Politico Massachusetts Playbook: MASS. pols get CRUSHED in N.H. — The battle BREWING on Beacon Hill — SANDERS wins the primary

MASS. pols get CRUSHED in N.H. — The battle BREWING on Beacon Hill — SANDERS wins the primary

By Stephanie Murray

Presented by Transportation for Massachusetts

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. MASS. POLS GET CRUSHED IN N.H. — It was a tough night to be a Massachusetts politician in New Hampshire. Bill Weld got crushed by President Donald Trump on the Republican ticket. Sen. Elizabeth Warren landed in fourth place among the Democrats, with only 10 percent of the vote. And former Gov. Deval Patrick didn't even hit 1 percent of the vote. If you take a closer look at Warren's results , she was remarkably weak in the New Hampshire towns that border her home state. Of the towns that touch the Bay State, Warren only ranked in the top four in South Hampton, Hollis, Brookline, Fitzwilliam and Richmond. In the other 10 towns, former Vice President Joe Biden took fourth place. Warren actually performed better on the western side of the state. Warren placed in the top four in 13 of the 22 towns that border Vermont, the home state of her rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. She got out ahead of the results, delivering a speech to supporters at her election night party before the final votes were tallied. Patrick got 1,195 votes, about half of a percentage point, according to the most recent results. Patrick's campaign manager Abe Rakov said last night that Patrick will decide on Wednesday what's next for his campaign. To borrow a phrase from former Vice President Joe Biden, what happened to Warren, Patrick and Weld in New Hampshire was a "gut punch." Massachusetts candidates doing poorly in the Granite State breaks with the conventional wisdom that New Hampshire voters will be receptive to a candidate from a neighboring state. New Hampshire primary voters are familiar with Massachusetts candidates because of the shared Boston media market, and because the state is so close. And they've been receptive to Bay Staters in the past — John Kerry, Paul Tsongas and Michael Dukakis all won the primary. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Play"book? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Today is the last day to register to vote in the presidential primary. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito highlight their administration's Career Technical Initiative at Worcester Technical High School. U.S. Women's National Soccer Team player Samantha Mewis visits the State House.

A message from Transportation for Massachusetts: Massachusetts is facing a transportation crisis. Roads, bridges, and transit statewide urgently need investment. The gas tax, which has increased by only 3 cents since 1991, is a proven, stable, and immediate solution to make our commutes better. Learn more.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Paper-Pulling Day Kicks Off 2020 Election Season," by Chris Van Buskirk, State House News Service: "While the horse race for the 2020 state primaries and general elections is already well underway, candidates took another step Tuesday when they pulled their nomination papers from the state secretary's office, the necessary initial step for ballot access. On a day when many eyes were focused on a larger election to the north - the presidential primary in New Hampshire - the optimistic few who streamed into the Massachusetts Elections Division office Tuesday morning included experienced incumbents and those engaged in their initial bids for public office." — "'I Feel Victorious': BU Professor Ends Hunger Strike Over Weymouth Compressor," by Miriam Wasser: "Boston University Professor Nathan Phillips will end the hunger strike he began two weeks ago over what he called "serious public health and safety violations" at the Weymouth natural gas compressor construction site. "The demands that I had for my hunger strike — we have made some progress," Phillips said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Boston. "Yet the reason for my action was to put the spotlight on [environmental justice] and on the officials that are accountable and responsible. I think, and I hope, we've reached a tipping point in public awareness." Phillips, who has been a fierce critic of the compressor station for years, began his hunger strike on Jan. 29 with three demands." — "Debate has erupted over an initiative petition that would let more Mass. stores sell wine and beer. Here's what to know." by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: "A battle is brewing. A proposal to increase the number of places where beer and wine are sold in Massachusetts is sparking outrage from package store owners and fueling concerns among public health experts. Gathering for a hearing on Beacon Hill Monday, opponents of the Cumberland Farms-backed ballot initiative threw down their reasons why the state should refrain from creating a new kind of liquor license: one that will allow more food stores to sell the adult beverages."

