Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Moulton PACs the House

Thursday, September 19, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Moulton PACs the House

Presented by Mass General Brigham

ON BATTLEGROUND BALLOTS — The way Seth Moulton sees it, the road to a Democratic majority in the House runs through candidates who have served — in the military, in the Peace Corps, as members of Teach for America and more.

If past is prologue, maybe he’s right.

“I think that people look for the military when there's a tough job to be done,” Moulton told Playbook, pointing to 2018, when Democrats were scrambling to take back control of the House.

Candidates backed by Serve America, the political action committee Moulton founded to help elect Democrats with service backgrounds (military and otherwise), had their best year to date — more than 20 of them won seats to help flip the House.

Now, the PAC is on track for its most successful year since. More than two-thirds of its endorsed challengers made it through their primaries — including Maggie Goodlander in New Hampshire, who won a bitter primary battle despite, as Moulton put it, not being the “local gatekeeper’s choice.” (“Despite getting derided by some of the establishment for not knowing what's best for New Hampshire , it turns out the voters agreed with me,” he said).

Moulton attributes their success in part to parallels between this cycle and 2018. “If you look at the class in 2018 you had people who would probably not have gone into politics, if not for the imperative of the moment,” he said. “But they ran for office because of the threats in the country that Republicans and Donald Trump posed, and with the prospect of Trump now returning … it's gotten people engaged in supporting great leaders who can take on that threat.”

Now comes the hard part for the Serve America-backed candidates: flipping seats blue, and holding on to the ones they currently have. Several of the group’s picks are facing tough general election matchups. Derek Tran , who’s looking to unseat Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in CA-45, is vying for one of the most competitive seats in the county. Shomari Figures is looking to flip AL-02 with its newly redrawn district map. And incumbent Rep. Jared Golden is trying to fend off a challenge from Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault in Maine, who one recent poll shows has pulled slightly ahead .

Serve America has raised $2 million so far this cycle, according to Moulton’s team, and there are more fundraisers on the horizon, he said. One thing that’s been a boon for the down-ballot candidates: Kamala Harris taking over at the top of the ticket.

Fundraising “has gotten a lot better since [Joe] Biden stepped aside,” Moulton said. “There's just more enthusiasm across the board for Democrats, and it's absolutely affecting both fundraising and volunteering for House and Senate races.”

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS .

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attend Massachusetts Day at the Big E at 9:30 a.m. in West Springfield; Secretary of State Bill Galvin attends at 11:30 a.m. Healey celebrates the state’s Literacy Launch program at 12:30 p.m. in Clinton and speaks at the New England Wildlife Center’s anniversary at 7 p.m. in Qunicy. Rep. Ayanna Pressley holds a press conference with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress to unveil a report on the disparate impact of school disciplinary policies and practices on Black and brown girls in K-12 public schools at 11 a.m. in D.C. Sen. Ed Markey chairs a meeting of the Senate HELP Committee where members will vote on resolutions to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt of Congress at 10 a.m. in D.C. Rep. Jake Auchincloss holds a press conference on bipartisan legislation regulating pharmacy benefit managers at noon in D.C.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends the North Andover Historical Society’s annual fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks at the Brookings Institution and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy conference at 3:30 p.m. in Cambridge and pays tribute to homicide victims at an event hosted by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance at 5:30 p.m. in Boston.

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A message from Mass General Brigham:

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Deal Would Make $421 Mil Available As Fed Funds Bait,” by Sam Doran, State House News Service (paywall): “Senate and House negotiators filed an accord Wednesday on a bill that would allow the Healey administration to leverage millions of dollars in interest from the state's savings account to compete for federal grants and to pay down state debt, teeing up the legislation for final votes as soon as Thursday."

— “Mass. business leaders launch nonprofit to fight progressives — and ‘Taxachusetts’ label,” by Jon Chesto and Shirley Leung, The Boston Globe: “Top executives in Greater Boston have been quietly raising millions of dollars and drumming up support for what’s being called the Mass Opportunity Alliance, a nonprofit launching this week to highlight the tax burden and high costs of doing business and living in Massachusetts. Its goal is to improve the state’s competitiveness by changing public opinions and lobbying.”

FROM THE HUB

— “State officials silent on BPS’s late bus problems,” by Christopher Huffaker, The Boston Globe: “A day after Mayor Michelle Wu backed away from her agreement with the state to have 95 percent of Boston school buses arrive on time, the state’s education agency remained silent on the issue, despite pleas from some city officials for it to enforce the agreement.”

— “Boston City Council to examine termination process for city appointees after ex-Zoning Commission chair’s replacement,” by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “The Boston City Council intends to examine and potentially revise the termination process for city appointees in response to claims by Jay Hurley, the former chair of the Zoning Commission, that the city fired him in retaliation for how he voted on one of Mayor Michelle Wu’s key climate proposals, delaying the initiative."

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Massachusetts migrant advocates sue Saugus schools over ‘exclusionary’ admissions policy,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “Two Massachusetts migrant advocacy groups are suing Saugus Public Schools over the district’s admissions policy, which they describe as ‘exclusionary,’ while officials argue it’s written similarly to those elsewhere."

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

WHY IS THIS EVEN REASONABLE?

— “Israel-Hamas resolution calling for the Israeli flag to be raised on Boston City Hall Plaza leads to Council fireworks,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

REGISTER! VOTE!

— “Taylor Swift fans are ready for it. After post-debate endorsement, voter registration numbers spike in Mass.,” by Samantha J. Gross and Neena Hagen, The Boston Globe.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Norfolk County Central Labor Council has endorsed Bill Dermody in his bid for the 13th Norfolk District state House seat, according to his campaign.

