POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: What's at stake in New Hampshire's primary

 

BY MIA MCCARTHY , KELLY GARRITY AND LISA KASHINSKY Presented by FINAL COUNTDOWN — It’s Primary Day in New Hampshire. But it doesn’t feel like it. A Republican field that once included a slate of high profile GOP hopefuls has been whittled down to two after just one nominating contest. By 8 p.m. Monday night, one of those candidates was done campaigning. The other one was just gearing up for his only event of the night. On the Democratic side , two candidates aren’t running against the incumbent, but a write-in campaign for him. But the stakes are far higher than the candidates are making it seem. New Hampshire is the anti-Donald Trump movement’s best chance at blunting the former president’s momentum. If Trump gets more than 50 percent of the vote, he’ll be effectively on a glidepath to his third GOP presidential nomination. But if Nikki Haley pulls off the upset — or at least comes within a few percentage points of Trump — it could breathe new oxygen into a movement that suffered a blow in Iowa. Not to mention what it could do for the former South Carolina governor’s campaign as the primary heads to her home state. New Hampshire had , until this week, looked like the best chance for a candidate to wound the frontrunner. Trump’s rivals had held him under 50 percent in polling averages. Haley, meanwhile, had surged after standout debate performances plus a well-timed endorsement from New Hampshire’s popular Republican governor, Chris Sununu — bringing her within striking distance of the former president in some polls. And she has absorbed many supporters of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (and of his anti-Trump message). But everything changed after the Iowa caucuses . Many of the Republican field's most popular also-rans have coalesced around Trump: Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis both dropped out and immediately backed the former president, encouraging their supporters to do the same. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have also pledged their support in recent days. Trump trotted out Ramaswamy, Scott and Burgum in his primary-eve rally in Laconia, calling them a "great people." Haley’s closing argument , meanwhile, was aimed at the anti-Trump Republicans and independents she’ll need to turn out in droves today to have any chance at a strong showing. The message: Vote for her to avoid a rematch between Trump and Joe Biden. It’s a pitch she’s made throughout her campaign, but one that’s grown in urgency since the race was pared down to two. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks in a room of hundreds of people gathered at Tuscan Village to listen to her last big campaign event before the primary in Salem, N.H. on Jan 22, 2024. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO Here’s where things stand as voting gets underway: Haley won all six votes at Dixville Notch at midnight. But with DeSantis out, Trump has only widened his lead, according the latest Suffolk University/NBC10 Boston/Boston Globe tracking poll . Tonight’s results will ripple across the state border. Democratic-led efforts to boot Trump from the ballot in Massachusetts have so far proved unsuccessful. The state ballot commission dismissed two 14th Amendment challenges Monday aimed at keeping Trump off the ballot (more on that below). If Trump is able to effectively lock up the nomination tonight, it will make it far harder for the MassGOP — which notched a key win (for morale, if not political power) in a special state Senate election last year and is looking to be competitive in several legislative races this year — to field candidates and to win. It's a reality many Republicans in the state have already acknowledged while trying to find a challenger to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side , Biden’s allies on both sides of the state line are hoping to stave off an embarrassment in which the president underperforms or even cedes an early contest to a long-shot challenger. Biden isn’t on the primary ballot, because of the intraparty squabble over the order of this year’s nominating calendar, and the Democratic National Committee won’t count the results toward the convention. But Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and self-help author Marianne Williamson are on the ballot — and if even one of them overperforms, it’ll be a bad look for Biden. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Stay locked on POLITICO’s homepage for live coverage throughout primary day and night! TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey testifies in support of the HERO Act at 1 p.m. at the State House. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at a National Guard send-off ceremony at 10 a.m. in Worcester. Rep. Lori Trahan, Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson and other state and local elected officials tour the Mount Wachusett Community College’s Automotive Facility at 11 a.m. and attend the Gardner Municipal Airport ribbon cutting ceremony at noon. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email us:  lkashinsky@politico.com ,  kgarrity@politico.com and  mmcarthy@politico.com.   A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time and Massachusetts is helping lead the way. At Equinor, we are determined to use our competence, skills, and innovative spirit to continually search for solutions that will advance the energy transition. Our ambition is to break new ground, create lasting value, and supply energy to a thriving world while achieving net zero by 2050. Discover more about Equinor at www.equinor.com/USA.   