Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GOP Senate candidates pick a lane

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GOP Senate candidates pick a lane

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THREE REPUBLICANS WALK INTO A FORUM — Not long ago, Massachusetts Republicans overwhelmingly favored a conservative candidate over a more moderate option to run for governor against then-Attorney General Maura Healey.

But given the option Tuesday night between a conservative activist and two relatively recent converts to the Republican Party, more than 200 Bay State Republicans and unenrolled voters went with one of the moderate candidates.

Maybe this is still Charlie Baker’s GOP after all.

The trio of Republicans vying for a chance to take on Sen. Elizabeth Warren in November’s Senate election — Bob Antonellis, Quincy City Council President Ian Cain and attorney CRYPTO CARPETBAGGER Marine veteran John Deaton — huddled in a Dedham VFW hall and took questions from Republicans and unenrolled voters who packed into the room or hopped onto to the zoom Tuesday night to hear them make their pitch during a forum organized by the Norfolk County Republican Committee.

The candidates kept things civil — attacks were overwhelmingly aimed at Warren, who they slammed over for her stances on everything from crypto to the immigration crisis. Jabs at each other were left to a minimum (though there were a few veiled shots). At one point, Cain even took a moment to thank Deaton for his military service.

Antonellis tried touting his full-throated support for Donald Trump as a selling point compared to Deaton and Cain, who have both previously said they wouldn’t vote for the former president come November.

By the end of the night, Deaton, whose campaign has been boosted by Baker allies, walked away with overwhelming support from the more than 200 people who voted in the straw poll held after the candidates made their pitches. Deaton notched 149 votes. Cain came in a distant second with 27. And Antonellis earned 21 votes.

One moment that resonated with several people who attended the forum: a response from Deaton.

CARPETBAGGER JOHN DEATON IS UNINFORMED, VOTED 3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS. STOOD AT THE SAGAMORE BRIDGE WITH OTHER MAGA GOP & BLAMED SENATOR WARREN BECAUSE HE'S A LIAR & TOO LAZY TO INFORM HIMSELF OF FACTS!

MASSACHUSETTS DOES NOT NEED MAGA GOP LIARS!
tRUMP SLASHED FUNDING FOR THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS - DID THE MASS GOP OR DEATON SPEAK OUT? NO!

tRUMP TOLD TO MAGA MORONS TO DEFEAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL & MOST GENUFLECTED!

DID THE MASS GOP OR DEATON SPEAK OUT? NO!
SUGGEST THAT ANYONE INCLINED TO SUPPORT DEATON DO THEIR RESEARCH ABOUT CRYPTO - THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT....DEATON IS JUST ANOTHER CON ARTIST!

“There should be one test in the United States Senate: Is it good for Massachusetts and America? If it is, call it a Democrat proposal, I'm all in. Call it an independent proposal. I'm all in. If President Trump is the president, and it’s good for Massachusetts and America, put his name in bold extra-size font, I'm all in,” Deaton said.

It’s risky reading too much into the results of a straw poll, which could just be an indicator of whose campaign was better able to mobilize supporters on a given night. The wider party base could cast their ballots quite differently next month.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . If Cain doesn’t come out of this cycle on top, keep an eye out for what he does next in the Republican Party. The Quincy councilor pitched his bid Tuesday night as the start of a decades-long effort to help build up the GOP in Massachusetts.

Cain wouldn’t say what could be next (“I am so focused on this race,” he told Playbook.). But he does plan staying involved with the party regardless of the outcome.

“Uni-party control both at the state level and the federal level is not working for us, and I think that there is some common sense pragmatism and practicality that the Republican Party can bring to Massachusetts residents that they're actually looking for,” Cain said. “And in a state that is so deeply independent in its voting electorate, there's an opportunity to grab a lot of people.”

