GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
SCOOP: MASSGOP MEMO SAYS BRADY HAS A SHOT — The Massachusetts Republican Party is eyeing Rep. Bill Keating's Republican challenger, Helen Brady, as its best chance to flip a House seat red this fall.
The party projects Helen Brady could win nearly 55 percent of the vote in November, according to a memo distributed at a meeting in Worcester on Tuesday night. The document, which included projected vote totals and fundraising information, was obtained by POLITICO. MassGOP chairman Jim Lyons declined to comment on the vote projections, and it wasn't clear if the data was based on polling, turnout projections or something else.
"I think that's the best Republican district, no question about it," Lyons said. "We've got a great candidate, someone who has run statewide. She's a very articulate, strong Republican conservative." Brady was almost tossed from the ballot for incorrectly collecting signatures, but the Supreme Judicial Court overturned that decision this week.
Between drama with Gov. Charlie Baker and a series of losses in special legislative elections this spring where Democrats flipped seats from red to blue, the state Republican party really needs a win. But Keating will be tough to beat — he bested Republican Peter Tedeschi with nearly 60 percent of the vote in 2018, even with the popular Republican governor running up the score at the top of the ticket.
I asked Lyons whether he thinks President Donald Trump being on the ballot could hamper Brady's choices — Massachusetts has among the lowest approval ratings for Trump in the country, after all.
"That remains to be seen. Right now, we're going through uncharted territory in our country," Lyons said. "Let's put it this way, I'd hate to be a Democrat and have sleepy Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.”
The memo also suggests Tracy Lovvorn, Rep. Jim McGovern's Republican opponent, could win 49 percent of the vote. And it projects Republican Julie Hall, running to fill Rep. Joe Kennedy III's open seat, could win nearly 48 percent of the vote. The party is staying out of the GOP Senate primary between Kevin O'Connor and Shiva Ayyadurai, but will support the winner, Lyons told me.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MARKEY NABS TWO MORE ENDORSEMENTS — Sen. Ed Markey is announcing new endorsements from two groups this morning: Foreign Policy for America and the National Association of Social Workers.
There are about seven weeks left until Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III face off in the state's Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Foreign Policy for America, a nonpartisan advocacy group, touted Markey's voting record and his role on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as reasons for the endorsement.
"Senator Markey has been a trailblazing leader throughout his career, taking on the massive global challenges of climate change and nuclear nonproliferation,” Executive Director Andrew Albertson said in a statement." The social workers group, which has 110,000 members nationwide, endorsed Markey through its political arm, called Political Action for Candidate Election.
The new endorsements come on the heels of Markey's nod from the Human Rights Campaign on Wednesday, which bills itself as the largest LGBTQ advocacy group in the country.
But not everyone is happy about that endorsement — a group of 40 members of the LGBTQ community released a statement saying they "strongly" disagreed with the Human Rights Campaign's decision last night. Kennedy is chair of the Congressional LGBT Caucus Transgender Equality Task Force.
"Senator Markey has been a good friend to the LGBTQIA+ movement," says the statement, which was signed by Democratic donor Bryan Rafanelli, advocate Mimi Lemay and former Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Wally Brewster, among others. "But the Senator's opponent, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, has been a champion."
PROGRAMMING NOTE: I’m going on vacation... to my backyard! Massachusetts Playbook won’t publish the week of July 20. I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, July 27.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Rep. Katherine Clark is a guest on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to discuss the child care crisis and school reopenings. Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference with Massachusetts Peace Action.