DATELINE BEACON HILL PAGING D.C. — Gov. Maura Healey joined eight other governors — many of them Joe Biden campaign surrogates — in penning a letter to the president and congressional leaders pressuring them to come to an agreement amid slow-moving border and immigration negotiations. “While political motivations continue to delay the negotiations, our economy, states and localities are bearing the brunt of the shortcomings of the existing immigration system,” the governors wrote in the letter, dated Jan. 22 and addressed to Biden, House Speaker Mike Johnson , House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries , Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell . In addition to Healey, the list of governors who signed on includes several Biden allies and leaders of key swing states — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom , Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker , Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs , New York Gov. Kathy Hochul , Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore , New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “I can tell you that the governors are working bipartisan on this. We need D.C. to act, we need Congress to act," Healey told reporters at the State House Monday. — “Advocates renew push for 'sanctuary' state law,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune. — “Healey shelves, for now, a proposal to strip lawmakers of their control of liquor licenses,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “Just days after first unveiling it, Governor Maura Healey on Monday shelved a proposal that would have allowed local officials — not state lawmakers — to set caps on the number of liquor licenses distributed in their city or town, long a contentious issue among Boston officials. … Karissa Hand, a Healey spokesperson, said Monday that Healey still supports the idea but that the administration needed more time to get the ‘language right.’ She did not indicate when Healey could file the proposal.” — “Lawmakers open to Healey's bill allowing local tax hikes,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “Top Democrats on Beacon Hill have said they don't want to increase state taxes next year, but they're keeping an open mind on a bill from Gov. Maura Healey that could clear the way for some local taxes to rise.” THERE’S A BILL FOR THAT — Some New Hampshire voters received calls Monday from a fake Joe Biden, encouraging them to sit out today’s primary and “save” their vote until November. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office is investigating the incident, Lisa reports , and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu slammed the robo calls as illegal “voter suppression.” Meanwhile in Massachusetts, a bill filed by state Sen. Barry Finegold earlier this month would keep “deepfake” media out of campaigns in the last three months leading up to an election. — “Healey gives members of her Cabinet $15,000 raises amid spending cuts,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe. TRUMPACHUSETTS CHALLENGE NOT ACCEPTED — The effort to strike Donald Trump ’s name from the state’s Republican primary ballot hit a snag Monday, after the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission determined it did not have jurisdiction to rule on two challenges, filed by Free Speech for People and prominent Bay State attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan , arguing the so-called insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump from the presidential primary ballot. The challengers “will be appealing this ruling soon,” Edward Erickson of Free Speech for People said in an email to Playbook. Liss-Riordan said they would be appealing to the state's top court.   JOIN 1/31 FOR A TALK ON THE RACE TO SOLVE ALZHEIMER’S: Breakthrough drugs and treatments are giving new hope for slowing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. But if that progress slows, the societal and economic cost to the U.S. could be high. Join POLITICO, alongside lawmakers, official and experts, on Jan. 31 to discuss a path forward for better collaboration among health systems, industry and government. REGISTER HERE .     MEDIA MATTERS — “Journalists on the ground in New Hampshire report some challenges getting into the room with Trump, Haley,” by Aidan Ryan, The Boston Globe. FROM THE HUB — “Mayor Wu makes case for BPDA home rule petition before legislative committee,” by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe.   A message from Equinor:     DAY IN COURT — “In Mass. brothel case, lawyers for suspected sex buyers argue to keep magistrate hearings private,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “Attorneys for 13 people suspected of buying sex at brothels in Cambridge and Watertown argued in legal filings Monday that the court should reverse course and make ‘show cause’ hearings in the case private. A clerk-magistrate is slated to hold hearings in Cambridge District Court to determine whether there is enough evidence to support a request by police to bring state criminal charges against 28 people allegedly linked to the brothel ring during a federal investigation.” — “Court hearing scheduled on Newton teachers’ strike that canceled school Monday,” by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive: “Newton educators are continuing their strike on Monday despite court pressures to end it. … Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in an