Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The Clark caucus

Friday, November 18, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The Clark caucus

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POWER PLAY — Massachusetts Democrats will lose control of two key U.S. House committees when Republicans take over next year. But they’re poised to gain a bigger voice at the leadership table if Katherine Clark nabs the No. 2 spot in the caucus.

Clark is already the fourth-ranking House Democrat as assistant speaker, a post she’ll hold through the end of the year.

And she’s poised to climb the ranks with the top three stepping aside after this session. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday that they won’t seek leadership positions again. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) will run for a lower post in House Democrats' elections later this month.

Clark announced her run for whip this morning in a letter to her colleagues . Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is expected to run for the top job of minority leader and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) for the No. 3 spot, my POLITICO colleagues report .

It’s a post that would put Clark in charge of counting votes within the caucus — a crucial role when Republicans push bills aimed at dividing Democrats.

And it would put Clark even closer to the speakership the next time Democrats control the House. Eight Massachusetts representatives have served as speaker. The last two — Tip O’Neill and John McCormack — served as whip before securing the top job.

House Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) on Capitol Hill Nov. 19, 2021. | Francis Chung/E&E News

Plus, it comes with more power and more perks. Clark would get a permanent security detail, a larger office in the Capitol and a larger staff. She would also host the weekly whip meeting that occurs when the House is in session, which many caucus-members typically attend. And it would be a boon for the all-Democratic Massachusetts delegation, which will lose some plum perches when Republicans take over in January and Reps. Richard Neal and Jim McGovern are no longer chairs of the Ways and Means and Rules committees, respectively.

Clark’s rapid ascension up the Democratic leadership ranks has been fueled by her work helping the party reclaim the House majority in 2018, by the bonds she’s made helping freshmen members settle into their new roles and, this year, by traveling to 19 states and raising $12 million to help Democrats in tougher races than hers. Her quick but mostly quiet rise — much of Clark’s work is done behind the scenes — led some members to nickname her " the silent assassin ” back in 2019.

One person who's not running for leadership: Rep. Seth Moulton. The Salem Democrat once tried to prevent Pelosi from being speaker. But a spokesperson told the Salem News he's not considering a bid.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. If Twitter goes down, you can still find me here! Tell your friends and followers to sign up. You can also email me anytime at lkashinsky@politico.com .

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend the Firefighter of the Year Awards at 10 a.m. at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces “historic investments in homeownership” at 9:30 a.m. in Mattapan, is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. and reopens a renovated City Hall Plaza at 1 p.m. Neal hosts a media availability on the midterm results and what’s next in Congress at 10 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield.

THIS WEEKEND — UMass President Marty Meehan is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Baker is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

Affordable, carbon-emissions free, reliable electricity from nuclear energy. Seabrook Station lowers consumer energy costs in Massachusetts and New England by providing a year-round, low-cost, baseload energy supply. And American-made nuclear energy supports hundreds of jobs across New England.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 4,497 COVID cases, positive test rate keeps dropping," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The state’s daily average of 642 COVID cases from the last week is down from the daily rate of 789 virus infections during the previous week."

— "Town-by-town COVID-19 data in Massachusetts," by Ryan Huddle and Peter Bailey-Wells, Boston Globe.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “‘All eyes’ on Monday with Mass. sports betting applications set to roll in,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Applications for Massachusetts sports betting licenses are due Monday, and a top gaming official said Thursday afternoon that ‘all eyes’ are on the upcoming deadline. Members of the public will learn next week which companies are serious about their bid to secure a highly coveted sports betting license in a brand new market. Thirty businesses submitted initial documents that signaled their intention to apply for a license, but it remains to be seen how many turn in the actual application.”

— “Advocates look to Healey on pregnancy crisis centers,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Gov. Charlie Baker will have the final word on blocking state funding for a public education campaign targeting pregnancy crisis centers — for now. Two weeks ago, Baker vetoed an earmark from a $3.76 billion economic development bill that called for spending $1 million for an education campaign about crisis centers, which critics say are misleading pregnant women. … But it appears the issue will be kicked to the next governor and state Legislature to chew on.”

— “After voters rejected Question 3, where you can buy beer will be up to the Legislature again,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “The head of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association, Question 3′s main proponent, views the vote as a show of support for his small-business membership and, by implication, limits on chain stores selling alcohol — even though he technically lost the campaign. Meanwhile, national liquor giant Total Wine & More, which poured nearly $3 million into defeating Question 3, interprets the result in the opposite way: that Massachusetts shoppers want more competition, not less.”

— “Mass. primary care, behavioral workers can soon apply for loan repayments up to $300,000,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Applications to a $130 million loan repayment program will open next month for health care workers based at community health centers, community mental health centers, psychiatric units at acute care hospitals, in-patient psychiatric hospitals and substance use treatment programs, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said.”

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MBTA board ends 2-year hiatus on fare enforcement,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The MBTA board of directors on Thursday voted unanimously to end a two-year hiatus on issuing fines for fare evasion, but most of the members were skeptical the T’s ‘non-punitive’ approach to enforcement would actually stop riders from jumping turnstiles and sneaking on board buses and Green Line trains for free. The new fare evasion regulations approved by the board establish fines for two types of offenses — failure to pay a fare and misuse of reduced fare credentials belonging to others.”