JOIN TODAY - POLITICO 2020 ELECTION REPORTER ROUNDTABLE: The countdown to Election Day is on, and recent polls show President Trump trailing Joe Biden. Join POLITICO journalists Natasha Korecki, Gabby Orr and Zach Montellaro who will peel back the curtain on the Biden and Trump campaign strategies, discuss key policy platforms and describe how voters are responding. REGISTER HERE
 | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
– Mass. reports 27 new coronavirus deaths, 142 new cases,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials announced another 27 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 8,152. Officials also confirmed another 142 cases of the virus, for a total of at least 106,128. That’s based on 10,424 new molecular tests reported on Wednesday.”
| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
– “Lawmakers Seek To Mandate Masks, Quarantine For Visitors,” The Associated Press: “Face masks and two-week quarantines for travelers entering Massachusetts from COVID-19 hot spots would be required under a bill filed at the State House on Tuesday. The bill would also prioritize COVID-19 testing for vulnerable populations and mandate enforcement of workplace safety requirements designed to protect both workers and the public.”
– “Massachusetts House to accept public testimony on Senate police reform bill until Friday,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts House leaders will open the Senate police reform bill up to comment public this week, accepting written testimony until Friday morning, according to a hearing notice sent out Wednesday. Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, a Boston Democrat who heads the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Rep. Claire Cronin, an Easton Democrat and chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, issued a notice soliciting public comments on S.2800.”
– “Collins faces heat over vote on policing reform bill,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “When the vote finally came in the wee hours of Tuesday morning on a vigorously debated police reform bill, the measure easily cleared the state Senate on 30-7 vote. But one dissenting vote stood out on legislation prompted by a nationwide surge of attention to the issue of police brutality toward black Americans.”
– “Methuen Rep. to chair Soldiers' Home committee,” by Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune: “State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen) has been appointed co-chair of a committee that will investigate what happened this spring at Holyoke Soldiers' Home when nearly 80 veterans died from COVID-19. The outbreak and deaths, as well as illnesses of staff and other patients, was among the worst in the country as the coronavirus pandemic struck Massachusetts, New York and other northeast states.”
– “What happened to the transportation revenue bill?” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Less than five months ago, frustrated drivers and transit riders saw a glimmer of hope that a major infusion of cash might soon be on its way to shore up the state’s ailing transportation system. The Massachusetts House – typically the Legislature’s more conservative body on taxes – unveiled a $600 million transportation revenue bill. While the future of the bill was always uncertain – for one, it faced a likely veto from Republican Gov. Charlie Baker – no one could have predicted the nature of the bill’s demise.”
– “Bill limiting local police and ICE interaction moves forward,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “A controversial bill that would limit communications between law enforcement entities in Massachusetts and federal immigration authorities is moving forward on Beacon Hill. Rep. Harold Naughton, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, confirmed that Safe Communities Act was passed by the committee with a favorable recommendation and will move on to the House Ways and Means Committee.”
| FROM THE HUB |
– “Poll: Many Low-Income, Latino Residents Are Rethinking College Amid The Pandemic,” by Max Larkin, WBUR: “A sizable minority of Massachusetts’ most underserved high school students and their families are reconsidering their higher education plans in light of the coronavirus pandemic. That finding — a cause for concern about the effect of the health crisis on low-income families — comes from a poll published Monday by the MassINC Polling Group, and it appears to be supported by federal financial aid data.”
– “What’s ahead for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine? High hurdles and an ambitious timeline,” by Jonathan Saltzman, Boston Globe: “Moderna was the first drug maker to start testing an experimental COVID-19 vaccine on humans. It’s also poised to be the first to enter the final stage of a clinical trial in the United States, on July 27. But if you’re hoping to soon get the Cambridge biotech’s closely watched vaccine ― or any of nearly two dozen rival vaccine candidates being tested in clinical trials around the world ― don’t roll up your sleeve yet.”
– “Coronavirus testing is key to colleges reopening,” by Kay Lazar and Laura Krantz, Boston Globe: “As colleges and universities finalize high stakes plans for reopening amid the pandemic, wide scale, frequent testing for coronavirus on campus has emerged as central to their strategy. Thousands of college students on campuses across the state this fall will be required to swab their noses as often as twice a week, with samples shuttled to laboratories where the results will be quickly delivered back to campuses.”
