POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The limited power of incumbency

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY Presented by YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME — It was a good night to be an incumbent in Massachusetts. Just not in its capital city. Voters sent a pair of embattled Boston city councilors packing in resounding fashion , putting a pin in the political careers of Kendra Lara and Ricardo Arroyo after the former crashed a car into a Jamaica Plain home in late June and the latter got caught up in a series of controversies. “What a two years it’s been,” Lara told a small group of emotional supporters at a JP pub before conceding to Ben Weber and William King . “When you fight the system, sometimes the system fights back. And today, we lost this battle.” A few minutes later, she downed a tequila shot. Meanwhile in Roslindale, Arroyo, a scion of one of Boston’s most prominent political families, delivered an emotional speech to a handful of supporters, family members and reporters as he conceded to Enrique Pepén and José Ruiz . “I still maintain that my record of work in policy is very strong ,” Arroyo said. “But I do think that there's been sort of a relentless narrative around me for the last year that's been difficult to move past.” Ricardo Arroyo (left) and Kendra Lara (right) | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO Even as they rejected Lara and Arroyo, voters sent Tania Fernandes Anderson — who, like Arroyo, recently paid a several-thousand-dollar fine for violating the state conflict of interest law — through to the general election in District 7. She faces former councilor and perennial candidate Althea Garrison in November, per unofficial tallies from the city. Another winner last night: Mayor Michelle Wu. The mayor’s endorsement of — and door-knocking for — Pepén helped propel her former head of neighborhood services to the top of the ticket in District 5. Wu world also had a hand in District 6: Weber’s campaign manager worked on Wu's mayoral bid. Wu has been flexing her political muscle in this year’s council races. And so far it’s worked, first with Sharon Durkan in the District 8 special election and now with Pepén. The mayor faces an even bigger test in November, as she looks to shepherd a larger slate of candidates onto the council. They include Durkan (for a full term), Pepén and Henry Santana in the at-large race. Incumbents fared much better elsewhere in the state. Springfield’s longest-serving mayor, Domenic Sarno , sailed through to the November general election with 48 percent of the vote . He’ll face City Councilor Justin Hurst , who finished second in the five-way field with 29 percent of the vote. State Rep. Orlando Ramos and City Council President Jesse Lederman finished third and fourth, respectively. Peabody’s Ted Bettencourt also punched his ticket to November with a whopping 81 percent of the vote . He faces first-time candidate Rochelle Agneta as he seeks a seventh term. In Waltham, longtime Mayor Jeannette McCarthy will battle City Councilor Jonathan Paz in the general election. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. One more thought bubble on Boston: In their rebuke of Lara and Arroyo, voters have guaranteed that at least four of the city council’s 13 seats will be held by newcomers come January. The pending departures of Frank Baker and Michael Flaherty opened up the other two. It’s a clear signal that voters are frustrated with the chaos and infighting that’s dominated the council this term — and a warning sign that they could potentially make more changes at the ballot box in November. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey meets with Austrian Ambassador Petra Schneebauer and President of the National Council of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka at 10 a.m. at the State House. Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attend a Latino Empowerment Advisory Council meeting at 10:30 a.m., a Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month Celebration at 11:30 a.m and swear in the state’s new fire marshal and MEMA director at 1:30 p.m. at the State House. Driscoll chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon. Wu addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce at 9:45 a.m. and speaks at the Asian Development Bank’s 2023 Roadshow at 1 p.m. at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Tips? Scoops? Takeaways from yesterday's preliminaries? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .   A message from Endicott College: Solutions for stemming the shortage of nurses and health sciences professionals are grounded in community and fueled by partnerships. ‘Endicott Hospital’ is now open, providing top-tier education and immersive training to empower the next generation of healthcare heroes. The Cummings School of Nursing & Health Sciences is a place where students and faculty enjoy working and learning together in an environment that promotes excellence in nursing and health sciences practice at all levels of education.   THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — ON TO NOVEMBER : Yesterday's preliminaries were just the first step for candidates looking to score a seat on the Boston City Council. District 5 hopeful José Ruiz told the Globe that he plans to be back on the trail by 8 a.m. — that's right, 12 hours after the polls closed. And Enrique Pepén acknowledged there is still “so much work ahead." In District 6, William King told the Globe he was “incredibly overwhelmed and humbled." Ben Weber is “looking forward to working hard the next six weeks,” he told the Herald. — FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS: Kendra Lara and Ricardo Arroyo made history in their losses. No incumbent Boston councilor has lost in a preliminary election since the city adopted its current council structure in 1984, according to the Globe . — THE NAIL-BITERS: John FitzGerald is on to the November general election after finishing first in the seven-way race to replace Frank Baker in District 3. Fewer than 100 votes separated Joel Richards , who claimed victory last night , and Ann Walsh, who conceded this morning , for the second spot. Haverhill City Councilor Melinda Barrett topped the Merrimack Valley city’s open mayoral preliminary. But just eight votes separated School Committee member Scott Wood and Guy Everett Cooper for second place late last night, according to unofficial tallies from the city. Cooper told the Eagle-Tribune he would call for a recount if the official tally remains close. — AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE: "The final answer: Here's who is running for mayor of Worcester," by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: "Councilor-at-Large Donna Colorio, the vice chair of the City Council and a two-time mayoral candidate, is the final candidate to officially enter the mayoral race after she decided to not opt out of the race by Tuesday afternoon. The competition for mayor is now a five-way race: Mayor Joseph M. Petty faces Colorio, Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King, Guillermo Creamer Jr. and William S. Coleman."   GO INSIDE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DIPLOMATIC PLATFORM WITH UNGA PLAYBOOK: The 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly will jam some of the world's most influential leaders into four city blocks in Manhattan. POLITICO's special edition UNGA Playbook will take you inside this important gathering starting Sept. 17 — revealing newsy nuggets throughout the week and insights into the most pressing issues facing global decision-makers today. Sign up for UNGA Playbook .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — STATE OF EMERGENCY: Gov. Maura Healey declared an emergency for parts of the state deluged by flooding after she toured hard-hit Leominster and North Attleboro yesterday. Healey skipped a National Governors Association meeting in New Hampshire to assess the damage. Her fellow governors pledged their help if needed. — “Boston group calls on state to fix dams after ‘catastrophic’ Leominster flooding,” by David Cifarelli, MassLive. — “Child welfare housed more than 100 foster children in apartments over the past year,” by Jason Laughlin, Boston Globe. — “Former MassLive editor to serve as communications head for Healey’s new housing secretariat,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald. — "Worcester pastor, YWCA of Central Mass. CEO join state police oversight board," by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette.   A message from Endicott College:     MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Amid backdrop of migrant crisis, Mass. Legislature considers cash, food aid for legal immigrants,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “[Beacon Hill] is considering legislation that would revive a program that makes some legal immigrants, such as refugees and asylum seekers, eligible for popular safety net programs including food assistance and cash benefits. … If the Legislature were to eventually pass the bill into law, Massachusetts would join six other states — including nearby Maine and Connecticut — in providing benefits to legal immigrants.” — “Massachusetts National Guard set to deploy Wednesday to help unstaffed shelters,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts National Guard service members are scheduled to deploy [today] to emergency shelters across the state that are housing displaced and migrant families as part of an up to six-month call-up.” — "Residents clash over migrant shelter at Quincy community meeting," by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe. — "Poll finds rising concern about immigration in Mass.," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine. FROM THE HUB — LISTEN: To Boston Mayor Michelle Wu weigh in on police contract negotiations and the potential ballot question to strike MCAS as a high school graduation requirement on GBH's "Boston Public Radio."   Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of the first episodes in September – click here .     PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — "How dissatisfied are riders with the T?" by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "The [MassINC Polling Group] poll of 1,000 Massachusetts residents in the MBTA service area found that nearly two-thirds were unimpressed with the subway and trolley system – 27 percent said its service was poor, 35 percent rated it fair, 23 percent said it was good, and only 5 percent called it excellent." — “MassDOT, MBTA quietly get new boss,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “The state has a new Secretary of Transportation, though if you weren’t paying attention you may not have noticed the change. … In an event advertised by the governor’s office as open to press photography only, held in the Healey’s ceremonial office at the State House on Monday, [Gina] Fiandaca left and [Monica] Tibbits-Nutt was sworn in as Acting Secretary of Transportation. The governor’s office issued no release on the occasion." — “After blowback, state will provide shuttle buses for Fluff Fest during Union Square stop closure on Green Line,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe. FROM THE DELEGATION — “Dems blast McCarthy's impeachment inquiry,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Members of the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation are blasting Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s plans to conduct impeachment proceedings against Democratic President Joe Biden.” FROM THE 413 — “Clerk rules city councilor, Smith Vocational trustee can be on ballot,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Two incumbents in the upcoming municipal elections in November will have their names on the ballot after all, after the city clerk’s office reversed its position on their eligibility.” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — "NH GOP Leaders to Sec. State Scanlan: Put Trump on the Ballot," by Michael Graham, NH Journal: "New Hampshire’s top legislative leaders, including state Senate President Jeb Bradley and Speaker of the House Sherm Packard, have written to [Secretary of State David Scanlan] demanding President Trump’s name appear on the presidential primary ballot next year [amid efforts to disqualify him based on the 14th Amendment]." Scanlan is due to respond later this morning.   A message from Endicott College: We can bolster public health and the talent pipeline of healthcare professionals. The Cummings School of Nursing & Health Sciences at Endicott College has state-of-the-art facilities designed to address the shortages and support our communities head-on. With interactive lab spaces and traditional classrooms, students can learn, practice, and demonstrate the skills they’ll need to succeed in their careers and support their future patients in an encouraging and engaging environment. At Endicott, the idea that college and career are connected is not an abstract concept. With current predictions of a crucial nursing shortage, employment options for nurses will continue to grow faster than all other occupations combined. Endicott's highly regarded nursing offerings – including our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program – prepares graduates for fulfilling careers of service in the complex and ever-changing field of health care. Learn more.   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Thomas P. Glynn joins Commonwealth Care Alliance’s board of directors. — Robert McLaughlin has joined Massachusetts Association of Health Plans as senior director of government affairs. — Alex Fries is now chief of staff, public relations at The Castle Group. He previously was chief of staff at the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. — Julie Blanchard is now advancement director at the Hildreth Institute. She previously was campaign director at Thayer Academy. — Kate LeBlanc joins Benchmark Strategies as a media relations and content specialist. 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   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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Boebert humiliates herself with weird urination rant