— “The Green Line’s Medford extension has an opening date at long last,” by Abby Patkin, Boston.com: “The MBTA’s long-awaited Green Line Extension to Medford will open on Monday, Dec. 12, T General Manager Steve Poftak announced Thursday. ‘We’re really pleased to be able to share this news,’ he told the MBTA Board of Directors, noting that T leadership has been ‘eagerly awaiting’ the announcement for years. The $2.3 billion Green Line Extension, or GLX, extends the northern end of the Green Line to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford. Once the project is completed, the Green Line’s E trains will end at Medford/Tufts, and D trains will end at Union Square.”

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

TRANSITION TIME

— “Driscoll Aims to ‘Avoid Theater’ in Corner Office Transition,” by Sam Drysdale, State House News Service (paywall): “‘We're working to put together policy committees, sourcing the best ideas to set up a framework for governance,’ [Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Driscoll] said Thursday at a Massachusetts Association of Health Plans conference. ‘We want to avoid theater, no long laundry list. We want work lists.’

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— “Mirra, Kassner ready for possible recount in 2nd Essex race,” by Caroline Enos, Salem News: “Republican incumbent Leonard ‘Lenny’ Mirra is gathering signatures for a petition for a district-wide recount after securing a tight lead over Democrat challenger Kristin Kassner for the 2nd Essex seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Updated results that included 22 hand-counted ballots in Topsfield Wednesday night now puts Mirra 10 votes over Kassner. … The Kassner campaign is ‘preparing for the possibility of a recount,’ said campaign spokesperson Wendy Dabcovich.”

DAY IN COURT

— “Chelan Brown accuses former MGM Springfield President Mike Mathis of lying to state, running casino like ‘a fraternity’,” by Luis Fieldman, MassLive: “A former employee at MGM Springfield filed a discrimination lawsuit last week alleging that senior management — including MGM Springfield’s President at the time Michael Mathis — racially discriminated against her and pressured her to submit falsified reports on the company’s diversity hiring practices to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.”

— “Family of BU professor who fell to his death in Dorchester sues MBTA, MassDOT,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “The family of a professor from Milton who was killed last year when he fell from a dilapidated state-owned staircase near a Dorchester T stop is suing Massachusetts transportation authorities, saying their negligence led directly to his death.”

GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our “Future Pulse” newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE .

WARREN REPORT

— “Elizabeth Warren demands answers from FTX following crypto firm’s collapse,” by Anissa Gardizy, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has long warned about the dangers of cryptocurrencies, is seeking answers from FTX and its former leader, Sam Bankman-Fried, after the crypto exchange imploded last week in a still-evolving saga. Warren and Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois sent a letter on Thursday addressed to FTX, Bankman-Fried, and the company’s new chief executive, John Jay Ray III, who helped Enron navigate its bankruptcy process. The senators requested information and answers to questions related to the misuse of billions of dollars in customer funds and other allegations of fraud.”

PARTY POLITICS

— BAKER’S BIG BREAK?: All it took was one nationally televised interview for Baker 2024 fever to begin. “This is the guy the Republican Party should be grabbing,” one host of “The View” apparently gushed after seeing Gov. Charlie Baker’s interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper. “Charlie Baker says he isn’t running for president while acting like he might,” reads one Boston Herald headline. Hey, Baker did say some Republicans are “looking at a different 2024.” We'll see what he says on WCVB's OTR this weekend.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Eversource asks state for a 21% electricity rate increase,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Eversource has asked the Department of Public Utilities for a 21% increase in electricity supply rates for its Western Massachusetts customers that could go into effect Jan. 1. If approved, the proposed Basic Service Rate for residential customers who receive their energy supply from Eversource would change from the current 15.348 cents per kilowatt-hour to 21.864 cents per kilowatt-hour. The rate was 13.731 cents per kilowatt-hour last winter. … The company said electricity prices have climbed because of a high demand for natural gas worldwide.”

— "A #MeToo reckoning in Everett, four years late," by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "Superintendent Frederick F. Foresteire once told an Everett school employee that the administration building was 'like Las Vegas,' the woman recalled to police in December 2018. 'What happens here, stays here.' Until then, she had largely held to that code. Afraid that if she spoke up, she’d lose her job or her child would face retaliation in school, she’d previously told only a few people in the schools what Foresteire did to her, according to a police report: unzipping her jacket and kissing her neck and breasts. ... Until this week, Foresteire had maintained his innocence and convinced many in Everett that he was wrongly accused."

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

Seabrook Station has provided Massachusetts with low-cost, clean, reliable energy for over 30 years, reducing carbon emissions regionally by approximately 4 million tons per year. Nuclear energy is Massachusetts’ most cost-effective and essential tool to combat climate change.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Zeina Mohammed has joined the Boston Globe as a health reporter after interning at POLITICO.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Rory Clark, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs, Melanie Nigro, Eric D. Roiter and Monica Rosales.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to WaPo’s Matt Viser, Sean Rourke, Evan Falchuk and Matt Barron, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Rep. Jim McGovern, state Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, Samuel M. Gebru, Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of Reproductive Equity Now; Erika Scibelli and Valerie Frias.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: TURKEY, TWITTER AND THE WU TRAIN — The Boston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter joins hosts Lisa Kashinsky and Steve Koczela to discuss the successes and trials of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu 's first year in office. Kashinsky and Koczela take stock of the state of the Republican Party in Massachusetts and nationally. Also, alliteration abounds! Subscribe and listen on iTunes and SoundCloud .

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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