email to the community on Friday that a Middlesex Superior Court judge granted an injunction against the teachers union to ‘immediately cease and desist from engaging or threatening to engage in this strike or work stoppage, slowdown or other withholding of services and the employees shall immediately return to their assigned work locations on [Monday] January 22, 2024." WARREN REPORT THE ANNIVERSARY THAT WASN’T — “Today should have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade . Instead, too many people can’t get the medical care they need where they need it when they need it,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren writes in a Glamour op-ed out Monday. As Biden's campaign looks to ramp up its abortion rights messaging, Warren argues the Biden-Harris administration “has stepped up to vigorously protect reproductive freedom,” and warns what electing a Republican president in November could mean for abortion rights. DATELINE D.C. — “In D.C. speech, Cardinal Sean O’Malley denounces physician-assisted suicide,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, condemned physician-assisted suicide at a conference concerning the value of human life over the weekend in Washington, D.C., according to a Catholic news service.”   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      2024 WATCH DIEHL is an EXTREMIST LOSER! Just another MASS GOP Whack-A-Ding! DIEHL WATCH — Former Senate and gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl has loaned his campaign $5,500, campaign finance records show . Diehl told Playbook in December he’s exploring a run for state Senate, setting up a potential redux of the race he lost to Democrat Michael Brady in a 2015 special election. THE LOCAL ANGLE — “State funds boost affordable housing projects in region,” by James Pentland, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Affordable housing projects in 19 communities, including Northampton, South Hadley and Holyoke, will benefit from subsidies and tax credits announced Monday by Gov. Maura Healey. … The money comes from subsidies and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which saw a $20 million increase in the tax package Healey signed in October.” — “On deck for [Worcester] City Council: Opioid overdoses, a rough intersection and the city budget,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette. — “Developers of affordable housing in Gloucester have shot at $1.5M in ARPA money,” by Ethan Forman, Gloucester Daily Times.   A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time and Massachusetts is helping lead the way. Our world needs energy to keep moving forward — but it must be affordable reliable, and sustainable. We all have a role to play. At Equinor, we’re using our competence, skills, and innovative spirit to continually search for solutions that will advance the energy transition. Our ambition is to break new ground, create lasting value, and supply energy to a thriving world while achieving net zero by 2050. We're delivering safe, secure, and reliable energy while creating jobs and investing in a more sustainable US energy system. But this is only the beginning. Discover more about Equinor at www.equinor.com/USA.   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Lora Pellegrini, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, has been named president of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Kristen Lepore, former chief of staff to former Gov. Charlie Baker. and Harvard Institute of Politics’ Amy Howell. 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 .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Dump Trump gets Mass. bump

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY TO BE OR NOT TO BE ON THE BALLOT — The push to bump Donald Trump from the ballot is back on in Massachusetts. Even in this Democratic stronghold, it might not work. Former attorney general hopeful Shannon Liss-Riordan and the liberal advocacy group Free Speech For People are challenging Trump’s eligibility to appear on the state’s presidential primary and general-election ballots under the so-called insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. Their 90-page objection , filed with the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission on behalf of five voters who span the political spectrum — including, in a bit of intrigue, former Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey, a Democrat — echoes dozens of challenges that have been filed in other states to mixed success. Judges in some states have rejected similar objections from Free Speech for People. Colorado’s Supreme Court and Maine’s secretary of state , meanwhile, struck Trump from the ballot. But both rulings are on hold while the former president pursues his appeals. The Massachusetts ballot commission must now decide whether it has jurisdiction over the matter and, if so, hold a hearing. Liss-Riordan and her compatriots are trying to speed up the proceedings by asking the commission — of which former state Sen. Joe Boncore is a member — to consider the arguments made in the Colorado case rather than drag everyone in to do it all again. “We think that the commission can decide these legal issues without having to hold a new, full blown trial,” Liss-Riordan told Playbook — though, she added, her group is prepared to “do what is required.” Time is of the essence. And the laws that apply in this situation seem to contradict. Primary ballots — with Trump’s name on them — are already in production and need to be sent to overseas voters by Jan. 20 to comply with federal law. But