 2020 U.S. Senate bid before dropping out.

The cash infusion comes as Liss-Riordan's placed more than $2.3 million in ad buys, according to ad tracker AdImpact, and is already airing her second television ad with just over a month to go until the primary election. She said in a campaign finance filing — required because one of her opponents, Quentin Palfrey, is participating in the state's public financing program — that she could spend up to $12 million in the primary .

"We're going to run a campaign that reaches voters in every corner of the state and we have been clear that Shannon is willing to support her own campaign," Liss-Riordan's campaign manager, Jordan Meehan, said in a statement that also took shots at Andrea Campbell's spending habits and super PAC support in last year's Boston mayoral race.

— State Sen. Lydia Edwards, state Reps. Aaron Michlewitz, Adrian Madaro, Jessica Giannino and Jeff Turco, former House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo and MassBio's Joe Boncore host a fundraiser for Attorney General Maura Healey for governor at 5 p.m. in Winthrop.

— WARREN WEIGHS IN: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington for reelection to their respective seats.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Longtime Springfield Ward 7 City Councilor Tim Allen has endorsed Sydney Levin-Epstein for state Senate in the Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester District, per her campaign. Allen narrowly lost his 2014 campaign for the seat to now-state Sen. Eric Lesser.

— State Rep. Tommy Vitolo has been endorsed for reelection by 1199SEIU, SEIU NAGE, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, Boston Carmen's Union Local 589 and Laborers' Local 22.

— "Democratic candidates for state auditor trade barbs in contentious WBUR-WCVB-Globe debate," by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: "State Senator Diana DiZoglio and former transportation advocate Chris Dempsey pitched voters on why they should be the state's next government watchdog , at times attacking each other for past votes or campaign promises. DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat first elected to the Massachusetts House in 2012, cast herself as a political outsider who will be aggressive in fighting for more transparency and accountability in state government. Dempsey, who served as assistant secretary of transportation under former governor Deval Patrick, pitched himself as a candidate with the executive-level experience to be 'fiercely independent' in collecting data and investigating state agencies."

— "Doughty favors pragmatic conservatism to hot-button issues. He hopes that will win him the governor's seat," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: "In a recent interview with WBUR, Doughty said he's not running as a 'judicial activist or a social warrior,' but as a 'pragmatic businessman' who wants to govern and has the skills to accomplish the job."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Massachusetts tax relief: Baker sidesteps accusations from House Speaker over lack of communication," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Gov. Charlie Baker waved aside accusations Wednesday lobbed by House Speaker Ron Mariano that his administration remained mum on an obscure state statute that upended $1 billion in tax relief to Bay Staters earlier this week on Beacon Hill. … 'The auditor's report last year, which gets put out every year and has been put out every year for 35 years and gets sent to the administration and to the Legislature made very clear the tax revenue last year got the commonwealth very close to triggering this tax cap,' Baker told reporters Wednesday at an unrelated press conference."

— "Massachusetts pension fund returns drop 3%, but outperform market," by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald: "The Massachusetts pension fund dropped a relatively-low -3% and exceeded its benchmark by 1.5%, according to the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM)."

— "Sports betting may soon be legal at Massachusetts casinos — wagers may also extend to local bars, restaurants and clubs," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Legal sports betting is likely to become a reality for Massachusetts casinos and mobile gaming applications, with Beacon Hill's highly anticipated compromise bill now awaiting Gov. Charlie Baker's signature. But as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission parses through licensing logistics for major operators, it is also tasked with exploring the feasibility of widening the scope of wagering to small businesses. By the end of the year, the commission must submit a report about installing sports wagering kiosks at local restaurants, bars and nightclubs still reeling from the financial aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic."

FROM THE HUB

— "After Supreme Court decision, a once-denied Christian flag is raised at Boston City Hall," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "A flag bearing a red Christian cross was raised at Boston's City Hall Plaza Wednesday, concluding a First Amendment legal saga that reached the Supreme Court after city authorities denied an application to fly the banner in 2017."

— "Boston faith community unites in opposition to surge of white supremacy," by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: "Black church leaders aren't taking the recent surge in white supremacist activity in the city lying down. 'We choose proactivity instead of reactiveness. And so as we began the work today, we galvanized to address these issues,' the Rev. Willie Bodrick II, the senior pastor of Roxbury's Twelfth Baptist Church, said in the parking lot of his church following a Wednesday meeting of clergy inside."

