Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey’s in pole position

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey’s in pole position

Presented by National Grid

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: NEW UMASS LOWELL POLL — State Attorney General Maura Healey holds a commanding 45-point lead over her Democratic gubernatorial rival, state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, in a new primary poll.

Healey garnered 62 percent support in the UMass Lowell survey of likely Democratic primary voters, compared to 17 percent support for Chang-Díaz. Another 20 percent said they were either undecided or planned to vote for another candidate. That’s a wider lead for Healey than in the last public poll of the race in January, though note that the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion survey of 800 likely Democratic primary voters also includes leaners in the results.

Healey is also the Democrat most likely to win the general election, according to 62 percent of those who responded to the UMass Lowell poll conducted between April 2 and 11. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.

“Primary voters want someone they ideologically align with, but they also want to vote for a winner,” UMass Lowell pollster and Center for Public Opinion associate director John Cluverius told Playbook. “The more and more Healey looks like a frontrunner, the more and more voters who aren’t perfectly aligned with Healey, but find her acceptable, are willing to vote for her.”

Chang-Díaz “gains some ground” on Healey among likely voters who are ages 18 to 44 and who are non-white, the pollsters said. Respondents also picked the first Latina and Asian American elected to the state Senate as the candidate best suited to handle race relations. But when it comes to which woman is more progressive — one of Chang-Díaz’s selling points to Democratic primary voters — likely voters thought they were about even.

Cluverius said Chang-Díaz could benefit from finding “something pivotal to contrast herself with Healey.”

Pinning Healey down on policy specifics remains difficult. But her broad-based campaign appears to be resonating with likely voters who see her as the stronger candidate on issues ranging from the economy to Covid-19 to policing reform and health care without reviewing a single policy plan. And as for why Healey keeps praising outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker? The GOP governor has a 78 percent favorability rating in this poll.

While Healey remains dominant in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, down-ballot races are much more in flux, the UMass Lowell pollsters say.

Andrea Campbell continues to lead her rivals for attorney general with 30 percent support compared to 11 percent for Shannon Liss-Riordan and 6 percent for Quentin Palfrey. More than half of those surveyed were undecided, according to results previewed for Playbook. UMass Lowell will release the full poll online at 11 a.m.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Speaking of the governor’s race, POLITICO’s Steve Shepard is out with a new election forecast that rates the contest for the corner office as “Likely Democratic.”

All of our U.S. House seats are rated “Solid Democratic” — except for Rep. Bill Keating’s MA-09, which Shepard says is “Likely Democratic.”

That’s all well and good for Democrats in blue Massachusetts, but it’s not going to help their party hold onto power in Washington, where both the House and the Senate are predicted to go red. Check out the full election forecast to see which races you need to watch — and who we think will win each one.

POLITICO's 2022 election rating for Massachusetts governor. | POLITICO screenshot

TODAY — President Joe Biden is in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to tout his administration’s infrastructure law. Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito highlight Tax Day at 2 p.m. at the State House. Baker participates in a Boston Globe Sustainability Week virtual fireside chat at 11 a.m. LG hopeful state Sen. Adam Hinds hosts a “Conversation on Achieving Equity in Education” at 1 p.m. on Twitter Spaces.

Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— STREAMING WARS: Governor’s Councilors Eileen Duff and Mary Hurley are calling for all future Governor’s Council meetings to be livestreamed using the same platform the House and Senate use to stream legislative sessions and hearings, after the council stopped streaming its meetings on YouTube.

“As a candidate and as a member of the Governor’s Council, I have repeatedly called for a more transparent and open Council,” Duff said in a statement shared with Playbook. “What Councilor Hurley and I are advocating is for the Governor’s Council to utilize the same platforms as other Commonwealth legislative bodies as a matter of consistency, security, and economics.”

The council’s move last month to stop broadcasting its meetings online has divided its members. Councilor Marilyn Devaney has been unsuccessfully trying to bring it back amid pressure from outside groups to restore the livestream and pushback from other council members who’ve cited a lack of resources to keep it going.

— “Senate plan mandates coverage for heating oil spills,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Homeowners would be required to get property insurance coverage to protect against home heating oil contamination under a new proposal that its backers say is aimed at shielding them from costly cleanups for spills. The measure, which unanimously passed the state Senate on Thursday, would require insurers to add coverage for accidental home heating oil spills.”