according to Liss-Riordan, state law says the ballot commission can’t hear complaints until Jan. 22, and must rule by Jan. 29. The U.S. Supreme Court is also a wildcard here. There’s a good chance the high court will step in, now that Trump has asked it to in the Colorado case , and take discretion away from states . Both sides of this fight want the court to act quickly. But in the meantime, Liss-Riordan said, “we're following the timeline as required by Massachusetts law.” This is the second attempt to knock Trump off the ballot in the Bay State, after longshot GOP presidential hopeful John Anthony Castro, who sued election officials in several states, dropped his case here. MASS GOP is a floundering failure due to fiscal mismanagement - so desperate it charged candidates to appear on the primary ballot. MASS GOP supports extremists and other incompetents, declining enrollment as a consequence. even Carnevale hasn't figured it out. "R" voters are conspicuously uninformed. The new challenge drew swift blowback from the MassGOP , which warned that removing Trump from the ballot “sets a dangerous precedent for democracy” and that voters should be “the ultimate arbiter on suitability for office.” The statement echoes the arguments Trump’s rivals for the GOP nomination have made against attempts to strike his name. Trump’s campaign has described the efforts as a “bad-faith, politically motivated attempts to steal the 2024 election,” according to the New York Times . And yet, the challenges keep coming — Free Speech For People was also behind one filed yesterday in Illinois. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. What a busy start to the new year! TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu holds a storm preparedness briefing at 11:30 a.m. at the Boston Public Works Yard. THIS WEEKEND — Rep. Jim McGovern is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. And Rep. Stephen Lynch is on NBC10’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Drop us a line:  lkashinsky@politico.com  and  kgarrity@politico.com . HEALEY WATCH Gov. Maura Healey took her oath of office one year ago today. | Steven Senne/AP Photo PROMISES MADE, PROMISES MOSTLY KEPT — Gov. Maura Healey was sworn in one year ago today. To mark the anniversary, Playbook went back through Healey's inaugural address to see if she accomplished everything she laid out for Year One. The answer is: mostly. Here's what Healey pledged to do — and how it ended up: — Tax breaks: Healey pledged to follow through on — and ultimately expanded — the slate of tax cuts and credits that her predecessor, GOP Gov. Charlie Baker , failed to get through the Legislature. The tax package she filed called, in part, to raise the estate-tax threshold to $3 million and cut the short-term capital gains tax to 5 percent. The one she signed raised the estate-tax threshold to $2 million and slashed the capital-gains tax rate to 8.5 percent. The final package also included expanded aid for renters, seniors and more. — Expanding the child tax credit: Healey made a $600 tax credit for children and dependents one of the centerpieces of her gubernatorial campaign. In the end, lawmakers met her partway, raising the credit to $440. — Free community college: Healey got the funding in her first budget to make community college free for those over age 25 without college degrees. Lawmakers expanded that to include nursing programs. — A new MBTA GM: Healey pledged to hire a new T general manager with “deep experience” and a “laser focus” on safety. Her pick, Phil Eng , is an engineer who's worked in transportation for nearly four decades. The T is making progress under Eng, but is still facing safety issues and financial problems. — A transportation safety chief in 60 days: It took her 109 days, but Healey did bring Patrick Lavin aboard as the first MassDOT chief safety officer. — Hiring 1,000 MBTA workers: The MBTA has hired more than 1,000 workers. But, because of retirements and other departures, it’s only amounted to a net gain of about 750 employees, according to a T spokesperson. — Forming an interagency task force to compete for federal dollars: Healey hired Quentin Palfrey , an alum of the Obama and Biden administrations who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2018 and attorney general in 2022, to head up her Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office. The administration submitted $3 billion in applications for federal funding for infrastructure projects, and has secured more than $2.2 billion — including $372 million for the aging Cape Cod bridges . — Creating a housing secretary in 100 days: Healey separated housing into its own secretariat and appointed former Worcester city manager Ed Augustus to lead it. — Identifying state-owned land to use for housing: A working group established after Augustus took office in June recently submitted an “initial inventory,” Healey’s office said. — Performing equity audits of each state agency: The audits are “currently underway” and due July 1, per the governor's office. — Hiring a climate chief: Say hi to Melissa Hoffer . — Dedicating 1 percent of the budget for energy/the environment: Check. — Tripling the budget of the Clean Energy Center: Healey proposed doing so in her budget; the Legislature roughly doubled it. — Creating a climate bank: Healey launched what she claims is the nation’s first green bank dedicated to affordable housing in June, and seeded it with $50 million. MassHousing expects to starting awarding money in the spring. — Increasing transparency: This wasn’t in her inaugural address, but