PRIMARY SOURCES

— "Sanders wins New Hampshire primary," By David Siders, Stephanie Murray, Trent Spiner, Marc Caputo and Alex Thompson, POLITICO: "Bernie Sanders held off Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire on Tuesday, slowing the former mayor's charge and asserting himself as the tentative frontrunner in a still-muddled Democratic primary field. Amy Klobuchar sparked to life with a third-place finish, while two one-time favorites — Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden — lagged far behind. The returns reflected a surprising degree of momentum for Klobuchar, who is presenting herself as a moderate alternative to Buttigieg and Biden — but who before New Hampshire plodded forward largely as an afterthought." — "In GOP race, Bill Weld harbored no illusions," by David Abel, Boston Globe: "He harbored no illusions. Having won just 1 percent of the vote in Iowa, former Massachusetts governor William F. Weld wasn't pretending he had a real chance to defeat President Trump in the nation's first Republican presidential primary. 'I'm going to declare that I've exceeded expectations no matter what,' he told the Globe at the Amherst Elementary School, the 12th polling location he had visited on Tuesday. He declined to enumerate his expectations. 'The goal is to go all the way, ideally — to catch lightning in a bottle," he said.'" — "'Our comeback kid': Klobuchar seizes her moment," by Elena Schneider and Stephanie Murray, POLITICO: "Amy Klobuchar zoomed into the top-tier of the Democratic presidential race Tuesday night, but she's about to encounter the first real test of her staying power. The Minnesota senator eclipsed both Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, who entered this year with significantly higher polling and bigger war chests than the senator. But in New Hamphire, Klobuchar, who has outlasted many of her Senate colleagues with a lean campaign operation, landed not far behind Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, pulling in 19 percent support." — "After poor N.H. showing, Patrick to make 'some decisions' about campaign's future," "With results showing him tracking far back in the Democratic field Tuesday night, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick told supporters he and his wife will take the night before making "some decisions" about the future of his presidential campaign, signaling a potential end to his nascent bid. Patrick, surrounded by roughly 60 supporters and staff at a  Manchester brewery, said he was proud of the work his campaign did in the three months since he launched his long-shot run and that he still believes in the case he's made to voters. But with more than 90 percent of precincts reporting, the Democrat had gathered less than 1 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results." ALL ABOARD — "T flips its operating budget philosophy," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MBTA HAS SPENT the last five years trying to eliminate any reliance on legislative appropriations to balance its operating budget, calling any use of the funds a sign of a structural deficit. But in an abrupt turnaround on Monday the agency did away with the deficit terminology and fully embraced using all of its legislative appropriation - plus additional operating funds being sought by Gov. Charlie Baker - to help balance its budget for the next five years. The turnaround comes at a time when the Legislature is considering raising revenues to support transportation and the Baker administration, which opposes new taxes, is eager to show the MBTA doesn't need new tax revenue to support it." — "MBTA Encouraging Employees To Report Safety Concerns," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "The T has made a new effort to praise employees who flag safety issues and has compiled all preventative maintenance inspection requirements into a single list as it works to address cracks in its safety culture, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said Monday. Several initiatives are underway, Poftak said, inspired by an outside panel's December report that found "safety is not the priority at the T." Poftak said his team has pushed to encourage workers to proactively report any safety issues they notice, a practice the panel said was not taking place frequently enough because of fears of retaliation."   A message from Transportation for Massachusetts: In every corner of the Commonwealth, people are frustrated with our transportation system. From potholed and congested roads, to delayed trains, to regional transit buses that don't run on the weekends, transportation is holding back our economy, hurting our quality of life, and polluting our air. The gas tax must be part of the solution. Each one-penny increase in the gas tax raises $30 million per year for transportation improvements statewide, including an increase to Chapter 90 local road repairs, dedicated funding for Regional Transit Authorities, and upgrades to the MBTA. Learn more.   THE PRESSLEY PARTY — "Ayanna Pressley Said The Squad's "Sisterhood" Transcends Presidential Politics," by Sarah Mimms, BuzzFeed News: "First-term Rep. Ayanna Pressley told BuzzFeed News' AM to DM that while Sen. Elizabeth Warren is not expected to win Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, 'she knows how to fight, she knows how to win, especially when she's being underestimated.' Pressley is in New Hampshire campaigning for Warren Tuesday, where the Massachusetts senator is polling below second place after coming in third in last week's Iowa caucuses. Asked where Warren can win, Pressley emphasized that Warren has "a robust 31-state grassroots strategy" and that the campaign's strategy 'is just to be head-down and to honor our mantra as Team Warren, and that is to outwork, out-organize, and outlast.'" ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "BERNIE EDGES BUTTIGIEG," "KLOBUCHAR CLOBBERS WARREN," "SLUMPIN' JOE HEADS SOUTH," — Globe: "SANDERS WIN A CLOSE ONE." THE LOCAL ANGLE — "SNAP rule limits access to food," by Taylor Ann Bradford, The Salem News: "Residents across the North Shore who are able-bodied adults without children will not be immediately affected by a new rule that limits or eliminates people's access to food stamps. In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the finalization of a work rule that limits or stops specific recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from receiving food stamps if they work fewer than 20 hours a week. Unless halted by a legal appeal, the restrictions will go into effect nationwide on April 1 and people within the described category will lose SNAP benefits starting July 1." — "Tewksbury school committee chairman ordered to stay away from Andover schools," by Stephanie Purifoy, Boston Globe: "The chairman of the Tewksbury School Committee has been ordered to stay away from all Andover public school buildings following his arraignment on a trespassing charge Tuesday in Lawrence District Court, according to the Essex district attorney's office. Keith Sullivan was arrested at Andover High School around 8 p.m. Friday following a "verbal altercation" with some students during the Tewksbury-Andover boys' basketball game, said Andover Police Lt. Edward Guy." SPOTTED: Former Govs. Bill Weld and Deval Patrick at the polls in Manchester, N.H. on Tuesday. Tweet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Falmouth state Rep. David Vieira and Reggie Zimmerman. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Rockets beat the Celtics 116-105. FOR YOUR COMMUTE: NET ZERO TO HERO - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith talk with Senate President Karen Spilka and Sen. Mike Barrett about climate bills passed by the state Senate last week. Spilka also offers a look ahead at her chamber's next big priority: mental health. 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 Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us  POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA