| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. PRIMARY RACES ARE DOWN TO THE WIRE — The Sept. 1 primary is still 18 days away. But with the state's new coronavirus-inspired vote by mail program, campaigns have to act like voting day is today, the next day, the day after that, and the day after that. It's not clear how many people will take advantage of expanded vote by mail and early voting options ahead of the Sept. 1 primary. But we do know 40 percent of general election voters in Massachusetts say they'll cast ballots by mail, according to a WBUR and MassINC poll published this week. If those numbers are comparable to the primary turnout, a sizable share of the electorate is deciding how to vote in the state's most closely-watched primary races right now. Because Massachusetts votes so heavily Democratic, the primary is where the bulk of the action is. And when you factor in the vote by mail dynamic, it's easy to see why there's been so much action this week. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III are hitting the road today on their respective campaign tours. Kennedy's headed out to Western Mass and back toward Worcester, while Markey is going to the Boston suburbs. Both campaigns acknowledge it's a tight race. The pair clashed on the debate stage this week for the second-to-last time. But for mail-in voters, it may have been their final match-up. Super PACs are spending big for both candidates — the pro-Kennedy New Leadership PAC and Unite for Massachusetts, a pro-Markey group, have spent a collective $4 million so far. In the race to fill Kennedy's House seat, Jesse Mermell made a splash when she collected the endorsements of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, former rival Dave Cavell and Attorney General Maura Healey within the span of a few hours. By the afternoon, the pro-Mermell Commonwealth Values PAC had filed with the FEC to spend on her behalf. An internal poll from Ihssane Leckey's campaign showed her and Mermell statistically tied for third place behind Newton City Councilors Beckey Grossman and Jake Auchincloss. Dr. Natalia Linos, another candidate in the race, is releasing her first TV ad today. And it's been a whirlwind week for Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who is taking on Rep. Richard Neal in the Democratic primary. A group of college Democrats disinvited Morse from their events last Thursday, suggesting he made some members uncomfortable. Within a week, revelations that the move may have been politically motivated led the state Democratic Party to signal its intent to examine the conduct of those college Democrats. The young mayor is pointing to the Neal as the source of what he calls a "political hit job" and has suggested the state party initially helped the college Democrats make their claim. Neal says he was not involved. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: KING BACKS KENNEDY — Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., is endorsing Rep. Joe Kennedy III today in his Democratic primary challenge against Sen. Ed Markey. King touts Kennedy as someone who will "never stop demanding justice." "We need a new generation of civil rights leaders," King says in an endorsement video. "He is a leader we so desperately need in this moment to bring us to a higher moral ground." 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 joins a roundtable on the nation’s child care crisis with New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and other House lawmakers. Rep. Joe Kennedy III makes campaign stops in Lee, West Stockbridge, Pittsfield, West Springfield, Springfield and Worcester. Sen. Ed Markey campaigns in Wellesley, Needham and Weston. | |
| | KEEP UP WITH THE WORLD FROM HOME : Economies and reputations are tanking around the globe. How have countries' responses to the pandemic caused them to lose favor around the world? And how do they reverse the trend? Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, layers global news, trends, and decisions with contextual analysis from the world's sharpest minds. For a unique perspective that you cannot find anywhere else, SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “Mass. reports 319 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 21 new deaths,” by Jaclyn Reiss, Boston Globe: “The death toll from confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Massachusetts rose by 21 to 8,568, state officials reported Thursday, and the number of confirmed cases climbed by 319, bringing the total to 113,517. Key metrics monitored for the state’s pace of reopening are still low relative to the springtime surge, but Thursday’s numbers come a day after the state raised the number of communities classified as high-risk for COVID-19 spread from four to 11.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Norfolk rep endorses suit against ‘King Baker’ over ‘slippery slope’ of government overreach during coronavirus pandemic,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “A Norfolk state representative says he supports a lawsuit against what he calls Gov. Charlie Baker’s ‘overreach’ in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Rep. Shawn Dooley, R-Norfolk, said his comments are ‘not necessarily attacking the quarantine, the restrictions, or even the fines,’ but rather the way the governor — or ‘King Baker’ as the representative calls him — has approached their implementation.” – “Data indicate spread of COVID-19 accelerating,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts appears to be accelerating, with the number of communities considered moderate or high-risk jumping by 40 percent and the state as a whole moving into the moderate risk category. Gov. Charlie Baker released a breakdown by municipality on Tuesday that indicated four of the state’s 351 cities and towns were high risk and 29 were moderate risk.” – “Massachusetts superintendent writes in open letter to Gov. Charlie Baker, education officials, ‘I believe we are working harder not smarter,'” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: “As schools get ready to finalize plans on how to teach students in the midst of a global pandemic, William Burkhead, the superintendent of the Scituate Public Schools, feels that superintendents and school committees have ‘been thrown in shark-infested waters.’” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Some Mass. schools are pursuing hybrid schooling. The plan could be a public health disaster,” by Hanna Krueger and Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “As communities throughout the state scramble to craft back-to-school plans that prioritize public safety and academics, some officials have lauded hybrid schooling — which includes some variation of both in-school and at-home learning — as a solution that seems to strike an ideal middle ground between the remote-only and full-time camps.” – “Boston calls for end to ‘egregious violations’ of coronavirus rules in Allston-Brighton bars,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “‘No dancing,’ certainly no ‘adult dancers’ and, for sure ‘no scorpion bowls.’ That was the message Boston Licensing Board staff had for the many restaurants and bars in Allston-Brighton, where the city says residents have been sending in photos of ‘egregious’ flouting of social-distancing rules — and the college kids haven’t even really come back yet.” – “Teachers, officers, firefighters, and other municipal workers don’t reflect Greater Boston’s diversity, new study shows,” by John Laidler, Boston Globe: “They do the day-to-day work of local government, but the region’s teachers, police officers, firefighters, public health nurses, and other municipal employees do not reflect the diversity of the Greater Boston area, a new report found. At a time of nationwide protests against racial inequities, the study by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council found that the municipal workforce in Metro Boston is both whiter and older than the region’s civilian workforce and population.” – “In Marathon Hearing, Boston City Council Members Hear, Voice Exasperation With School Reopening Plan,” by Isaiah Thompson, WGBH News: “Members of Boston’s City Council heard hours of testimony Wednesday evening from Boston Public Schools teachers, nurses, bus drivers and parents — mostly critical of the school district's plans for reopening the city's schools this September. And some Council members lent their own voices to those critiques, firing questions at Superintendent Brenda Cassellius on everything from plans for testing to busing to thresholds for re-closing schools in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19.” – “Private-pay childcare providers struggling,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Childcare providers – who are vital to letting working parents return to the office – were hard-hit by the mandated closures in March and are facing significant costs to reopen. State officials say they must use their limited funding to prioritize childcares that serve the most vulnerable children, those who are eligible for state subsidies. But private pay providers say they need help, too. Without additional assistance, some are likely to close.” – “Here's how a deal for Amazon to use Simon malls could transform Mass. real estate,” by Catherine Carlock, Boston Business Journal: “Should e-commerce behemoth Amazon.com Inc. and Simon Property Group Inc. come to an agreement about utilizing anchor department stores as Amazon distribution hubs — as the Wall Street Journal reported is under discussion — it could have a big impact on Massachusetts commercial real estate.” | | PRIMARY SOURCES |
| – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “Democrats Rally Behind Mermell in Wake of Race Shift,” from the Mermell campaign: “Six more Massachusetts Democrats are throwing their support behind Mermell … Mermell received six new endorsements on Friday from: Brookline Select Board Member Raul Fernandez, Brookline Town Meeting Members Kate Silbaugh, Peter Frumkin, and Tracie Burns, former North Attleboro Selectman Patrick Reynolds, and Chairperson of the Easton Democratic Town Committee Craig Barger.” – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Shack and Green endorse Khazei, from the Khazei campaign: “Tom Shack, former Comptroller of Massachusetts and former candidate for Massachusetts’ Fourth Congressional District, has endorsed City Year Co-Founder and Democratic Candidate for Congress Alan Khazei. Bernard Greene, Chair of the Brookline Select Board, has also endorsed Khazei.” – “‘Markey: ‘You have to be able to say, ‘This is where we are going’” by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is confident Democrats will win back not only the White House come November but also the Senate. And if re-elected, he says that justice should be the focus when creating solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.” – ““Kennedy: ‘We deserve more from our senator.’” by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “As COVID-19 continues to spread across the state and country, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III says the pandemic has exposed the country’s vulnerabilities and that a change in political leadership is needed to fix them.” – “In shake-up, Cavell dropping out of Fourth District primary to back Mermell — and stop Auchincloss,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Dave Cavell, a former Obama speechwriter who pitched himself as a progressive option in the Fourth Congressional District, said Thursday he will drop from the crowded Democratic primary in an attempt to coalesce support behind another liberal candidate. The surprising move, announced just 19 days before the Sept. 1 primary and with mail-in voting already underway, is also strategic.” – “‘A wide open race’: Dropout scrambles Democratic race to replace Kennedy,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “The fierce Democratic primary battle to succeed Congressman Joe Kennedy shifted into a higher gear on Thursday, as one candidate dropped out to endorse a rival in an explicit effort to avoid splitting the progressive vote. David Cavell, an Obama administration alum and former assistant attorney general, suspended his campaign on Thursday morning after tepid fundraising and weak poll numbers.” – “Morse cites link between allegations, state party volunteer,” by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: “Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is calling for an independent