Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: A candidates’ guide to swaying undecided delegates

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: A candidates’ guide to swaying undecided delegates

DECISIONS, DECISIONS — Many delegates will head into this weekend’s Democratic Party convention in Worcester with their pick for governor already locked in. But down-ballot races are a different story.

Delegates from across the state tell Playbook they’re torn between candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor and secretary of state. They’re weighing a host of factors including geographic location (read: a desire for more Western Massachusetts representation), experience, vision, policy proposals and who best aligns with their political ideologies and values.

And several say they're likely to make their selections based on what they hear in the convention hall.

“I’m curious to see who really has the boldest vision and the most thorough ideas and isn’t just running on an adjective,” Worcester delegate Ryan Hale, who’s still mulling options for attorney general, auditor and lieutenant governor, said. “I really don’t know which way I lean at this point, but I’m hoping candidate speeches and conversations will help me decide.”

Springfield delegate Linda Matys O'Connell, who is “waffling” on her pick for auditor, will also be looking for what the candidates emphasize in their speeches, as well as who puts on the best display of “competence and experience.”

Candidates still have a few days to reach delegates in other ways. The Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund IEPAC sent mailers to delegates promoting state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor, former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell for attorney general and Chris Dempsey for auditor. Dempsey and rival state Sen. Diana DiZoglio have been touting key endorsements through Facebook and Instagram ads. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll is hosting a virtual delegate meet and greet Thursday. One of her rivals for lieutenant governor, Bret Bero, has sent out four mailers. Another, state Sen. Adam Hinds, spoke to Democratic activists in Hamilton last night.

Yet undecided delegates surveyed by Playbook appear to be looking to Saturday’s action at the DCU Center to make up their minds. So, no pressure on those convention speeches and videos — particularly for those candidates still looking to clinch the 15 percent delegate support they need to get on the primary ballot.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The Uber-and-Lyft-backed coalition pushing a ballot question to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors won’t have a table at the Democrats’ convention after all.

Party leaders changed course Tuesday after more than 400 delegates, party activists and nearly every statewide office-seeker signed onto a petition urging Chair Gus Bickford to rescind Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers’ tabling privileges.

MassDems initially cited “free speech” in allowing the coalition to advertise and table at the convention despite having denounced the group's aim in the party's platform. But a MassDems spokesperson said Tuesday that party officials "appreciate the advocacy from our delegates" and would be returning Flexibility and Benefits’ table fee.

Activists hailed the move as a win for organizing and for Massachusetts Is Not For Sale, the coalition opposing the proposed ballot initiative. But Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers’ spokesperson Conor Yunits said it’s “disheartening to see this party shut the door on debate and the exchange of free ideas.”

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker speaks at the "Life Itself" conference in San Diego. Acting Gov. Karyn Polito speaks about the administration’s FORWARD legislation at 10 a.m. at Markey Memorial Pedestrian Bridge in Revere. Reps. Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) are on 93.9 The River at 7:30 a.m. and Worcester’s Talk of the Commonwealth at 8:30 a.m., and attend events at UMass Chan Medical School. Rep. Ayanna Pressley is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11:30 a.m. Rep. Lori Trahan hosts SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman at 2:30 p.m. at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a 10 a.m. media availability on Allston-Brighton development after touring Beacon Park Yard. Wu speaks at the re-dedication of the Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial at 11 a.m. and at the city’s Pride Month kickoff event at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall Plaza.

OFFICE HOURS — Weather and allergies permitting, I’m holding my inaugural Playbook office hours this Thursday! Come join me outside the Ashburton Entrance of the State House from 3 to 5 p.m. to talk all things #mapoli. Can't make it then? Not in Boston? I'll be doing more this summer. Email me and let's set one up: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Shannon Liss-Riordan has secured four more union endorsements in her bid for state attorney general: United Steelworkers District 4, Sheet Metal Workers Local 63, Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35 (IUPAT) and the Boston Carmen's Union Local 589, per her campaign.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERTS: State Rep. Mike Connolly has endorsed state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor. Connolly, who represents Cambridge and Somerville, told the district's delegates in an email that Healey meets both of his criteria: a candidate who's a "proven leader on progressive issues" and who has a "proven ability to win tough general elections, preferably on the statewide level."

Connolly, a proponent of bringing back local-option rent stabilization, also lauded Healey's pledge to "support efforts to lift the ban on rent stabilization." Healey said blanket rent control was not "the solution" to the state's housing woes in a recent GBH News interview. But her campaign quickly said she was open to communities pursuing their own policies — a stance reflected on her website, which now includes an "issues" page outlining her plans to address 11 key issue areas including education, transportation and housing.