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon at the State House. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is on “Java with Jimmy” at 9 a.m. Sen. Ed Markey attends a groundbreaking for an early childhood education center at 11 a.m. and visits Portugalia Marketplace at 1 p.m. in Fall River. Sen. Elizabeth Warren tours an affordable housing development and hosts a roundtable at 3:45 p.m. in Lawrence.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com

A message from Uber:

Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers will now earn at least $32.50 while working on the app, making them some of the highest paid drivers in the country. This new rate sets a high standard for driver pay across the nation. Go deeper.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Massachusetts likely to miss more revenue benchmarks this fiscal year, Healey’s budget writer says,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “State officials in Massachusetts could find themselves collecting less tax revenues than expected throughout fiscal year 2025, Gov. Maura Healey’s top budget writer warned in an interview Tuesday morning. A day after the Department of Revenue released a July revenue report showing collections were down $18 million compared to the same time last year, Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz said he anticipates tax collections to face ‘downward exposure’ for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

— “Western Mass. housing advocates, developers speak out on housing bond bill,” by Namu Sampath, The Springfield Republican: “On Tuesday, the governor signed a $5.16 billion housing bond bill that seeks to tackle the ongoing housing crisis. In Western Massachusetts, housing advocates and developers shared mixed views about the bill, also known as the Affordable Homes Act. Some say it will be a great way to address housing needs. Others are concerned about how much the bill will actually help.”

ONE MORE THING — In addition to pressuring lawmakers to return to consider a sweeping economic development borrowing bill, Gov. Maura Healey is urging them to pass legislation that would help speed up the siting and permitting process for clean energy projects, particularly after New England won hundreds of dollars in federal funds for energy infrastructure projects.

“We need to be able to implement that infrastructure build-out as quickly as possible, so that we can more quickly realize the power of renewables and lower people’s bills,” Healey told reporters at an unrelated event at the State House. More from The Boston Globe.

FROM THE HUB

TAX SHIFT TIFF — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hadn’t lost all hope for her home rule petition that would let her temporarily tweak the property tax burden in Boston, despite it getting left in limbo after last week’s chaotic final(ish?) formal session of the year.

But the Senate didn’t take too kindly to public pressure from the mayor to get it done or risk residents in the capital city blaming the chamber for a potential jump in their tax bill.

If the legislation doesn't make it through the chamber, Wu said during an interview on GBH News’ “Boston Public Radio,” Tuesday, then “every single resident in the city of Boston will know that their taxes are going up because the Senate did not vote through that last step.”

It wasn’t long before a spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka fired back: "Blaming the Senate may be politically convenient for the Mayor, but it does nothing to improve a policy proposal that has been widely questioned by fiscal watchdog agencies and could do serious damage to Boston's economy," a spokesperson for the Ashland Democrat said, adding that Spilka “has received no indication that there is sufficient support among Senators for this policy proposal to move forward."

— “Boston has 2nd highest homeless rate in the US, report finds,” by Mark Herz and Diego Lopez, GBH: “Boston has the nation’s second-highest rate of homelessness among major cities, according to a new report from Boston Indicators. But the report also found that the city has done an exemplary job of providing shelter.”

— “Boston homicide rate drops to historic low; city leaders worry whether it will stay down,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR.

Breaking News Briefing: Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues — The Democratic ticket is set now that Vice President Kamala Harris has named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Join POLITICO Pro on Friday Aug. 9 for a detailed discussion with specialist reporters on what Walz's track record says about the policies he and Harris will embrace in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign. Register for the Briefing

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — State Rep. Dylan Fernandes has endorsed Thomas Moakley to succeed him in the race for the Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket district seat he’s vacating. Fernandes, in a statement, described Moakley as an “incredibly hard worker with a depth of knowledge on the issues facing this special corner of the Commonwealth.”

— The Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus and National Association of Social Workers have endorsed Arielle Faria in her bid for the Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket district seat, according to her campaign.

HITTING THE TRAIL — Sen. Ed Markey campaigned with Fernandes in Falmouth Tuesday, as Fernandes looks to fill the Plymouth & Barnstable seat.

AS SEEN ON TV — Nadia Milleron, the unenrolled candidate challenging Rep. Richard Neal in MA-01, is out with two ads airing in the Springfield-Holyoke market.

The first 30-second spot, titled “Helping People,” features Milleron telling the story of her daughter, who was killed in a 2019 Boeing plane crash and how the tragedy inspired her to push for new aviation safety legislation in Congress. The second, dubbed “Embarrassing” addresses health care coverage in Massachusetts. A narrator talks about “poor coverage for prescription drugs and medical visits” set to scenes of people in hospital gowns with their backsides exposed.

