Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Mayoral mayhem

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Mayoral mayhem

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CITY HALL CALLING — Former mayors making plays for their old jobs. Incumbents facing crowded fields. Open-seat races that will shape city leadership for years to come.

These are the dynamics at play across the state today as voters cast their ballots in the biggest slate of preliminary municipal elections this fall. Only two candidates will advance to November in hotly contested mayor’s races from Revere to Fall River to Pittsfield. Here’s what we’re watching:

— COMEBACK KIDS: Dan Rizzo and Sam Sutter want their old jobs back in Revere and Fall River, respectively.

Rizzo got the boot in Revere back in 2015, when Brian Arrigo beat him in a recount, and lost to him again in 2019. But the seat is wide open after Arrigo left earlier this year to take over DCR. Rizzo, now a city councilor, is facing three of his colleagues for two tickets to November: Gerry Visconti, Steven Morabito and Patrick Keefe, who took over as acting mayor when Arrigo left. Keefe has raised more money than the rest of the field and has big-name endorsers like Rep. Joe Kennedy III , but he’s also clashed with a local union backing Rizzo .

Sutter is looking for a full term in Fall River, where he won a special mayoral election in late 2014 but was ousted the next year by the now-jailed Jasiel Correia II . Sutter is running against Michael Vandal and incumbent Mayor Paul Coogan , a Democrat who has the backing of GOP former Gov. Charlie Baker and former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito in this nonpartisan race — and who recently made headlines for yelling at a panhandler .

— THE HEALEY-DRISCOLL EFFECT: Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll are throwing their considerable political weight behind several of the incumbent mayors on the ballot today, including Greg Verga in Gloucester and Kassandra Gove in Amesbury. Both have drawn three challengers each.

It’s another clout test for the state’s top two politicians, who helped usher in Driscoll’s former chief of staff, Dominick Pangallo , as her successor in the Salem mayor’s office earlier this year. The pair are playing in other mayor’s races this November.

— INCUMBENT UPON THEM: The power of incumbency is also being put to the test today in Brockton, where Mayor Robert Sullivan has drawn four opponents — though the residency of one of his rivals, former GOP congressional candidate Hamilton Rodrigues , was recently called into question .

— OPEN SEASON: Voters in Melrose and Pittsfield will get to weigh on the future leadership of their cities for the first time since their respective mayors, Paul Brodeur and Linda Tyer , decided not to seek reelection.

In Melrose, voters will whittle to two a field that includes City Councilor Jennifer Grigoraitis , former city councilor Monica Medeiros Solano and Sam Hammar . In Pittsfield , it’s City Council President Peter Marchetti versus council colleague Karen Kalinowsky versus former councilor John Krol.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Healey, Driscoll, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano will huddle for their first leadership meeting since June at 2 p.m. at the State House. With tax relief gathering cobwebs behind closed doors, more money for the state's emergency shelter system on the table, dueling gun bills taking shape and possible overrides of the governor's budget vetoes percolating, they'll surely have a lot to talk about.

TODAY — Healey and Driscoll attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center at 11:30 a.m. in Cambridge and mark National Recovery Month at 1 p.m. at the State House. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting at 9 a.m. in Malden, announces the return of women’s professional soccer to Boston at 2 p.m. and celebrates LatinX Heritage Month at 4 p.m., both on City Hall Plaza.

Rep. Jake Auchincloss holds a press conference on decarbonizing transportation at noon at the House Triangle in D.C. AG Andrea Campbell testifies on legislation to prevent wage theft at 1 p.m. at the State House. Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends a New England Legal Foundation event at 5 p.m. in Boston.

Tips? Scoops? Heading to “Kenway” Park on Friday? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

A message from Choose Who You Use:

Last winter, customers of Massachusetts utility companies saw the largest electric rate increases in recent memory. If those customers had contracted with a retail electric provider instead, they would have saved nearly a billion dollars. Now is not the time to give the utilities a bigger monopoly in Massachusetts. Join the Choose Who You Use coalition to protect electricity choice and give Massachusetts ratepayers the ability to choose the most affordable, renewable options for them.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE: Diana DiZoglio is hoping her latest pitch to audit the Legislature will strike a different chord. The auditor recorded a piano ballad that she premiered on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” yesterday , complete with lyrics like “we have a chance to change some of the crazy ways people have been oppressed” and “open every closed door, let the sun shine like never before” as she tries to convince her party’s leaders — and potentially, voters — to go along with her quest.

DiZoglio is pursuing two paths for auditing the Legislature. One is attempting to sue noncompliant legislative leaders into cracking open their books (she’s waiting on the attorney general to say whether she can proceed with that). The other is a ballot question that would clarify her authority to audit her former colleagues.

She’ll now get to talk about both at this weekend’s state Democratic Party convention, after initially being left off the list of speakers that included every other statewide elected official.

— "Mass. has a huge waitlist for state-funded housing. So why are 2,300 units vacant?" by Todd Wallack and Christine Willmsen, WBUR: "[A] WBUR and ProPublica investigation found that nobody is living in nearly 2,300 state-funded apartments, with most sitting empty for months or years. ... [T]he vacant apartments translate into millions of Massachusetts taxpayer dollars wasted due to delays and disorder fostered by state and local mismanagement."

— "In Mass. police discipline database, small number of racial-bias complaints raises concerns with activists," by Sean Cotter, Boston Globe: "The current version of the police watchdog agency’s database, which contains about 3,400 sustained complaints against still-active officers going back to the 1980s, only features 13 complaints of racial or ethnic bias, involving 11 officers."

