| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky | REPUBLICAN ROW — The intraparty power struggle between moderate Gov. Charlie Baker and conservative state party Chair Jim Lyons is blowing up again, this time over auditor nominee Anthony Amore. Three dozen members of the MassGOP state committee — just shy of a majority — sent a letter to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel last week imploring her to make Lyons "end his efforts to defeat our leading Republican candidate for statewide office, Anthony Amore," according to a copy shared with Playbook and other outlets. The letter-writers charge that Lyons allowed the MassGOP's Veterans Coalition and at least one town committee run by one of his allies to not endorse Amore — because of his ties to Baker — and has "looked the other way" as some Republicans encourage others to blank their ballot in the auditor's race. There's also a dust-up over Amore being left off the list of Republican candidates on the MassGOP's website. When the party reached out to candidates for photos to update its website, Amore sent one with Baker. Lyons then asked for an individual photo, to which Amore said if Lyons wouldn't use the picture featuring Baker, then the candidate would "rather not have my picture on that website." State committee members told McDaniel that Lyons "has gone too far" and that his "personal differences with Governor Baker are not cause to use party resources to disenfranchise Mr. Amore." The letter is largely for show: the RNC has no authority to get involved in state party matters, according to a party official. But Lyons says if Baker's being choosy, so can other Republicans. "Governor Baker has made it clear he's only endorsed one candidate for statewide office, so I think individuals and Republican town committees and the veterans coalition can make their own decisions," Lyons told Playbook. Lyons said he "would like to see all Republicans behind all candidates" and offered to put his and his wife's names on the invitation for a fundraiser for Amore later this month. Baker has declined to back the party's more conservative, more Trumpian nominees for statewide office this year, despite endorsing some of those same candidates as part of the Republican ticket in 2018. He is, however, campaigning for likeminded state legislative, county and even federal candidates including moderate Rhode Island GOP congressional hopeful Allan Fung, per WPRI's Ted Nesi. Amore calculates that Baker, who remains highly popular among independents and Democrats, is his ticket to victory over his Democratic rival, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio. The two-term governor also holds the key to a vast donor network that the cash-strapped state GOP can't match. "Anthony's ability to win this election hinges on his support from Baker," Amore's campaign manager, Mark Steffen, told Playbook. "That's the message we want to project from the campaign at all times." Democrats are leading Republicans by double digits in polls of the statewide races, meaning November may not resolve this latest iteration of the GOP's intraparty feud. But Lyons' leadership will be put to the test early next year, when the GOP state committee picks its leader for the next two years. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Apple recipes? Seriously, I have an abundance of apples I need to find something to do with. Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com. TODAY — Baker speaks at 12:45 p.m. at the Providers' Council annual convention at the Marriott Copley. Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito help unveil a mural honoring former Tuskegee Airman Enoch O'Dell "Woody" Woodhouse II at Logan Airport at 4:30 p.m. Polito attends a science complex opening at Wellesley College at 2 p.m. Rep. Lori Trahan addresses the New England Council at 8:30 a.m. at the Hampshire House in Boston. Dem gov/LG nominees AG Maura Healey and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll outline their vision for economic empowerment in Latino communities, starting with a small business walk in Chelsea at 10:30 a.m. Healey heads to Lawrence from there, while Driscoll goes to Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — "Doughnut breakfast sandwich, selfies, ribbon-cuttings: Baker quietly taking local roads to exit," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "While his predecessors filled their final months with international trade missions or presidential barnstorming, [Gov. Charlie] Baker's gubernatorial coda has had a noticeably local flavor. The Republican in recent months has embraced a drumbeat of ribbon-cuttings, groundbreakings, and the kind of quiet, small-town appearances he said the COVID-19 pandemic precluded. He has largely eschewed the campaign trail — Baker has refused to endorse anyone in the race to replace him — and in his few appearances on a national stage, he has almost entirely shared it with Democrats, be it President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, or a Clinton." — "A $9 rebate? Low-income Mass. residents won't see much from tax credit," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Massachusetts residents could soon receive tax rebates that vary by more than $20,000, as state officials adhere to a contentious formula that overwhelmingly favors the wealthiest Bay Staters. … The average tax credit under the rollout of Chapter 62F will be $529, according to a recent analysis from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. Households that are among the bottom 20% of earners will receive an average credit of just $9, compared to those in the middle 20% with a $208 credit and those in the top 20% with a credit of $1,921. Meanwhile, households with incomes of $1 million or more could see a credit of more than $22,000, according to the analysis titled '62F Credits Benefit the Rich.'" — "'I don't define myself by my addiction': Rep. David LeBoeuf discusses sobriety, holding public office after OUI arrest," by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: "State Rep. David H.A. LeBoeuf, D-Worcester, says he is not defined by his lowest moment, an April arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, and says he has taken the steps to live a healthier life since that fateful day. ... As of Friday, LeBoeuf, 33, is 155 days sober and is running for re-election for his seat in the 17th Worcester District. More than five months since becoming sober, LeBoeuf said that he is back to a level of health he has not felt since his days in college. He said the treatment has helped him to open up about mental health and addiction."
| | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — "The Story Behind DeSantis's Migrant Flights to Martha's Vineyard," by Edgar Sandoval, Miriam Jordan, Patricia Mazzei and J. David Goodman, New York Times: "Until now, little has been known about the woman whom migrants said identified herself only by her first name, 'Perla,' when she solicited them to join the flights. A person briefed on the San Antonio Sheriff's office investigation into the matter told The New York Times that the person being looked at in connection with the operation is a woman named Perla Huerta. Ms. Huerta, a former combat medic and counterintelligence agent, was discharged last month after two decades in the U.S. Army that included several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to military records." — "An island of acceptance in an ever-redder Texas: How San Antonio, a gateway for migrants, became a hunting ground for DeSantis," by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: "Locals say this hospitality toward outsiders is a longstanding tradition in the city, the first major metropolitan area that many crossing the US border with Mexico encounter. It is an ingrained spirit that marks this as an island of acceptance in ever-redder Texas, and makes it seem like a strange hunting ground for a politician to exploit new arrivals in a political ploy aimed at burnishing national ambitions. And yet that's what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did right here, 900 miles from Tallahassee, claiming credit for transporting roughly 50 Venezuelan migrants in two planes to Martha's Vineyard last month." — "'This has changed me': Vineyarders say migrants transformed their lives, missions," by Eve Zuckoff, GBH News.
| | YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS | | — "Healey and Driscoll back Heroux against Hodgson for Bristol sheriff," by Marcus Ferro, WBSM: "Attorney General Maura Healey and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, the Democratic nominees for Massachusetts governor and lieutenant governor respectively, have put their support behind [Attleboro Mayor Paul] Heroux against the longtime Republican incumbent Sheriff [Tom] Hodgson." — NEW: A poll conducted by Louis DiNatale of Princeton Research Associates sheds some light on why the Bristol County sheriff race is so heated: Heroux and Hodgson are in a statistical tie. Hodgson edges Heroux 47 percent to 45 percent in the telephone survey of 407 likely voters conducted Sept. 14-18 with a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points, according to a memo Heroux's campaign shared with Playbook. As always, take internal polls with a grain of salt. — "Cape Cod Will Decide Whether to 'Rip Up' Agreement for ICE Collaboration," by Alex Burness, Bolts Magazine: "[Barnstable County] is the only county in all of New England that has an active contract with ICE's 287(g) program. This program, which is typically up to sheriffs to opt into, deputizes local officers to assist ICE in sharing data about, questioning, and detaining people suspected to be unauthorized immigrants. … [Of the sheriff candidates,] Republican lawmaker Tim Whelan wants to preserve the ICE partnership, and Democratic attorney Donna Buckley says she'd 'rip up' the 287(g) agreement on her first day in office." — "As Mass. GOP moves right, Anthony Amore runs a lonely race as a moderate," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: "Republican Anthony Amore was campaigning for state auditor at a recent fall festival in Leominster, when a voter approached with a pressing question. Did Amore support Donald Trump and his movement to Make America Great Again? When Amore said he didn't, the man refused to shake his hand and walked away. Amore might be the loneliest Republican in Massachusetts. He's a moderate running in a party dominated by pro-Trump conservatives. And he's the only statewide Republican candidate who called for Trump's impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection."
| | BALLOT BATTLES | | — WATCH: State Sen. Lydia Edwards and GOP attorney general nominee Jay McMahon debate ballot Question 4, which asks voters if they want to keep the new law that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses beginning next year, on WBZ's "Keller at Large." Edwards, who supports the law, says "it's a matter of safety" on the roads and that 17 other states have passed it. McMahon said it "rewards people who came here illegally" and "damages the integrity of the electoral system in Massachusetts" — an issue raised by GOP Gov. Charlie Baker, who's said he will vote to repeal the law.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — "MBTA needs another $1 billion to fund Orange, Red Line improvements," by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: "It's going to cost an extra $1 billion to fund Orange and Red Line infrastructure improvements, MBTA officials said, beyond the $1.6 billion already earmarked in its capital investment plan."