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Decision to shut down entire Orange Line for a month of track work is a high-stakes gamble for the MBTA," by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: "For the embattled MBTA, the decision to shut down the entire Orange Line for one month to replace and repair tracks is a high-stakes gamble that could finally lead to faster, more reliable subway service — or be the biggest transit calamity yet in a year full of them. For perhaps hundreds of thousands of Orange Line riders, though, the announcement Wednesday by top officials could translate into a very bad day — or 30 of them. From the evening of Aug. 19 until the morning of Sept. 19, the MBTA will shut down Orange Line service to finish badly needed fixes on its train tracks. The shutdown will come just as students are starting classes, and many workers are considering a post-summer return to downtown offices. … If not for the full line shutdown, Governor Charlie Baker said, it would take the T around five years during weekends and evenings to finish the work."

— "Month-long MBTA Orange Line shutdown means longer, more complex commutes for community college students," by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: "Thousands of students attend Roxbury Community College and Bunker Hill Community College, which both sit directly on the Orange Line and have stations just steps from their campuses. On Wednesday afternoon, the MBTA pitched the closure as a necessary move to perform work on speed-restricted areas, but students who rely on train service will now have to bank on alternate modes of transportation. Bunker Hill Community College President Pam Eddinger said the Orange Line has faced years of neglect and if crews do not conduct repair work — 'if we keep kicking the can down the road' — the situation will only worsen. … MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said community colleges were not involved in preliminary discussions about the Orange Line shutdown ahead of Wednesday's announcement."

— "MBTA to get major infusion of public funds," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "The T's Board of Directors approved a $37 million contract to provide shuttle bus service to temporarily replace trains on the [Orange Line]. … The move follows a massive infusion of public funds — approved by the state Legislature as part of the state budget and other spending bills — aimed at fixing the T."

— More: "MBTA riders fume over plans to close Orange Line for 30 days," by Simón Rios, WBUR.

DAY IN COURT

— "Holyoke Soldiers' Home faces whistleblower lawsuit by former nurse manager, claiming resident abuse and misreporting of COVID deaths in past year," by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: "A former nurse manager at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging employees of the state-run home for ailing veterans barricaded a dementia patient in her room late last year and fudged the numbers while reporting COVID-19 deaths. The lawsuit, filed by Kathleen Newman in Suffolk Superior Court in July, paints a bleak picture of the home as it struggled over the past 18 months to emerge from its darkest days during the coronavirus outbreak. The complaint says Newman was fired for using an obscenity during a dispute with her supervisor, but argues that was merely a pretext and other employees also were fired for bucking the system."

FROM THE DELEGATION

— MIDTERMS MESSAGING: Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark is touting a new interactive map highlighting the billions of dollars Massachusetts and other states received under President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Massachusetts education officials sound alarm over college enrollment plunge," by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: "Massachusetts is seeing what education officials describe as an 'alarming drop' in the percentage of high school graduates going to college. New data released by the state Wednesday show the overall rate of Massachusetts high school graduates who immediately enroll in college has plunged nearly 10 percentage points over the past five years. It's now barely 60%, down from nearly 70% in 2017."

— "Meet the woman tasked with helping Everett heal from racial turmoil," by Liz Neisloss, GBH News: "Feeling ignored is a common theme among Everett's residents of color, where the government remains largely white even as the city's population has grown more racially diverse. … Standing firmly in the middle of this storm is Cathy Draine, who last November was hired as the city's first diversity, equity and inclusion director. Her tasks include setting up community discussions, strengthening standards for government employees' behavior, and helping to increase diversity among government hires."

— "New Massachusetts hotline number for reporting hate crimes 1-833-634-8669, U.S. Attorney says," by Alvin Buyinza, MassLive.

HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — James Vallee has been promoted to be Boston office managing partner of Nixon Peabody LLP.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former President Barack Obama , who is 61; Dorchester Reporter founder and Boston Irish Reporter publisher Ed Forry; Jordan Maynard of Gov. Charlie Baker's office and Jennifer Clark.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT — GBH's Katie Lannan and Lisa Kashinsky walk host Steve Koczela through what happened — and how much coffee they drank — during the marathon that was the end of formal sessions on Beacon Hill. Kashinsky and Koczela spill the tea on the T's Orange Line closure. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

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