— “Cape town leaders oppose radioactive water release in Cape Cod Bay, in letters filed at hearing,” by Sarah Carlon, Cape Cod Times: “Lawmakers, environmentalists and Cape officials are rallying behind legislation that would permanently put the plug into a plan to dump one million gallons of treated radioactive wastewater from the now-closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station into Cape Cod Bay. The bill was filed in response to a 2021 proposal by Holtec International— the company that bought the Plymouth plant from Entergy Corporation in 2019 to take over its decommissioning — to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to discharge the water.”

— “Massachusetts RMV provides update on 2,100 drivers who were granted licenses without road tests,” by WCVB: “On Monday, the RMV told NewsCenter 5 that it conducted a total of 1,074 road tests between Feb. 14 and Feb. 25 as a result of its internal investigation into the matter. During that period, the affected customers were able to call a dedicated phone line to schedule their road test pursuant to the letter they received from the Registry. Of those who completed their road test requirement through this method, 381 people passed their exam while 693 failed.”

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VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “Harvard, Boston Children’s study casts new light on COVID-19 inflammation,” by Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: “The study, published April 6 in the journal Nature, included the surprising finding that the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects and kills certain immune system cells in the blood and lungs, the medical school and hospital said in a pair of news releases. As the cells die, they set off alarms for the immune system.”

FROM THE HUB

In the top left, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is pictured with Gov. Charlie Baker and Secretary of Labor Martin Walsh. The other photos show runners in various stages of the Boston Marathon. | Top left: Winslow Townson/AP Photo; Top right: Jennifer McDermott/AP Photo; Bottom left: Charles Krupa/AP Photo; Bottom right: Mary Schwalm/AP Photo

— MARATHON RUNDOWN: Tears and triumph mixed with cheers and cowbells as the Boston Marathon returned to its rightful Patriots’ Day after a three-year hiatus. Henry Richard embraced his family after finishing the race in honor of his younger brother, Martin Richard, who was killed in the 2013 marathon bombings. Adrianne Haslet, who lost a leg in the explosions, finished with Marblehead favorite and Olympian Shalane Flanagan at her side. Boston Herald reporter Rick Sobey ran all 26.2 miles and still managed to file a story about it before deadline. Some runners carried Ukrainian flags. Boston’s three mayors of 2021 — Marty Walsh, Kim Janey and Michelle Wu — snapped a selfie near the finish line.

In Cambridge, MIT honored Police Officer Sean Collier nine years after he was killed in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

ICYMI: “Nearly 10 years after the Boston Marathon bombing, a survivor and her congresswoman fight for healing,” by Manya Chylinski and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Dorchester Reporter: “[W]e must continue centering the needs of survivors of all disasters and provide them the resources and counseling they need to recover from their trauma and begin to heal. We can start by enacting the Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act, a simple fix that will help people in their hour of need and have a lasting impact on the health of our communities.

— THERE’S A NEW PLANNER IN TOWN: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has appointed Arthur Jemison as chief of planning, a wide-ranging job that will oversee the city’s planning and development aims — and that “will also play a central role in structurally reforming the Boston Planning & Development Agency,” per a press release. Wu pledged to “abolish” the BPDA when she was running for mayor, though she hasn’t answered questions recently about whether she still plans to do so. The BPDA’s leader, Brian Golden, announced his resignation last week, paving the way for big changes, though this job isn’t a direct replacement.

Jemison is no stranger to working in Boston or Massachusetts, and he returns to the city after working as principal deputy assistant secretary of housing and urban development for the feds. Wu is also announcing that Devin Quirk will serve as deputy chief for operations and organizational transformation, and that the city is looking to hire a deputy chief of urban design.

A message from National Grid:

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "As Earth’s temperature rises, Massachusetts residents’ sense of urgency on climate change declines," by Sabrina Shankman and Dharna Noor, Boston Globe: "Despite increasingly urgent international warnings and an onslaught of catastrophic wildfires and weather linked to global warming, fewer Massachusetts residents see the climate crisis as a very serious concern than they did three years ago, according to a new poll. It’s not that respondents weren’t aware of the climate threat; a large majority acknowledged that symptoms of the crisis such as increased flooding, extreme heat waves, and more powerful storms are either already happening or very likely within five years, according to the poll, a collaboration of The Boston Globe and The MassINC Polling Group. And more than three quarters called climate change a 'very serious' or 'serious' concern. But with a pandemic and war in Ukraine as a backdrop, fewer than half, 48 percent, ranked climate in the highest category of concern, down from 53 percent in 2019, the last time the poll was taken."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MBTA says it’s reviewing a federal judge’s decision to overturn mask mandate on public transit and airplanes,” by Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said Monday afternoon it was reviewing the decision by a federal judge in Florida voiding the national mask mandate on airplanes and public transit. ‘The MBTA is continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will review the court order. The MBTA is also reaching out to its federal partners to get further guidance,’ MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an e-mail Monday afternoon.”

