| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | GRANITE STATE OF MIND — Gov. Maura Healey’s cross-border political clout will be put to the test for the first time today, as voters in her home state head to the polls to pick the Democratic nominee in New Hampshire’s closely watched governor’s race. Healey is backing former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig in the competitive race to replace Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who opted against a reelection bid. Craig is up against New Hampshire Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington and Jon Kiper, a Newmarket restaurant owner. A University of New Hampshire poll in late August showed Craig (39 percent) slightly ahead of Warmington (30 percent) among the 848 likely Democratic voters surveyed, with Kiper trailing well behind. But nearly a quarter of those voters were still undecided in the race. Healey didn’t just toss out a toothless statement of support for Craig. She endorsed the former mayor almost immediately after Craig launched her bid and has been hitting the trail in New Hampshire — making multiple trips up north just within the last week. And she headlined a June fundraiser in Boston for Craig, Healey’s campaign confirmed. Today’s election will be a test of Healey’s political capital among Democrats in her home state (which, yes, also happens to be a key early voting state in the presidential primaries, all you sick 2028 watchers). It’s a chance for Healey to boost her name ID and notch a win — and potentially help put an ally in the corner office — in a race that’s gained national attention as Democrats look to flip the office blue. It’s also a bit risky for Healey to play prominently in the contest. Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, the Republican front-runner in the race, has made bashing Massachusetts a main part of her message — and she hasn’t been afraid to blast Craig over Healey’s endorsement in the past. Healey’s support isn’t likely to make or break Craig’s campaign — the now-Bay Stater hardly carries the same weight in New Hampshire as, say, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who made the unusual move of wading into the primary on Craig’s behalf. But it’s still a notable test of Healey’s political heft at a time when the governor is also growing her national profile by serving as a surrogate for the top of the Democratic presidential ticket. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. November’s election is on everyone’s mind, but 2025 is creeping up. And while Boston’s field has yet to take shape, a mayoral race is brewing in Newton. Newton City Council President Marc Laredo is launching his campaign for mayor today, the first candidate to officially get in the race. Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has yet to announce whether she plans to seek reelection, though campaign finance records show she hasn’t raised money since March. Still, with more than a year before she’d be on the ballot, there’s plenty of time for that to change. Laredo, meanwhile, has ramped up fundraising in recent months and had about $58,838 in his campaign coffers at the end of August. Currently in his seventh term on the council, the lawyer and Newton native had served on Newton’s School Committee. “As your mayor, my goal will be to make Newton the best place to live for all of our residents, in all thirteen of our villages,” Laredo wrote in an email sent to supporters this morning that was shared with Playbook. Laredo will hold a campaign kick-off event at a later date, according to a person familiar with his plans, and he has spoken with Fuller about his bid. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu deliver opening remarks to kick off Day Two of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference at 9 a.m. in Boston. Healey, Premier Andrew Furey and other governors and premiers join a press conference closing out the conference at 1:30 p.m. in Boston. Healey attends a ribbon cutting for the opening of a new Broad Institute building at 3:30 p.m. in Burlington. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll chairs a Local Government Advisory Commission meeting at 1 p.m. in Easthampton. Wu is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks during the Massachusetts Asian Restaurant Association’s annual gala at 7 p.m. in Saugus. Tips? Scoops? Running for mayor? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com
|  | FROM THE HUB | | — “Mayors Wu, Taipei’s Wan-An Chiang discuss policy, celebrate cities’ partnership,” by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe. — “BPS data show two-thirds of Boston school buses late on first day, city councilor presses for answers: ‘Unacceptable’,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “A Boston city councilor is pressing for answers from BPS leaders on the many transportation problems that plagued the first week of school, which kicked off last Thursday with just a third of district buses showing up on time to get kids to class. Councilor Ed Flynn filed a hearing order for the Wednesday Council meeting, that references complaints he says were lodged by ‘many parents’ about ‘school bus delays and in some instances, no shows for students who were waiting to be picked up,’ during the first week of classes at Boston Public Schools.” — “Tax cap refunds unlikely this year,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts taxpayers likely won’t be getting extra tax refunds this year with state revenue officials certifying that the haul for the previous fiscal year was below the allowable amount to trigger the state’s 62F tax cap law. In a report to legislative leaders, the state Department of Revenue said the net state tax revenues of more than $39.4 billion in fiscal 2024 were below the allowable amount of $41.6 billion, leaving no excess revenues that would be subject to the rebate law.”