The ads began airing Tuesday, according to the details from the media tracking firm AdImpact.

2024 WATCH

THE PICK IS IN — and its Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket. Here’s 55 things to know about the new addition to the campaign.

Massachusetts Democrats applauded the pick. Read reactions via GBH News.

And one former Massachusetts elected, former Boston mayor and former Biden Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, helped Harris make the choice, per my D.C. colleagues.

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FROM THE DELEGATION

— “Trahan bill seeks to improve gas safety,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Private citizens would be empowered to file lawsuits against federal regulators if they fail to enforce natural gas regulations under a new proposal filed by Congresswoman Lori Trahan, which would set stringent new rules aimed at improving pipeline safety. The Pipeline Accountability, Safety, and Environmental Standards Act, filed on Tuesday, would require the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to update safety standards for existing pipelines and require that pipelines be rapidly isolated in the event of catastrophic failures.”

— “Elizabeth Warren urges expanded student loan debt relief amid 'crisis' in Fall River,” by Dan Medeiros, The Herald News.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Activists are circulating a petition asking Gov. Healey to stop the state's logging project in Mount Washington,” by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “A petition is circulating among residents asking Gov. Maura Healey to stop a plan by the state to put out bids to log in 275 acres in the state forest in town. The petition, created by resident and environmental activist Eleanor Tillinghast, also asks Healey to add the land to the existing Mount Washington Forest Reserve that surrounds it. That 275 acres is part of 362 acres known as the 'Cattle Barn Lot,' so named for the ramshackle cow shed that has long been part of the pastoral and mountain landscape at the junction of West and East streets in Mount Washington.”

— “Falmouth reports suspected wind blade debris on Buzzards Bay beaches,” by Heather McCarron, Cape Cod Times: “A little more than three weeks after a blade on a Vineyard Wind turbine south of the Islands folded over and dropped pieces of fiberglass, foam and balsa wood into the ocean, officials in Falmouth are reporting what they believe is debris from the collapse. On Tuesday, Falmouth Assistant Town Manager Peter Johnson-Staub issued an advisory about suspected blade debris in the water and on the shore at several town beaches, including Black Beach, Chapoquoit Beach, Woodneck Beach and Old Silver Beach, all on Buzzards Bay.”

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FROM THE 413

— “Springfield councilor urges city to purchase Paramount Theater,” by Jeanette DeForge, The Springfield Republican: “One city councilor is urging officials to take control of the Paramount Theater, calling it a significant property that could spark redevelopment of Main Street. The New England Farm Workers Council seeks to sell the theater and attached Massasoit House hotel next month to help pay back what was originally an $1.8 million debt owed to the state after misspending funds for a fuel assistance program. City Councilor Sean Curran said he believes Springfield itself should be one of the bidders at the Sept. 23 online auction to ensure that the significant property at 1676 Main St. falls into the hands of the right developer.”

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

— “They’re friends. They’re Satanists. They have a plan to save American democracy,” by Annalisa Quinn, The Boston Globe.

A message from Uber:

Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers will soon receive comprehensive benefits alongside their new pay rate. Benefits include health insurance stipends for those working over 15 hours a week, paid sick leave, and occupational accident insurance. These enhancements provide vital support and security for drivers, ensuring they have access to essential healthcare and financial protection. These new benefits mark a significant improvement in the quality of life for rideshare drivers.

Go deeper.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Oliver Sellers-Garcia will serve as the Commissioner of the city of Boston’s Environment Department. He will continue his role as the city’s Green New Deal Director.

— Chris Osgood will be Boston’s new Director of the Office of Resilience, and he’ll continue to serve as a senior advisor to Mayor Michelle Wu.

— Jessica Morris will be returning to the city as the Chief of Staff for the Environment, Energy and Open Space Cabinet. She was previously Vice President of Public Affairs at Benchmark Strategies, and served as the Chief of Staff for former Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Scott Stossel, national editor of The Atlantic; Megan Costello, Aissa Renee Canchola, CC Leslie and Lyndsey Wajert.

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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