| | DAY IN COURT | | — "Former State Police union boss Dana Pullman and former lobbyist Anne Lynch face trial for alleged kickback schemes," by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: "As the leader of the powerful Massachusetts State Police union, Dana Pullman was a fierce advocate for troopers and a harsh critic of management, often demanding 'accountability at the top.' Now, Pullman will be defending himself as his long-awaited trial gets underway in US District Court on charges that he took kickbacks totaling $41,250 from a union lobbyist and diverted thousands of dollars from the union for personal expenses, including flowers, gifts, a Florida vacation, and meals at upscale restaurants with a girlfriend. Jury selection is expected to conclude Monday, followed by opening statements, in the sweeping racketeering and fraud case against Pullman, 61, who retired from the force following his indictment three years ago, and Anne M. Lynch, 71, founder and former owner of the lobbying firm, Lynch Associates Inc."
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — "Mass. residents to receive $37 million in extra heating help in Congress's short-term spending bill," by Adam Sennott, Boston Globe: "Low-income Massachusetts residents will receive nearly $37 million in increased heating assistance through the short-term spending bill that passed in Congress this week, officials said Friday, as New Englanders brace for a steep hike in heating costs this winter caused by the war in Ukraine."
| | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — AS SEEN ON TV: Days after the Boston Herald reported that state Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien had been involved in two applications for cannabis cultivation, she told WCVB's "On the Record" that she hasn't been an owner of Greenfield Greenery since last December and will "recuse myself" from any business before the board from groups she was involved with. "It's great to be able to have this conversation with you and not end up on the front page of the Herald, which obviously doesn't make breakfast go down very well for me or my family," O'Brien, a former state treasurer, told the WCVB hosts. There appears to still be some confusion as to why Greenfield Greenery hasn't filed the appropriate paperwork to back up its separation with O'Brien, and the Herald is still looking for answers as to why O'Brien's ties to the marijuana businesses, which were disclosed to state officials, were not shared with the public before she took over the top regulatory job. — "Courts could throw state marijuana markets into disarray," by Mona Zhang, POLITICO: "Some states have carefully crafted their cannabis programs to meet goals beyond legalization: Many prioritize licenses for entrepreneurs of color and those hurt by the war on drugs. But these programs often rely on residency requirements — a condition a federal court recently ruled unconstitutional. ... While the ruling won't likely have any impact on existing social equity programs, it does take a step toward threatening Massachusetts' social equity efforts. Massachusetts is the only state in the 1st Circuit's jurisdiction with a state-wide social equity program that has a residency component."
| | FROM THE 413 | | — "With Ed Davis leading probe of racist emails sent to students, UMass aims for better preparation," by Will Katcher, MassLive: "University of Massachusetts Amherst administrators and the people they hired to investigate a string of racist emails sent to Black students last school year know they may not be able to stop the messages from arriving again. But this time around, if the hateful diatribes return to students' inboxes, they want to be better prepared to respond."
| | MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE | | — "The Republican Who's Thriving Despite Calling Trump 'F–king Crazy'," by Kara Voght, Rolling Stone: "[Chris] Sununu occupies a rare corner of the modern Republican Party: He's a hardcore libertarian who has eschewed most of his party's culture wars and, occasionally, Donald Trump — all the while avoiding the RINO label that plagues others who dare to do so. He often finds himself ranked near the the top of 'Most Popular Governors' lists and election watchers have deemed his chances of winning a fourth term as almost certain. Sununu looks like he's cracked the code on how to be in Trump's Republican Party without being a Trump Republican. His endorsement of Bolduc and other MAGA candidates, however, throws that independent streak into question."
| | HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | TRANSITIONS — Matt Berg is joining POLITICO to co-write National Security Daily. — Greenberg Traurig's Chinh H. Pham was recently elected president of the Boston Bar Association. HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY — to former lieutenant governor hopeful Bret Bero and his wife, Joan, who celebrated on Sunday. And happy belated birthday to Joan, who turned 64 on Friday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to the DNC's Veronica Martinez and Juan Gilces Coronel. Happy belated to the Boston Herald's Joe Dwinell, Mike Corbelle and Robin Goldberg, who celebrated Sunday. 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. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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