CRYPTO SCAMMER CARPETBAGGER JOHN DEATON HAS MADE FALSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN....HE VOTED 3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS & IS WOEFULLY UNINFORMED!
CRYPTO IS BANNED IN CHINA & OTHER NATIONS FOR GOOD REASON - DO YOU HOMEOWRK!

TRAIL MARKERS — Republican Senate hopeful John Deaton heads to West Springfield at noon for Massachusetts Day at the Big E.

DAY IN COURT

— “More police officers file state, federal wage theft suits against Westfield,” by Cliff Clark, MassLive: “The city of Westfield is now defending itself against three alleged wage theft lawsuits involving the Police Department, after two new cases were filed last week."

FROM THE DELEGATION

****STEWARD***

— “Senate panel to hold Steward CEO in contempt,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune.

— “Lawmakers press Mass. landlords over whether they used software to inflate rents,” by Andrew Brinker, The Boston Globe: “ A group of Massachusetts legislators on Wednesday sent letters to 13 of the state’s largest apartment owners questioning their use of a software that allegedly helps landlords inflate rents at their properties. The letters come in the wake of a sprawling antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice this month against the company RealPage over a software it developed that gathers competitively sensitive leasing data from the landlords of millions of units to algorithmically suggest rental prices."

BALLOT BATTLES

IGNORE THAT ADS & PROPAGANDA! MAKE A DECISION FOR YOURSELF ON BALLOT QUESTION 2!

NEW THIS MORNING — MassVOTE and the Massachusetts Voter Table are throwing their support behind the ballot question that would end MCAS as a high school graduation requirement, according to the Yes on 2 campaign.

— “School leaders oppose MCAS mandate repeal,” Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: “School administrators are joining the ballot fight over a proposal to scrap the state’s MCAS graduation mandate, arguing that the move would undermine the state’s nation-leading educational standards. The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents’ executive committee has voted to oppose Question 2, which will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. The referendum asks voters if they want to scrap a mandate requiring 10th-graders to demonstrate proficiency in math, English and science by passing tests known as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.”

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Cannabis commission research chief takes medical leave after alleging ‘inappropriate’ and ‘harmful’ behaviors by leaders,” by Diti Kohli, The Boston Globe: “The state Cannabis Control Commission’s research chief said Tuesday she will take medical leave for job-related post-traumatic stress, just days after she penned a public letter alleging she had experienced “inappropriate” and “harmful” behavior from senior leaders. ... The Legislature plans to hold hearings this fall to revisit the structure and issues within the commission after calls for receivership surfaced this summer.”

A message from Mass General Brigham:

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “'Pockets picked': WPI deal sparks calls to reevaluate city's relationship with colleges,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The day after news spread that Worcester Polytechnic Institute had completed its $46 million purchase of two hotels at Gateway Park, some city councilors said the city should take a more aggressive stance toward keeping properties on the tax rolls and evaluating how much colleges pay the city.”

— “Several MetroWest communities have struggled to fill school crossing guard positions,” by Norman Miller, MetroWest Daily News.

— “New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell proposes three zoning changes to spur housing development,” by the Standard-Times staff.

— “Massachusetts passed historic police certification reform. But even with the POST Commission, the public can’t see which cops have been part of the ‘officer shuffle,’” by Chris Faraone and Sam Stecklow, Horizon Mass.

— “New Bedford police now equipped with body cameras: what to know,” by Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light.

MEDIA MATTERS

— “Globe host’s endorsement of Harris raises murky ethics questions,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon: “The host of the Boston Globe’s television venture spoke passionately on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris on a fundraising call in late August, direct political advocacy that the Globe says was inappropriate even for the face of the newspaper’s quasi-journalistic product. ‘Boston Globe Today’ host Segun Oduolowu, formerly a correspondent on PEOPLE’s television show, urged attendees to vote, donate, and organize for Harris in the presidential race during an August 26 ‘African Diaspora for Harris Post-Convention Call.’”

CAMPAIGN TRAIL

— “Teamsters skip presidential endorsement amid apparently strong member support for Trump,” by Nick Niedzwiadek, Brittany Gibson and Holly Otterbein, POLITICO.

GRANITE STATE STANDING — The latest University of New Hampshire poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris strengthening her lead over former President Donald Trump in the swing state. Harris notched 54 percent to Trump’s 43 percent of likely New Hampshire voters in the poll, which surveyed 1,803 people between Sept. 12 and Sept. 16. The poll had a margin of error of +/-2.3 percent. Read the results.

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE VOTING FOR KELLY AYOTTE! NEW HAMPSHIRE DESERVES BETTER!

RESEARCH KELLY AYOTTE'S HISTORY & ACTIONS! SHE ATTACKS, BUT WHAT HAS SHE DONE FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE?

CALIFORNIA CAMPAIGNIN’ — Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte was quick to turn former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig ’s California fundraiser — featuring Gov. Maura Healey as the special guest — into a campaign cudgel in the run-up to November.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Dr. Mary B. Rice will be the new director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She starts Oct. 1.

— Pierre Lubin and David Rockwell have joined the board of directors at Volunteers of America of Massachusetts. Lubin is the chief human resources officer at Codman Square Health Center and Rockwell formerly served as director of lending at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.

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 Wednesday.

A message from Mass General Brigham:

At Mass General Brigham, we harness the collective strength of our healthcare system to provide research-driven cancer care for the patients and communities we serve. Mass General Brigham is number one in hospital medical research. We perform the most cancer surgeries and have the most cancer specialists in New England. We have the region’s only proton therapy center and provide access to more than 1,000 clinical trials annually.

The vision for Mass General Brigham is to build a world-class center of cancer care, with the patients at the center of everything we do. New collaborations, new treatments, and innovative approaches. Leading to new hope and possibilities. At Mass General Brigham, we’re one against cancer. Learn more.

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