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ON THE STUMP

— “GOP gubernatorial candidates Geoff Diehl, Chris Doughty once again spar over pre-convention debates,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “As Boston Marathon runners traversed 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Copley Square on Monday, Republican gubernatorial candidates Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty remained focused on the virtual campaign trail as they traded sparring messages. … Diehl’s campaign on Monday morning — based ‘on information and belief’ — accused Doughty’s campaign of failing to pay the $25,000 convention fee. Diehl, for his part, noted his campaign submitted the fee in December. … Doughty’s campaign refuted that claim. In a campaign email, Doughty shared a photocopy of a check for $25,000 from the Doughty Committee — based in Beverly — to the Massachusetts Republican Republican Party, based in Woburn. The check was dated April 13.”

— SPEAKING OF DEBATES ABOUT DEBATES: Maura Healey and Sonia Chang-Díaz will participate in a Democratic primary forum hosted by Boston Ward 4 and Ward 5 Democrats and moderated by GBH’s Callie Crossley at 6:30 p.m. tonight, one of the two April forums the AG agreed to in response to the state senator’s request for three pre-convention debates. Also in the virtual hot seat tonight are lieutenant governor candidates Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, state Sens. Eric Lesser and Adam Hinds, state Rep. Tami Gouveia and Bret Bero; secretary of state hopeful Tanisha Sullivan; and auditor rivals Chris Dempsey and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio.

WARREN REPORT

— “Elizabeth Warren: Democrats Can Avoid Disaster in November,” by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New York Times: “Democrats win elections when we show we understand the painful economic realities facing American families and convince voters we will deliver meaningful change. To put it bluntly: if we fail to use the months remaining before the elections to deliver on more of our agenda, Democrats are headed toward big losses in the midterms. Time is running short. We need to finalize a budget reconciliation deal, making giant corporations pay their share to fund vital investments in combating climate change and lowering costs for families, which can advance with only 50 Senate votes. Other priorities can be done with the president’s executive authority [like canceling student loan debt].”

DATELINE D.C.

— LABOR SECRETARY … BERNIE SANDERS? Apparently, “the country came closer than you think,” my POLITICO colleagues write in West Wing Playbook. “...in his new book looking back at the 2020 campaign, top Sanders’ aide Ari Rabin-Havt writes that [Joe] Biden told Sanders he’d nominate him to the post as long as Democrats didn’t win both Senate seats in Georgia,” Sam Stein, Alex Thompson and Max Tani write. “The visions of power were for naught. Democrats won both seats, grabbed control of the Senate, Sanders stayed in the chamber, and Biden nominated Marty Walsh to the labor secretary role instead.”

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Short-term rental battle riles Nantucket,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “An effort is now underway to dramatically restrict short-term rentals on the island. Proponents have seized on the argument that short-term rentals are limiting the availability of much-needed housing for lower and middle-wage workers. But opponents say professions of concern over workforce housing are being used to mask a battle between uber-rich homeowners who don’t need to rent their homes and those who rely on income from summer rentals to afford a second home on an island where the median assessed value of homes used for rentals is $1.6 million. Business owners, meanwhile, worry that significant restrictions on short-term rentals will decimate the island’s tourism-based economy.”

— “Worcester police, including officers on ‘last chance’ agreements, top list of highest salaries paid to city employees in 2021,” by Erin Tiernan, MassLive: “Of the city’s 100 highest-paid employees, 92 work for the police department. However, Worcester’s list of highest earners also includes several police officers on ‘last chance’ agreements. Regular police department salaries accounted for $40.1 million, but Worcester taxpayers paid members of the force another $13.7 million in detail pay and $4.7 million in overtime last year, records show. … Last-chance agreements essentially give officers a ‘last chance’ to keep their jobs so long as they refrain from behavior that could lead to further discipline or termination.”

— "Many police officers suffer trauma. But not everyone gets the mental health support they need," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "Law enforcement experts say it's all too common for officers to struggle emotionally after going through something traumatic. It could be a shooting, like the one involving [Jim] Creed, losing a colleague to suicide or responding to a horrible incident involving a child. But officers don't always get the help they need and many wind up resigning in the months and years that follow."

TRANSITIONS — Christine McCay has been named office managing partner of Locke Lord’s Boston office.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to the Boston Globe’s Emma Platoff, Anya van Wagtendonk, Ron Kaufman, Kyle Grabowski and Hampden, Hampshire & Worcester state Senate candidate Sydney Levin-Epstein.

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