– “Officials are urging Boston residents impacted by violence to contact the city’s trauma team. Here’s what they do.” by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: “Boston has seen a surge in violence in recent weeks. As of Monday, there had been 28 homicides in the city since the start of the year, compared to 21 during the same period last year and 29 in 2018, according to the police department.”
– “How a famous Harvard professor became a target over his tweets,” by Michael Powell, The New York Times: “Steven Pinker occupies a role that is rare in American life: the celebrity intellectual. The Harvard professor pops up on outlets from PBS to the Joe Rogan podcast, translating dense subjects into accessible ideas with enthusiasm. Bill Gates called his most recent book “my new favorite book of all time.”
– “Even as case count drops, aftereffects of coronavirus persist in Chelsea,” by Zoe Greenberg, Boston Globe: “It’s been more than two months since he recovered from the coronavirus, but that marker is just a technicality to Fredy Sanan. He still has debilitating pain in his legs, preventing a return to his construction job. The company where his wife worked closed down. His family has no income.”
| PRIMARY SOURCES |
– “Kennedy takes heat for ‘Wait Your Turn’ ad in Senate primary battle,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III is taking heat this week for his past backing of establishment politicians over progressive challengers after political watchers say a new campaign ad backfired just as the congressman looks to land his final blows on U.S. Sen. Edward Markey in their primary bout.”
– “Markey using taxpayer-funded mailings to buttress re-election campaign,” by Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald: “U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, in the last few weeks of a tough re-election battle, is sending out glossy, self-promotional, taxpayer-funded mass mailings touting his efforts fighting coronavirus. Markey’s material — including the preparation, publication and mailing costs — is fully paid for by taxpayers and comes less than six weeks before the Sept. 1 primary day.”
– “Field narrows in 12th Suffolk District,” by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: “Last week, three black attorneys and a white former advance man for Mayor Martin Walsh were vying for the 12th Suffolk District seat soon to be vacated by incumbent state Rep. Dan Cullinane. While the Mattapan-centered district that is 76 percent people of color may seem like an easy win for a candidate of color, the field presented the possibility of a three-way split among black voters that would advantage Cameron Charbonnier, the sole white candidate in the Democratic primary.”
| DAY IN COURT |
– “A short court visit can net cops an overtime windfall,” by Catherine McGloin, Bay State Banner: “The 150 yards between the District B-2 police station on Washington Street and Roxbury Municipal Court can be a lucrative walk for off-duty Boston Police officers looking to make a little overtime. ‘The judges know, the prosecutors know, everyone in the courthouse knows that once [officers] are summonsed they can come in, they can check in to court and they can bill for going to court – for dropping off a piece of paper,’ said Zachary Lown, a defense attorney in Boston.”
– “Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe served with federal subpoena for financial records,” by Jessica Hill, Cape Cod Times: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston served a federal grand jury subpoena to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe last month for a hefty number of documents and financial records. The news was shared with tribe members during a June 23 Tribal Council meeting.”
– “Former Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter a defense lawyer in class action suit against pharmaceutical,” by David Linton, Sun Chronicle: “When he was Bristol County’s district attorney, Sam Sutter prosecuted drug dealers on the streets and sought changes in the law to keep them locked up until trial. Now as a defense lawyer in Fall River, where he also served a term as mayor, he is working with his sister-in-law Julianne Feliz to represent those devastated by the opioid crisis in a class action suit against Purdue Pharma .”
| FROM THE DELEGATION |
– “‘Epic battle’ ahead over second stimulus check, coronavirus funding for states, municipalities and unemployment, Sen. Markey says,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Sen. Ed Markey describes the push for another coronavirus stimulus package as the ‘epic battle’ of his career, with Democrats, Republicans and the Trump administration at odds over boosts to unemployment insurance, stimulus checks to Americans and aid to states and municipalities.”
– “Congressional delegation calling for extension of emergency declaration,” The Associated Press: “The state’s congressional delegation is calling on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration that is set to expire on July 25. The all-Democratic delegation — led by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III — wrote a letter to Azar on Wednesday arguing that the emergency declaration should be extended until the end of the pandemic, calling it ‘a lifeline for Massachusetts.’”