 

OD Action is now atAdvocacy!

Today’s Action: Attend Postcarding and Political Conversation!

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Daily Dose of Democracy:

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Lauren Boebert comes unprepared to her own hearing, gets humiliated by guest
Boebert thought she had a "gotcha" moment all lined up — on the subject of public urination, of all things — but obviously didn't do her homework and it did NOT go well. LOL.

Take Action: Kick Marjorie Taylor Greene off the Homeland Security Committee!

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Kevin McCarthy begs reporters to ask him about "anything else" except the Nashville massacre
The Coward of the House — for speak he wouldn't — ran away from reporters demanding some sort of comment on the slaughter of three kids and three teachers at a school in Nashville and refused to answer any questions. “Okay, let me just tell you, I’m not going to answer any questions. You can walk with me; we can talk about new movies, we can talk about your lives, we can talk about what you’re doing for Easter. Anything else" said McCarthy. The top ranking Republican in the US is happy to talk about anything except the most basic and important fucking part of his job: protecting American kids.

Take Action: Disqualify Trump from holding public office!

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Right-wing billionaires are destroying America's newsrooms
Courier Newsroom: With our small-town newsrooms being turned into Trump's propaganda outlets by Sinclair Broadcasting, it's harder than ever to find factual, value-based news coverage at the local level. Courier Newsroom is leading the fight against right-wing misinformation and conspiracies by building the largest left-leaning local news network in the country. Can you chip in to help keep our democracy healthy and put a stop to Trump's dangerous conspiracies?

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Video shows Mexican guards walking away as deadly immigration detention facility fire rages
Horrifying footage shows Mexican guards leaving the building with migrants still locked inside as the fire that would eventually kill 38 at the Ciudad Juárez detention center raged. While the guilt rests with those guards and with the Mexican government for not moving to save the migrants fast enough, the grim fact remains that these innocent immigrants were in this detention center thanks to the United States' cruel and inhumane immigration policies, including the Trump-era Title 42 that the Biden administration has fought hard to continue using.

Take Action: Denounce DeSantis and the Florida GOP for their fascist takeover!

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Despite emotional pleas, one of country's strictest anti-trans bills becomes law in Kentucky
Heartless GOP Senators and state Reps voted on Wednesday to override Governor Andy Beshear's veto of SB 150, a horrific bill that bans all discussion of sexuality and gender in schools, allows teachers to deadname their students, bans gender-affirming healthcare for trans teens and even forces those already transitioning to detransition. The law will be challenged in court, but let's be really clear here: Children will die because of this bigoted legislation. Period. Children will die.