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FROM THE HUB

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: State Sen. Liz Miranda and state Reps. Brandy Fluker Oakley and Samantha Montaño are endorsing Henry Santana in the at-large Boston City Council race, his campaign said.

Montaño has also endorsed Ben Weber in District 6, according to his campaign. Montaño previously backed Kendra Lara , who voters last week denied a shot at a second term.

— “Boston firefighters ratify contract that includes pay, detail increases,” by Sean Cotter, Boston Globe: “The Boston firefighters union ratified a three-year contract that results in a pay hike of about 10.6 percent and ends lengthy and contentious negotiations with the mayor’s office, authorities said Monday."

— “Flaherty slams Boston City Council for rejecting police intel funds amid latest shooting,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Hours after the latest mass shooting in Boston, City Councilor Michael Flaherty took another swipe at his colleagues, who voted down $2.5 million in state grants for the investigative arm of the city’s police department. Mayor Michelle Wu has refiled the three $850,000 grants, for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023, that were rejected by the City Council, via a 7-5 vote, last Wednesday, and filed an additional $850,000 grant from FY20.”

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— UPHEAVAL IN HAVERHILL: Scott Wood is dropping out of the Haverhill mayor’s race just as the “divisive” contest was heading to a recount, the Eagle-Tribune’s Mike LaBella reports. The embattled Haverhill School Committee member finished second in last week’s preliminary election — but only by 10 votes, leading third-place finisher Guy Cooper to file for a recount. Cooper is now on track to be the one facing off against the top vote-getter, City Councilor Melinda Barrett , in November.

A message from Choose Who You Use:

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “‘An endless stream of scandals’: As chairless cannabis board meets, lawmakers push for oversight hearing,” by Thomas Lee and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “At a tense meeting of the Cannabis Control Commission Monday — the first since state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg suspended agency chair Shannon O’Brien — commissioners bickered over who, or even whether, they should appoint someone to temporarily replace O’Brien ahead of a November deadline to overhaul rules outlining who can work in the industry and the fees marijuana companies must pay to municipalities.

... [A] bipartisan group of state lawmakers on Monday called for a legislative oversight hearing to examine the agency, arguing it has been an opaque and ill-functioning entity since its creation six years ago.”

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Healey: State agencies to stop buying plastic bottles,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Gov. Maura Healey said she plans to issue an executive order later this week barring state agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles, a move that gives new life to a long-simmering debate on Beacon Hill about the best ways to reduce and recycle waste materials. At a conference in New York on Monday hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative, Healey delivered a short speech in which she said Massachusetts would become the first state to adopt a procurement ban for single-use plastic bottles.”

— “Markey, Ocasio-Cortez ask Biden to create Civilian Climate Corps by executive order,” by Zack Budryk, The Hill: “The CCC had been a key element in early versions of the Build Back Better Act, the sweeping environmental and infrastructure bill. It was not ultimately included in the slimmed-down Inflation Reduction Act.”

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FROM THE 413

— “Holyoke mayor voices support for office of tenant protection,” by Dennis Hohenberger, Springfield Republican: “The renter’s advocate would work closely with the community, ensuring tenant concerns are addressed in real time. However, the mayor cautioned that the process might take longer than many hoped.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Despite mayor's plea, UMass won't delay closing maternity center in flood-hit Leominster,” by Henry Schwan, Telegram & Gazette: “Mayor Dean Mazzarella called on UMass Memorial Health not to move ahead with Saturday's permanent shutdown of its maternity unit in Leominster as the city faces massive damage from last week's flooding. But in a statement issued Monday evening, UMass said Saturday's shutdown will happen, and it is offering medical support to Leominster as it deals with the fallout from the flooding.”

— “Sports wagering rebounds to $314M in August,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts’ sports wagering industry took more than $314 million in bets last month following a summer slump.”

A message from Choose Who You Use:

Last winter, customers of Massachusetts utility companies saw the largest electric rate increases in recent memory. If those customers had contracted with a retail electric provider instead, they would have saved close to a billion dollars. Competition means more choices for consumers. Now is not the moment to give the utility companies a bigger monopoly. Join the Choose Who You Use coalition to protect electricity choice and give Massachusetts ratepayers the ability to choose the most affordable, renewable options for them.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Cody Case is now senior public affairs associate at Rasky Partners. He was staff director for the Joint Committee on Public Service and a legislative aide to state Rep. Ken Gordon.

— Aaron Moser has been promoted to be senior manager for M&A and Strategy at FirstLight Power in Boston.

— Leedya Senbetta has been named the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s inaugural Policy Start fellow.

— Davis Malm has added Anthony T. Panebianco as an associate to the firm's Business, Real Estate & Environmental, and Employment Litigation practice areas.

— DJ Napolitano has joined Smith, Costello & Crawford Public Policy Group as a senior policy adviser. He is a State House alum and longtime political adviser to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll who previously worked at Dewey Square Group.

— Rosalin Acosta, Katherine Adam, Keith Fairey, Grace Lee and Elizabeth Mahoney have joined the MassINC Board of Directors. Eileen O’Connor is board chair.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Dorey Scheimer, Rachel McNeill, Joe Kennedy III alum Brian Phillips, John Hawthorne, Maddie Miller and Sophie Hansen. Happy belated to Steven Pinker and Joshua Angrist , who celebrated Monday.

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