— Our Revolution Massachusetts has endorsed Chris Dempsey for auditor. State Sen. Diana DiZoglio did not participate in the group’s endorsement process.

— Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune has endorsed state Rep. Liz Miranda for Second Suffolk state senator, per her campaign.

— “'We're overspending and we're overtaxing': Chris Doughty brings a business view to bid for governor,” by Rebecca Tauber, GBH News: “The businessman described himself as ‘deeply fiscally conservative,’ with an emphasis on cutting costs. … Doughty said he tends to vote along party lines. He indicated that he would vote for Trump if the former president becomes the Republican nominee for president in 2024. But Doughty said it would be a ‘challenge’ for him to vote for Rayla Campbell, the Republican candidate for secretary of state, who at the Massachusetts Republican Nominating Convention this month claimed that schools will tell 5-year-olds they can have sex, referring to a bill requiring age-appropriate sexual health education.”

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Chicopee Fire Fighters and the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts have endorsed Chicopee City Councilor Joel McAuliffe for 8th Hampden district state representative, per his campaign.

— Related: “Chicopee City Councilor Shane Brooks drops out of race for state representative,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican: “City Councilor Shane D. Brooks is withdrawing from the race for state representative in the 8th Hampden District. Brooks, a Democrat, was the first to declare his candidacy a week after Joseph Wagner announced he would not seek another term in the position. … His withdrawal leaves two people in the race, Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe and Shirley Arriaga, a Chicopee High School teacher who served 10 years in the U.S. Air Force.”

— “Paul Fullen, a Worcester firefighter, looks for rematch against Rep. LeBoeuf,” by Marco Cartolano, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “[Paul] Fullen, 51, is running as a Republican for the 17th Worcester District. This is Fullen's second time running for the seat after losing in the general election against [state Rep. David] LeBoeuf, a Worcester Democrat, when he was first elected in 2018.”

— “'Golden Dragonfly' becomes first Wampanoag woman on Bourne Select Board,” by Asad Jung, Cape Cod Times: “In the May 17 town election, three women were elected to the Select Board, making it the first select board in town with a majority of female members. One of those women is Melissa Ann Ferretti, likely to be the first-ever Wampanoag woman to be elected to the Bourne board."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts COVID cases down 31% over holiday weekend, hospitalizations drop,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The state Department of Public Health reported a daily average of 1,757 COVID cases over Memorial Day weekend, which was down 31% from the daily rate of 2,542 infections last weekend. Testing was lower over the long weekend, however.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Ban on religious vaccine exemptions moves ahead,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The legislation, which has received a favorable vote by the Legislature's Public Health Committee, would eliminate a section of the state's vaccine law that allows parents with ‘sincere religious beliefs’ to be exempted from a requirement to submit proof of vaccination in order to enroll their children in public schools. The proposal wouldn't require COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, which currently are not mandated by the state for K-12 schools.”

— “‘They treated me like I was an inmate.’ Despite protests, state continues to support prison-based programs for addicted men,” by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: “Advocates and addiction specialists have long decried the practice of forcing men into correctional settings for addiction treatment, saying that doing so shames and often traumatizes people who are sick but not criminals. But the state government continues to support these programs. … But advocates are not currently fighting to end Section 35. Their focus is on ending involuntary treatment in places run by correctional officials. Opponents are working to change the policy on three fronts.”

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FROM THE HUB

— “Hospitality workers to protest Hynes Convention Center sale Wednesday,” by Susannah Sudborough, Boston.com: “A local hospitality workers’ union said Tuesday it expects hundreds of Back Bay hospitality workers to protest Governor Charlie Baker’s bid to sell Hynes Convention Center Wednesday afternoon. UNITE HERE Local 26, which represents Boston hotel, casino, and airport employees, argues that the loss of Hynes Convention Center as an event space that brings people from all over the world to stay and eat in Back Bay would destroy the neighborhood’s economy.”

— “Bullying on the rise in Boston schools,” by Meg Woolhouse, GBH News: “Bullying complaints in Boston Public Schools are on the rise, with parents from East Boston to Roslindale and schools in between saying the problems are upsetting and disrupting student learning. District data shows more than an 80% increase in complaints to 440 so far this year, compared to the 243 complaints in 2018-2019, the last full year of in-person learning.”

— "More heatwaves, rising seas, and intensifying storms will pummel the Boston area, new report finds," by David Abel, Boston Globe: "By the end of the century, average temperatures in the Boston area could increase as much as 10 degrees above 2000 levels, while seas could rise more than 10 feet, under the worst circumstances. Over the same period, intense precipitation could increase by 30 percent and flooding from swollen rivers could surge by 70 percent."