investigation into the role an attorney associated with the state Democratic Party played in shaping an allegation lodged against him last week. Any such probe, he said, must look not only at actions by the College Democrats of Massachusetts, the group that accused the mayor of inappropriate contact with college students, but into involvement by the state party itself.” – “Alex Morse says US Rep. Richard Neal missed chance to end surprise medical bills; Neal said he’s working on a solution that won’t hurt doctors, hospitals,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Challenger Alex Morse says he backs a bipartisan plan to stop surprise medical bills that incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal killed in December at the behest of big-pocket corporate interests. But Neal, D-Springfield, says the bill was too generous to the insurance industry and would have taken too much money out of the health care system, hurting doctors and hospitals.” – “Moulton challengers go on offensive in debate,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Two Democrats running to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton in the upcoming primary ripped into the two-term congressman over a range of issues during a livestreamed debate Thursday night. Angus McQuilken, 50, of Topsfield, went after Moulton over breaking with other members of the state's all-Democrat congressional delegation with a recent vote in the House of Representatives supporting an expanded military budget.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Settling bias allegations with four apartment brokers, attorney general wins fines, mandatory training,” by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: “Four South Shore apartment brokers will pay fines and face state-mandated training for discriminating against lower-income renters, Attorney General Maura Healey said Thursday. Healey’s office settled cases against the firms for violating fair housing and consumer protection laws by preventing people with federal Section 8 vouchers from renting apartments in Braintree and elsewhere on the South Shore. Collectively, the fines could add up to $110,000.” – “ACLU sues Boston police for use of force, surveillance docs,” The Associated Press: “The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the Boston Police Department for withholding records related to recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations and other policing issues. The civil rights group’s Massachusetts chapter said Wednesday that it has filed nine public records requests with the department in the last year-and-a-half that are all ‘well past-due.’” | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “Sen. Elizabeth Warren demands ‘corruption’ probe after report of Amazon options purchase by Postal Service chief Louis DeJoy,” by Dan Mangan, CNBC: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday demanded that the U.S. Postal Service’s internal ethics watchdog investigate what she suggested was ‘corruption’ in the purchase of Amazon stock options by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after his appointment to that job.” | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
| – “Trump relaxes some visa rules,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “For foreign citizens who work in Massachusetts but found themselves stuck abroad due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, the State Department has offered a yellow light to come back. The US Department of State said Wednesday that foreign nationals working in the US legally who were stranded overseas with suspended work visas can now return to the country to their same jobs, if certain conditions are met.” | | MEANWHILE IN MAINE |
| – “Challenge to Mass. hydro-electricity connection yanked from ballot,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine on Thursday yanked a referendum question off the November ballot that could have derailed a Massachusetts proposal to import hydro-electricity from Quebec using a power line running from the Canadian border to Lewiston, Maine.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “DISGRACED THE BADGE,” — Globe: “For several groups, a historic candidacy,” “Doctors warn about hybrid schooling.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “Springfield city councilors raise concerns that House climate bill helps biomass plant,” by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: “City councilors opposed to plans for a biomass plant on Page Boulevard have urged the state Legislature to eliminate a clause in a climate bill they claim is favorable to the project. Ten councilors led by Councilor at Large Jesse Lederman signed a letter to the chairs of the state conference committee considering the climate bill, Sen. Michael Barrett, D-Lexington, and Rep. Thomas Golden, D-Lowell.” – “Pittsfield sends out thousands of mail-in, absentee ballots,” by Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle: “Primary ballots are on the way for city residents who have decided to participate in the new no-excuse vote-by-mail option. Election workers hustled over the weekend to process applications, and the city shipped 4,000 early voting mail-in ballots to voters Monday, according to City Clerk Michele Benjamin.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Worcester to begin school year with remote learning,” by Scott O’Connell, Telegram & Gazette: “The School Committee on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to keep all students at home for the first quarter of the school year. The reopening proposal, which was amended since a public presentation last Thursday, will also give teachers the option of whether they teach from home or in their buildings.” TRANSITIONS – Anthony P. DaSilva, Jr. joins Davis Malm as a shareholder. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to POLITICO's Peter Canellos and Dani Rodrik. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Mary Serreze, who celebrates Saturday. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS – Congressional candidate Jake Auchincloss raised $200,000 in the most recent FEC filing period. 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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