– “US Rep. Richard Neal defends Dr. Anthony Fauci, decries ‘chaotic’ White House coronavirus response,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “In March, when everyone was still learning about the coronavirus and before it had killed 136,00 Americans, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal was telling people to pay attention to everything Dr. Anthony Fauci said. Today, with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under attack from the Trump administration and seemingly sidelined from making public statements, Neal defended Fauci and his work.”
| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
– “Boston already has some of the nation’s worst tidal flooding — and it will get much worse, study finds,” by David Abel, Boston Globe: “With some of the nation’s highest tides ever recorded, Boston has had more sunny-day flooding than nearly any other coastal community in the country — and the worst is yet to come as sea levels rise, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report said coastal communities across the country have continued to set records for flooding during high tides, which have damaged homes, destroyed roads, and imperiled drinking water and sewer systems.”
| MEANWHILE IN MAINE |
– “Susan Collins Wants to Debate Her Democratic Opponent 16 Times,” by Ed Kilgore, New York Magazine: “One of the most endangered of all Republican senators this year is Maine’s three-term incumbent Susan Collins, whose balancing act between wearing the party harness and displaying occasional independence has not been wearing well on her constituents in an increasingly polarized state. It didn’t make things easier on her when the opponent generally thought to be strongest, Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, posted a huge Democratic primary win on Tuesday.”
| ABOVE THE FOLD |
— Herald: “MARKEY'S WILD PITCH," "COVER CHARGE,” — Globe: “An impossible choice for migrant families," "Virus tests are key to colleges' reopening.”
| FROM THE 413 |
– “Holyoke Soldiers’ Home trustees pass resolutions in light of mismanagement that led to 76 COVID-19 deaths of veterans,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican: “Trustees of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke have endorsed multiple recommendations from an investigation that determined ‘utterly catastrophic’ and ‘baffling’ decisions led to dozens of coronavirus infections and deaths at the facility. The board of trustees met by teleconference on Tuesday for the first time since the report was released on June 24.”
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
– “2 more polling locations to change in Worcester,” by Nick Kotsopoulos, Telegram & Gazette: “The Election Commission Wednesday night voted to change two more polling locations for the Sept. 1 state primary and the Nov. 3 presidential/state election so they can better accommodate COVID-19 social distancing requirements...The changes were brought about because most of the commissioners did not feel the existing spaces were large enough to comply with COVID-19 social distancing requirements.”
– “Town clerks ready for expected influx of mail-in ballots,” by Nicole DeFeudis, The Lowell Sun: “As election season draws near, local town clerks and election officials are preparing for an anticipated influx of mail-in ballots. Last week, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law allowing all registered Massachusetts voters to cast their ballots by mail this year, without needing to qualify for an absentee ballot.”
– “Walpole’s beloved ‘Dog Rock’ rolls its way into mask controversy,” by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: “For nearly two decades, lifelong Walpole resident Joey Dugdale has been the self-appointed caretaker of the town’s ‘Dog Rock,’ a large boulder painted to look like a black-and-white puppy’s face. But when the 35-year-old recently painted a mask onto the landmark’s snout to honor health care workers, he touched off a dogfight in the Norfolk County community that’s been playing out both online and in stone.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Daily Hampshire Gazette alum Sarah Crosby and Maddie Conway.
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.
HAPPENING TODAY AT 9 a.m. EDT – REBOOTING THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE : Join POLITICO for a virtual discussion exploring how recovery efforts have affected different sectors of the American workforce and what measures lawmakers need to implement to help Americans get back to work. Featuring a keynote conversation with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, the program also includes a panel discussion with Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Marianne Wanamaker, associate professor of economics at the University of Tennessee and former chief domestic economist for President Donald Trump’s White House Council of Economic Advisors. REGISTER HERE.
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
FOLLOW US
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.