WARREN REPORT

— “Elizabeth Warren Is Still Furious,” by Samhita Mukhopadhyay, The Cut: “[Sen. Elizabeth Warren] talks to the Cut about what the Senate plans to do should Roe v. Wade be overturned, why she threw her support behind Jessica Cisneros in her too-close-to-call primary race against Democratic House incumbent Henry Cuellar in Texas, and why we have to keep fighting even when winning feels impossible.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “‘Donald Trump will get his comeuppance’: Jan. 6 committee member Jamie Raskin speaks in Northampton,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Defending democracy will take expanding voting rights, scrapping the Electoral College and prosecuting those — including former President Donald Trump — behind the attempt to subvert government on Jan. 6, 2021, says U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin. … The Maryland Democrat and U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, hosted a town hall discussion on the theme of 'Defending Our Democracy,' drawing more than 600 people to First Churches of Northampton, appearing to applause and standing ovations.”

FROM THE 413

— “Springfield City Council president Marcus Williams resigns from council,” by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: “City Council president Marcus Williams announced Tuesday that he is resigning immediately from the council six months into his fourth term as the Ward 5 representative to focus on his full-time employment with a philanthropic company. … With his resignation, vice president Jesse Lederman becomes the new council president. Under city charter, the vacancy in the Ward 5 seat will be filled by an appointment by the council until the next ward election in 2023.”

— “Airbnb is asking hosts to oppose Great Barrington’s proposed short-term rental bylaw,” by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: “The company this month sent its Great Barrington hosts an email alerting them to the proposal, which includes limiting the total number of days per year to 150 that a homeowner can rent their house. ‘It’s crucial for Hosts to let the selectboard know that these proposed restrictions on short-term rentals will hurt the local economy,’ according to the email.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— WHAT’S NEXT IN THE ABORTION-RIGHTS FIGHT: Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts is launching its new Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health today. The Advancing Science and Practice through Innovations in Research and Education (ASPIRE) Center aims to expand PPLM’s education, research and clinical training efforts through partnerships with academic institutions, teaching hospitals, health care professionals and community-based groups. It will also focus on “combating systemic barriers that disproportionately prevent BIPOC, LGBTQ+, youth, and people with disabilities from accessing quality care,” MaryRose Mazzola, the center’s director, said.

— “Insurers and employers in Mass. scramble to keep out-of-state workers covered for abortion,” by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Globe: “[O]ver 1 million workers and family members on Massachusetts-based commercial health plans live in other states. And now, their ability to access abortion services where they live is unclear, since more than half of the states in the country appear poised to impose restrictions soon after or once Roe is struck down. Questions remain about whether employers will pay for workers to travel for the procedure. Moreover, some local companies and insurers could face legal liability for helping facilitate an abortion for a resident of a state where it becomes illegal.”

— Related: “Who has been getting abortions in Massachusetts? Take a look at the data,” by Stephanie Ebbert and Christina Prignano, Boston Globe.

— “Acting Worcester City Manager Eric Batista sworn in, adds to streak of public service,” by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “Batista, 39, becomes the city’s acting city manager on Wednesday. He was sworn in at midday Tuesday. The position is the latest step in a steady march up the ranks at City Hall, which began with his Sept. 4, 2012, start as a project manager in the office of former City Manager Michael O’Brien.”

— “New Bedford awarded $72.7 million in federal infrastructure funds for harbor cleanup,” by Kathryn Gallerani, Standard-Times: “It’s the light at the end of a dark sediment-filled tunnel with bald eagles soaring above. It’s only taken about 40 years. With the approval of $72.7 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the Environmental Protection Agency-led cleanup of New Bedford Harbor will be completed in three years.”

— “Fall River City Councilor Trott Lee has resigned his position. Here's what happens next,” by Dan Medeiros, Herald News: “Two-term City Councilor Trott Lee has stepped down from the council effective immediately, he announced Tuesday. … With Lee’s departure, the vacant seat on the City Council will be made available to the 10th-place vote-getter in the 2021 election: Christopher Peckham, a former one-term councilor who lost his bid for re-election.”

— “Prepare for a hot and wet summer, New England,” by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “Get ready to sweat, New England — and maybe dig out your umbrella — because scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are predicting a summer of above-average temperatures for much of the Northeast, and above-average rainfall for southern New England.”

TRANSITIONS — Former state lawmaker and congressional candidate Barbara L’Italien is now executive director of the Disability Law Center.

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