| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky | | | ‘SORRY, RON’ — Chris Sununu is a bastion of moderate New England Republicanism — just not when he’s positioning to run for president. Here's the story: I tried to ask the New Hampshire governor whether he saw a path for a moderate Republican in what’s shaping up to be a conservative-leaning primary field. But I’d barely gotten the word “moderate” out of my mouth during POLITICO’s “The Fifty: America’s Governors” event yesterday when Sununu cut me off. “I’m ranked the most fiscally conservative governor in the country. I’m No. 1 in personal freedoms. Sorry, Ron, you’re No. 2,” Sununu said, in a swipe at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a hardline conservative who’s considered a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination before even launching a bid. “Am I more moderate on the social issues? Yeah, maybe.” Sununu was grandstanding a bit. But he’s not wrong about beating DeSantis on at least two conservative measures: New Hampshire leads Florida in the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute’s ranking of states by personal and economic freedoms. The Cato Institute also ranked Sununu the second-most fiscally conservative governor in the country. DeSantis was ranked 20th, behind some Democrats.
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New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. | Scott Olson/Getty Images | Sununu’s push to play up his conservative credentials — and position himself as an alternative to his party’s “more extreme” members — is just the latest way the governor has shown he’s taking more than just a cursory glance at the presidency. But Sununu’s path to the nomination remains murky, even with his built-in advantage in New Hampshire. Republican activists and operatives in the state are skeptical that he’ll jump into the race after passing on a run for Senate. Former President Donald Trump has drawn thousands of people to his past rallies in New Hampshire and continues to have supporters there. Republican activists are also simping for DeSantis and have shown interest in former ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and others. And hailing from the first primary state is a double-edged sword. “If I didn't win New Hampshire, I’d be done,” Sununu told me. “If I win New Hampshire, everyone’s going to say it wasn’t by enough.” But Sununu says he wouldn’t be the only one facing potential problems in New Hampshire. President Joe Biden has “really opened himself up to challengers” by moving to strip New Hampshire of its first-in-the-nation primary on the Democratic side, the governor said. Sununu isn’t willing to change the state law that requires New Hampshire to hold its primary a week before any other state. And he believes Democrats would eat any potential sanctions in New Hampshire in exchange for the exposure they’d get campaigning there. Yet, a few blocks away, 11 Democratic governors, including Maura Healey were gathering to say the exact opposite. They’re with Biden. He should run again. And there was no entertaining a reporter’s question about whether Vice President Kamala Harris should be the nominee if he steps aside. “I don’t think we’re going to go near that one,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the DGA chair, said. “We’re good,” he said under repeated questioning. The reporter tried to engage the other governors. Healey stood to the side, silent. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Healey continues her adventures in D.C. today with meetings with Biden administration officials. She'll attend a New England Governors Convening and a dinner at the White House with the president and first lady on Saturday. TODAY — Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Lori Trahan, Acting Gov. Kim Driscoll and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm tour Commonwealth Fusion Systems at 10:30 a.m. in Devens. Driscoll attends the Mass. Libraries legislative breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at the Worcester Public Library and visits the Devens emergency intake center at 12:30 p.m. THIS WEEKEND — Rep. Jake Auchincloss is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Heading to NGA? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.
| | | | A message from NextEra Energy: A Beacon Research Poll shows that a majority of Massachusetts voters support clean, low-cost nuclear energy as a tool to fight climate change. Support for nuclear increases beyond 70% as people learn more. | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — HERALDING A NEW ERA IN HAVERHILL: Haverhill City Councilor Melinda Barrett has filed paperwork to run for mayor amid rumors that longtime incumbent Jim Fiorentini won’t seek another term. A small-business owner and five-term councilor who previously served as the body’s president, Barrett has been quietly assembling a campaign team that includes La Nita “Ann” Dykes as campaign manager and CK Consulting as a general consultant. State Rep. Andy Vargas plans to endorse Barrett at her kickoff event in March, saying her “small business and city council experience, combined with her deep roots in our city, uniquely qualify her” for the job. Barrett said she’s in whether or not Fiorentini steps aside. “Because of my experience, I think it seems like a logical next step,” she told Playbook, adding that she’d be the city’s first female mayor. Bookmark this race — it'll be one to watch.