| | DEBATE EXTRAS | | DEBATE DAY DAWNS — Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will take the stage tonight at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to lay out their messages less than two months from Election Day. You can find the answers to your debate-related questions here, and follow POLITICO’s live coverage here. Members of the all-Democratic Massachusetts congressional delegation will be watching closely tonight. Here’s what some wanted to see from Harris: — Sen Elizabeth Warren: “If we hear from Kamala Harris about her work and about her lifelong commitment for working families and for access to abortion, then the American people believe she's someone they can trust. Donald Trump wants to swing around on every issue, to say whatever he thinks will get him votes. Nobody's fooled by that,” Warren told Playbook last week. — Sen. Ed Markey: wants to see Harris yoke Trump to “Project 2025's hateful, racist agenda to show that she is the candidate with an agenda of opportunity, equality, growth, and democracy,” according to a spokesperson. — Rep. Jake Auchincloss: “I think she’s got to talk about rule of law, I think she’s got to talk about lowering prices, and I think she has to talk about respect for faith, family and the flag,” Auchincloss said during an interview on WCVB’s “On the Record,” over the weekend. — Rep. Seth Moulton: Harris “will already be a sharp contrast to Trump, but she shouldn’t shy away from also explaining where she will defer from President Biden,” Moulton said in a statement. “She’s a strong leader in her own right, and we want to see that come through in the debate.” — Rep. Ayanna Pressley: Harris “has real policy plans to protect and expand fundamental rights and freedoms, including abortion care, to take on the cost of childcare, crack down on corporate greed that’s driving up grocery costs, enact paid family leave, support small businesses and more,” Pressley said in a statement. “She'll stand in sharp contrast to Donald Trump, who only wants to divide us and take us backwards.” — Rep. Lori Trahan wants to hear Harris call out Donald Trump’s “inability to articulate a coherent thought about how he would reduce costs for working families like the one she grew up in and protect access to IVF,” according to her office.
| | | BALLOT BATTLES | | | — “Voters will decide five statewide ballot questions in Nov. Here’s a look at who is spending big for and against them,” by Anjali Huynh and Matt Stout, The Boston Globe.
| | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — “Massachusetts schools ‘blindsided’ by students from shelter housing migrants; Healey admin announces nearly $2M in federal funding,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “As the school year kicks off, local school districts have been ‘blindsided; by new students who are staying at a shelter housing migrant families, as Bay State officials announce nearly $2 million in federal funding to help dozens of districts.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “Eng says MBTA is considering later night subway service,” by Sam Turken, GBH News: “Bar-hoppers, concert-goers and late-night workers who struggle to commute to and from jobs — MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng says he wants to help you. While other major cities like New York and Chicago offer 24/7 subway service, the T’s trains usually don’t operate from about 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. But during an appearance on Boston Public Radio Monday, Eng said he’s considering running some trains later to help people who need more transit options after midnight.”
| | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS | | POT STIRRER — “Shannon O’Brien fired as state’s top cannabis regulator, ending year-long suspension and months of uncertainty,” by Matt Stout and Diti Kohli, The Boston Globe: “State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg on Monday fired the state’s top cannabis regulator, formally removing Shannon O’Brien from her post a year after first suspending her and following months of upheaval at the agency. … The third-term Democrat did not cite the exact reasons why she removed O’Brien, and her office declined to release a letter and report detailing her decision, saying it contained personal information. Goldberg put O’Brien on paid suspension from her $196,551-a-year post last September amid allegations O’Brien made a series of ‘racially, ethnically, [and] culturally insensitive’ remarks during her year heading the commission — accusations that O’Brien has denied. The two eventually met in a series of closed-door hearings that ended in June.”
| | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | | — “Quincy protesters demand clawback of big raises for mayor, city councilors,” by Tonya Alanez, The Boston Globe: “A cadre of residents, incensed by recently approved salary increases of 79 percent for Mayor Thomas Koch and 50 percent for city councilors, rallied at City Hall Plaza Monday evening waving signs that said, ‘Stop the CA$H grab,’ calling for a repeal of the raises. Under the banner of ‘A Just Quincy,’ the group formed over the summer to oppose the raises that were approved in June, right before the council recessed for the season. Koch’s raise of more than $100,000, slated to go into effect in January, would make him one of the highest paid mayors in the country.” — “City Council to take up speed limits, MCAS and WPI's proposed hotel buys Tuesday,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The ongoing path toward lowering the city's statutory speed limit is expected to be the centerpiece of Tuesday's City Council meeting with the council likely to take a vote on formally advertising the change. Along with votes on traffic-calming measures such as the speed limit change and creating safety zones, the City Council could follow the School Committee in taking on a resolution in support of removing the MCAS test requirement and also request further discussions to put pressure on Worcester Polytechnic Institute over its purchase of two hotels in the city.” — “Spigot opens for housing authorities: County leaders excited about what $2B statewide authorization will mean for residents here,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette. — “Cape Air's Provincetown service goes seasonal: No Boston flights Nov. 4 to May 16,” by Eric Williams, Cape Cod Times.
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Healey press secretary Karissa Hand, the Boston Globe’s Martin Finucane, Meg Wheeler and Annika Jensen. 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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