Healey pledged from the outset that her administration would be more transparent than her predecessors’. Whether she’s accomplished that depends on who you ask. Healey releases (redacted) monthly calendars and told Playbook that her administration has tried to be accessible to the media and to constituents. But she still claims exemptions from public records law when it comes to her correspondences with legislative leaders, emails and call logs. And her office stopped alerting her out-of-state travel in advance, in a break with her predecessor, due to unspecified “safety concerns.” DATELINE BEACON HILL — “State tax revenues coming in much lower than forecast,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Beacon: “Halfway though the current fiscal year, state tax revenues are barely holding steady compared to last year but falling well short of the projections on which the budget is based, creating a situation where spending will probably have to be pared back. … Tax revenues in December were down 2.1 percent compared to December 2022 and 3.5 percent below what was forecast.” — “State's ex-transportation chief was paid for months after stepping down, records show,” by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR: “After stepping down as Massachusetts transportation secretary in September, Gina Fiandaca continued to receive her full salary and benefits for the last quarter of the year as a ‘senior adviser,' records show, even after her successor was named. Fiandaca was paid the remainder of her $181,722 salary through Dec. 31, to offer ‘assistance, advice and counsel,’ according to a copy of her severance agreement obtained by WBUR.” BOSTON HERALD CONTINUES ITS MEDIOCRE REPORTING - KEEP WATCHING!  — “Democrat Dylan Fernandes draws donations from Beacon Hill colleagues in Senate bid,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Falmouth Democrat Rep. Dylan Fernandes drew financial support last month from at least 12 lawmakers on Beacon Hill and two former representatives in his bid for a South Shore and Cape Cod Senate seat." — “Auditor uncovers $12.3M in welfare fraud in FY23,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune. PAYWALL! FOR A STATEHOUSE NEWS ARTICLE! TRY THIS:  https://www.newburyportnews.com/news/north_of_boston/auditor-uncovers-12-3m-in-welfare-fraud-in-fy23/article_257c8435-15f6-54f9-bba1-c47074eaef59.html — “‘We’ve been fighting so hard’: Senate passes bill to address wheelchair repairs that can drag on for months,” by Jason Laughlin, The Boston Globe. FROM THE HUB — “Ruthzee Louijeune, Boston City Council's first Haitian-American president, outlines priorities,” by Tiziana Dearing and Rob Lane, WBUR: “In an appearance on WBUR's Radio Boston, she said she will make civility on the council a priority for her presidency. … As for policy priorities for this term, Louijeune said one key area for her is improving access to housing.” — “Boston city councilor told to retake the oath of office after viral video,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was told to retake the oath of office after a video showing her not saying the words or raising her right hand during Monday’s inaugural ceremony went viral on social media.” — “Boston Public Schools tells principals it won’t close half its buildings,” by Christopher Huffaker, The Boston Globe. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALEY LENDS A HAND, PART II  — The governor is heading to New Hampshire on Saturday to encourage Democratic activists at the party’s delegate-selection caucuses to join the effort to write in President Joe Biden ’s name on the state’s presidential primary ballot. She also led an organizing call for the grassroots group last night. DAY IN COURT — “SJC takes another swing at Uber ‘clickwrap’ contracts,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon: “Three years after the Supreme Judicial Court knocked Uber for the way it presents riders with its terms of service, the ride-share company is back before the state’s highest court for allegedly failing to make it clear that a trial was off the table for a rider who ended up permanently paralyzed after his driver crashed.” WARREN REPORT — “Warren: No ‘blank check’ for Israel,” by Anthony Adragna, POLITICO: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Thursday became one of the highest-profile Democrats to demand no further aid to Israel without conditions, citing ‘a right-wing government that's demonstrated an appalling disregard for Palestinian lives’ in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “New Lawrence council president pledges transparency, dialogue,” by Jill Harmacinski, The Eagle-Tribune. — “Black entrepreneurs reflect on business since NAACP convention,” by Nicole Garcia, GBH News. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Caitlin Glynn and Nicholas Stabile are now partners in Nutters’ private client department, Portia Keady is now partner in the corporate department and Sara Lonks Wong is partner in the litigation department. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Holly Morse. Happy belated to Wendy Spivak of The Castle Group, who celebrated Thursday. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Sarah Blodgett, communications director for state Senate President Karen Spilka; Natalie Boyse, Âri de Fauconberg, Sean Costello and Mark Hyman , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Yohannes Abraham and Jeff Gulko . 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 .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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