| | THE LATEST NUMBERS | | — “COVID data in Boston continues to drop, city will keep offering free vaccines after national public health emergency ends,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported 4,591 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 656 COVID cases from the last week was down 11% from the daily rate of 737 virus infections during the previous week.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “With zero public debate, Mass. Senate votes to abolish term limits for chamber president,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to eliminate term limits for Senate President Karen E. Spilka, abolishing a decades-old rule with effectively no debate on the floor and extending indefinitely the tenure of one of Beacon Hill’s most powerful leaders. The measure’s 32-6 approval, while widely expected, faced no public resistance in a chamber where members are routinely willing to engage in discussion on the floor and air opposition to various bills, even in the face of certain defeat. … Three Democrats — John Keenan of Quincy, Rebecca Rausch of Needham, and Walter Timilty of Milton — joined the Senate’s three Republicans in opposing the measure. Spilka, 70, did not vote, but said in a statement afterward that she was ‘grateful to my colleagues for recognizing the importance of this initiative.’” — “Climate protestors arrested at Mass. State House after demanding action from Healey,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Fourteen Extinction Rebellion members were arrested for trespassing at the Massachusetts State House Thursday night after they planted themselves in Gov. Maura Healey’s office for about 3.5 hours, demanding the new Democratic leader block new fossil fuel infrastructure projects, such as Eversource’s natural gas project in Springfield and Longmeadow. Protesters, who gained entry to the executive suite by joining a tour group, were unbothered by the fact that Healey is currently in Washington, D.C. for the National Governors’ Association meeting, signaled Susan Lemont, a spokeswoman for Extinction Rebellion. Members of the group in 2021 had chained themselves to a pink boat outside former Gov. Charlie Baker’s house in Swampscott. ... Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer quietly entered the executive suite at about 5 p.m., grabbing a pillow from a couch before sitting on the ground with protestors. Hoffer had shushed members gathered outside the office, saying she was struggling to hear. But as Hoffer left about 15 minutes later, she declined to divulge the content of her conversations to reporters.” — “Regulators investigating illegal collegiate bets at Encore, Plainridge Park Casino,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “State gaming regulators announced investigations Thursday into a series of illegal wagers placed on in-state college basketball games at Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park Casino. The probes come only weeks after the launch of in-person sports betting in Massachusetts. State law prohibits bettors from wagering on Massachusetts colleges unless they are in a tournament with at least four teams like March Madness.” — Related: “Mobile sports betting could launch in Mass. just days before March Madness starts,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive. — "Lawmakers target online harassment," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "When a conservative group posted a viral tweet in August falsely claiming Boston Children's Hospital was offering gender-affirming hysterectomies for young children, it unleashed a wave of online harassment threatening violence against clinicians and staff members. ... But the issue also caught the attention of Beacon Hill lawmakers, who are considering proposals aimed at curbing so-called 'doxing' by individuals who post personal information online in an attempt to harass or intimidate someone."
| | | | A message from NextEra Energy:   | | | | | FROM THE HUB | | — “Under Wu, residency waivers for Boston municipal jobs have spiked. Does it matter?” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “There were 357 positions in 2022 for which the residency requirement was waived. During the previous year, which featured three mayors at City Hall and a still-raging COVID-19 pandemic, there were 68, all of which were linked to the lifeguard shortage, a well-documented problem that prompted the closure of some public pools last year.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “MBTA tracking $85.1M behind pre-pandemic fare revenue for FY23,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The MBTA is $51 million behind what it expected to take in from fare revenue in the first half of this fiscal year, and indicated it doesn’t expect ridership to return anywhere near pre-pandemic levels.”
| | DAY IN COURT | | — “Ukrainian driver acquitted in crash ordered to be deported,” by Kathy McCormack, The Associated Press: “A judge has ordered the deportation of a commercial truck driver from Ukraine who was taken into custody by immigration authorities last year shortly after he was acquitted of causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — “Warren, Pressley call on government to protect Bay State College students,” by Hilary Burns, Boston Globe: “The lawmakers want to ensure that students will be eligible for ‘borrower defense to loan repayment,’ which discharges federal student loan debt for students who have been misled by colleges. They also call on the Education Department to hold Bay State executives ‘personally liable’ for the ‘college’s misconduct,’ of ‘defrauding students.’”
| | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — “Mass. cannabis commission votes to continue COVID-19 policies,” by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: “The five members of the state Cannabis Control Commission voted unanimously at a meeting Thursday to extend three policies through the end of 2023. The emergency rules permit applicants for pot business licenses to conduct their required community outreach meetings virtually, allow medical marijuana patients to pick up ‘curbside’ orders from dispensaries without leaving their cars, and waive the requirement for an in-person doctor’s appointment when obtaining a medical marijuana card for the first time.”
| | FROM THE 413 | | — “Amherst proposal renews call for noncitizen voting rights,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Amherst is likely to renew its efforts in seeking legislation to allow noncitizen residents who are at least 18 years old to vote in municipal elections and run for local elective office. If successful, the town would join several other communities in adopting the measure, including Northampton and Warwick.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Massachusetts facing massive amount of uncollected DNA from felons: 5 Investigates,” by Karen Anderson, WCVB: “Massachusetts has failed to collect DNA from between 10,000 and 15,000 felons, leaving behind a huge cache of potential evidence that has been used in the past to solve rapes and murders. The size of the backlog was identified by a state representative who filed legislation this year to force the state to end it. State Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, said her reaction was ‘disbelief and frustration that there could be 10,000 to 15,000 missing DNA profiles.’"
| | MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE | | — “Is RFK, Jr’s NH Visit the First Crack in the DNC’s FITN Embargo?” by Michael Graham, NH Journal: “As the Democratic National Committee prepared to cast its votes to strip New Hampshire of its first-in-the-nation presidential primary status, it received a personal letter from a member of the party’s most legendary political family. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. … Why was Bobby Kennedy’s son getting involved in the state’s 2024 primary fight? They may have got their answer on Thursday when Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics announced via Twitter that Kennedy will be the featured speaker at an Institute event next month.”
| | | | A message from NextEra Energy: Registered voters in Massachusetts show a clear interest in leveraging nuclear energy in the fight against climate change, according to a recent Beacon Research survey. The survey focused on the state’s energy resources, specifically how nuclear energy can be incorporated to reach long-term clean energy goals. | | | | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Senate Ways and Means chair Stephen Brewer; the Boston Globe’s Jeff Jacoby; Nolan O’Brien, Christopher Hartman, Peter Douvris, Jess Arena and Jonathan Pappas. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Governor’s Councilor Terrence Kennedy, E&E News/POLITICO’s Evan Lehmann, Hannah Lindow, Olga Davidson and Cameron Merritt, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Falmouth state Rep. David Vieira, Reggie Zimmerman and Lawrence McGrath. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: TERM LIMITS OF ENDEARMENT — Hosts Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith discuss MassINC Polling Group's new survey and the pending demise of term limits for the Senate president. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. 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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