| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky and Kelly Garrity | Presented by McDonald's | JUST FIVE MINUTES OF YOUR TIME — Rep. Ayanna Pressley has sent a flurry of fundraising emails in recent weeks warning that a powerful pro-Israel group is looking to recruit someone to run against her. But her latest campaign finance report doesn’t reflect the balance sheet of a representative who’s too worried about a challenger — at least not yet. Pressley raised $159,042 in the last three months of 2023 and entered the election year with $240,854 in her campaign coffers. She wasn’t the worst fundraiser of the Bay State bunch this last quarter — Reps. Lori Trahan, Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating all posted lower hauls than her. But she has the least cash on hand of all 11 delegation members. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, another progressive running for reelection without a serious challenger, raised $866,929 in the same period and started off the year with $3.9 million in the bank. She's expected to raise more money as someone running statewide. Pressley’s fourth-quarter numbers are almost identical to where she was financially at this point in her 2020 reelection campaign. And while she had more than double the cash on hand at this point in her 2022 reelection bid, her receipts were roughly the same. She didn’t face a serious challenger in either race. “The congresswoman has consistently run an intentional, deeply grassroots campaign,” Pressley campaign spokesperson Harry Shipps told Playbook. |  A pro-Israel group wants to challenge "Squad" members like Rep. Ayanna Pressley who have pushed for a cease-fire in Gaza. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP | But here’s what Pressley could be up against this time: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is expected to spend upwards of $100 million to try to knock out members of the “Squad” who have heavily criticized Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and pushed for a cease-fire in Gaza. At least two polls that have hit phones in her district over the past two months have tested voters’ sentiments about Israel, though it remains unclear who’s behind them. So far, Pressley is safe. AIPAC has only endorsed one challenger, George Latimer, who’s primarying Rep. Jamaal Bowman in New York. A spokesperson for the group said it’s still “evaluating” whether to get involved in other races. But AIPAC and its associated super PAC, United Democracy Project, have more than $40 million to throw around, according to their filings — meaning if AIPAC decides to go after Pressley, she’ll really have to ramp up her fundraising (which she’s already proven she can do). Bowman — with whom Pressley has asked her supporters to split campaign contributions with in fundraising emails — raked in $735,831 last quarter and has more than double her cash on hand. And Latimer? He hauled in more than $1.4 million — nearly half of which, $606,679, was funneled his way through AIPAC. For now, Pressley “remains squarely focused on her work in Congress to advance the life-saving, popular policies her constituents demand and deserve,” Shipps said. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It’s Groundhog Day. But one groundhog is breaking the cycle. Ms. G, the state’s official groundhog — yes, we have one of those — is suffering from some hair loss. Don’t worry, the Mass Audubon folks say it’s normal. But it means she can’t go outside to see if she sees her shadow. Now it’ll likely be up to some kids to potentially doom us to six more weeks of winter. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu holds a press conference to launch a new free museum program for BPS families at 10 a.m. at the Boston Children’s Museum. Rep. Richard Neal speaks to press at 9:45 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Springfield. Rep. Jim McGovern visits Just Roots farm in Greenfield at 11 a.m. THIS WEEKEND — Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Senate President Karen Spilka is on NBC10’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com.
| | | | A message from McDonald's: From 2021 to 2022, the McDonald’s System contributed over $700 million to Massachusetts’ economy, supporting over 14,350 jobs statewide. McDonald’s presence in local communities throughout Massachusetts generated nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, providing funding for public schools, infrastructure, parks and more. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma. | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | LET THE NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN — The state Senate passed a package of gun rules last night. Now comes the harder part: negotiations with the House. The chambers that have been at odds at every turn in the push to beef up the state’s firearms laws will now have to reconcile the differences between their bills. Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters it’s “doable.” Gun-control advocacy groups are already putting pressure on the House and Senate to make it happen: “We look forward to our lawmakers finding common ground across both chambers so they can finally enact the common sense gun violence prevention measures that Massachusetts needs,” said Peter McConarty of the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. Senators split 37-3 over the gun bill, with Minority Leader Bruce Tarr the sole Republican to vote in its favor. Among the amendments that passed: a “grandfather clause” that would exempt those who already legally own certain assault-style weapons from the ban and a voluntary “do-not-sell” firearms database. Another, put forward by state Sen. John Velis, would create a legal mechanism to ensure that repeat violent offenders of gun crimes who have violated the conditions of their release can be detained until trial. STAGING AN INTERVENTION — Gov. Maura Healey is intervening to try to bring to an end to the Newton teachers strike that has kept roughly 12,000 students out of school for 11 days over a contract dispute between the union and the school committee. The Healey administration is asking Middlesex Superior Court to order twice-daily status conferences with Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, who issued a statement Thursday saying it’s “unacceptable that school has been closed for two weeks.” If that doesn’t speed things along, the administration is asking the court to appoint an arbitrator. Raises are the remaining sticking point after the two sides reached tentative agreements on working conditions. Students who’ve lost two weeks of classroom time will now have to make up four of those days during their February break, the school committee decided last night. And the teachers union has now racked up $575,000 in fines over the illegal strike that’s now the longest teachers strike in the state in decades. Dive deeper with WBZ and The Boston Globe. RELATED — “Meet the man leading the longest Mass. teachers strike in decades,” by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe.
| | | | CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — “Roxbury’s Cass recreation center to house 200 Logan migrants by Saturday,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “By Saturday, roughly 200 migrants who had been sleeping overnight at Logan Airport will be residing at the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex, a development that one city staffer described as a ‘terrible situation.’ … In the coming days, officials will continue to relocate migrants until the facility reaches its capacity of around 400.”
| | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — “Federal prosecutors sought records linked to suspended cannabis regulator as part of grand jury probe,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “Federal prosecutors have sought a trove of records tied to Shannon O’Brien, including the top cannabis regulator’s personnel file and the contents of her email account, saying the requests were part of a grand jury investigation, according to a copy of a federal subpoena obtained by The Globe. The subpoena that the office of the US attorney for Massachusetts sent to state officials last fall does not specify who is the target of the investigation, nor did it disclose the scope of the probe. An Oct. 10 letter that accompanied the subpoena said that a federal grand jury is investigating ‘suspected violations of federal criminal law.’”
| | | | A message from McDonald's:   | | | | | DAY IN COURT | | BALLOT BATTLE — On Thursday, we told you a lawsuit was coming against the tech-industry-backed ballot question(s) seeking to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors. Now, with the complaint filed, we know exactly what drivers and labor unions are suing over as they attempt to block Big Tech’s ballot quest for a second time. CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith has your very detailed explainer — including why there are so many (five) versions of the ballot question and how that could lead to a different court outcome than last time. — “What the Mattis decision means for parole in Massachusetts — unprecedented opportunities for release from life sentences, updated trainings for attorneys, and a big shift in the system,” by Jean Trounstine, BINJ: “Advocates, as well as some legislators and members of the Governor’s Council, have urged Gov. Maura Healey to fill the seventh spot [on the Parole Board] as soon as possible, citing the uptick in the body’s workload.” — “MSP sergeant dishonorably discharged, 26 CDLs suspended amid bribery scheme case,” by NBC10 Boston. — “Mass. set to receive another $8 million in opioid settlement money, AG Campbell says,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR.
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “The Trustees of Massachusetts announces significant job cuts due to ‘ongoing structural deficit’,” by Frank O’Laughlin, Boston 25: “Katie Theoharides, president and CEO of The Trustees [and a Baker administration alum], said in a statement that 30 employees, or about 10 percent of the non-profit’s team were laid off to reduce the deficit and cut operational spending.” — “Harvard President Garber Slams ‘Pernicious’ Campus Antisemitism,” by Emma H. Haidar and Cam E. Kettles, The Harvard Crimson: “[Alan] Garber said students self-censoring in the face of anti-Israel attacks is the ‘most disturbing of all’ in his first interview as president.” — "A looming threat to Greater Boston's biotech dominance, 700 miles away," by Catherine Carlock, The Boston Globe.
| | MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND | | — “McKee sees I-195 Washington Bridge issues dating back to 2018,” by Eli Sherman and Shiina LoSciuto, WPRI: “Gov. Dan McKee is urging those examining the Washington Bridge fiasco to take a longer look at what went wrong, pointing out the structure has been a problem since well before he took office. The governor’s new comments come a day after Target 12 obtained emails through a public-records request that showed engineers believed the critical issues discovered on the now-closed bridge may have existed for an extended period of time.” — “McKee edges out Foulkes in campaign fundraising as both eye 2026 governor race,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI.
| | | | A message from McDonald's: McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of Massachusetts, contributing over $700 million to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 11,600 Massachusettsans and supporting an additional 2,750 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 4 independent McDonald’s operators in Massachusetts began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to support Massachusetts through public schools, parks and more from the nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $700,000 raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 7,000 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in Massachusetts. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma. | | | | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | WHERE’S ELMO? — Sen. Ed Markey rolls with Oscar & Ernie & Grover & Cookie & Bird. TRANSITIONS — Courtney Evanchuk has joined Morgan, Brown & Joy as counsel. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Abraham Todd; Anisha Chakrabarti, communications strategist for Kraft Sports and Entertainment and former deputy communications director to former Gov. Charlie Baker; Sen. Elizabeth Warren alum and the Energy Department’s Cassidy Ballard; and Matt Keswick. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Matt Rhoades, co-CEO of CGCN Group; Justine Turner, an Elizabeth Warren 2020 alum; Fred Hochberg, Billy Shore and Haley Ryger, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers David Edelman, Ropes & Gray’s Abby Cable; former Gov. Charlie Baker senior adviser and the NCAA’s Tim Buckley; and former Baker associate comms and digital director Maura Driscoll, who’s now with Consigli Construction Co. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: THE STREETS OF ALFREDO — Hosts Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith talk to The Boston Globe's Diti Kohli about renewed controversy between Boston's North End and Mayor Michelle Wu. Smith asks Koczela some probing questions about polls. 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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