Take Action: Demand Congress pass tough banking regulations!

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Rep. Jamaal Bowman calls out Republican cowardice on gun violence to their faces
Rep. Bowman, a former middle school principal, lost his patience with the Republican refusal to do anything about school shootings in a confrontation with gun yahoo Thomas Massie. “They’re all cowards! They won’t do anything to save the lives of our children at all! Pressure them, force them to respond to the question: Why the hell won’t you do anything to save America’s children? Let them explain that all the way up to Election Day on 2024!” yelled Bowman. We couldn't agree more!

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Permit to buy handgun no longer required in North Carolina
In the wake of the 130th mass shooting of the year, North Carolina Republicans took it upon themselves to make it EASIER to buy guns, overriding the governor's veto and rescinding the need for a permit to purchase handguns. Once again, Republicans have witnessed our children being slaughtered in school and reacted by arming their killers.

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Trump's last-ditch effort to avoid prosecution BLOWS UP in his face
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: This did not turn out well for Trump...

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Matt Gaetz's legislative aide is a convicted war criminal
Because of course he is. It appears that Gaetz was intent on finding a military advisor as unhinged and as morally bankrupt as he is, finally landing on one Derrick Miller, who was court-martialed and sentenced to life in prison for shooting 27-year-old Afghan Atta Mohammed in the head during an interrogation and then throwing his body in a latrine. These two criminals may have found their soulmates.

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Fox News aired Dominion voting myths despite its "Brain Room" saying they were wrong
Apparently the "Brain Room" at Fox News does not have to do with performing lobotomies on the hosts of Fox & Friends but actually is where "fact checking" is ostensibly done, though you'd never know based on watching the network's shows. That's because court documents revealed Fox News hosts knowingly ignored the in-house fact checkers and aired preposterous conspiracies about Dominion Voting Systems anyway — even though Fox's own executives admitted they never should have.

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Republicans kill plan to feed state's hungry children
The rah-rah anti-abortion Republicans in North Dakota care so little about the kids they will force to be born that they voted down a bill that would give free lunches to poor kids. "I can understand kids going hungry, but is that really the problem of the school district? Is that the problem of the state of North Dakota? It’s really the problem of parents being negligent with their kids!" asked Sen. Mike Wobbema. No, it's just basic human decency — something the GOP seems to lack in every state.

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Manchin poison pill forces Biden team to move ahead with massive Gulf of Mexico drilling auction
A key provision of the President's landmark Inflation Reduction Act slipped in by Joe Manchin forces the government to put more than 73 million acres of waters in the Gulf of Mexico up for auction for gas and oil development. Fortunately, climate organizations have immediately filed lawsuits to stop the auction and have been previously successful in stopping similar auctions before in the past, which the Biden team may have been counting on when they agreed to it in the first place. If it does go through, however, the White House estimates that 21.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere — a disaster for our climate.

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Home on the range

Actress Melissa Joan Hart recounts how she helped kids flee the Nashville shooting

Sen. Rand Paul issues surprising opposition to proposed TikTok ban

Trump grand jury takes two-week hiatus

Senate changes rules after man secretly recorded GOP lunch

San Jose police union executive charged with attempted illegal importation of synthetic opioids

News from abroad

Netanyahu rejects Biden's call to drop Israel judicial overhaul

Lesotho MP demands huge parts of South Africa seized by white Afrikaners

Russian tourist to be deported from Bali for posing naked on sacred peak

Myanmar's junta dissolves Suu Kyi’s party and most of the opposition

Zelenskyy invites Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine

Hope...

Innovative plant-based plastic helps build safe, dry homes for refugees

First cheetahs born in India 70 years after they were hunted to extinction there

Astronomers discover one of biggest black holes ever recorded

FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan to stop overdose deaths

Want more hope? Subscribe to our favorite good news newsletter FREE.

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Today’s Action: Attend Postcarding and Political Conversation!

While the fight to save democracy can seem lonely at times, there are so many people across America doing the work to keep it healthy. The more we link people together, the more change we can achieve. Together is where we make the greatest impact!

Building community with like-minded individuals is a sure-fire way to strengthen the movement tenfold, which is why Markers for Democracy, Downtown Nasty Women Social Group, and Team Min is hosting “Postcarding and Political Conversation” events every Tuesday and Friday, from 9:30 am to 12 pm EDT, until the foreseeable future. Their goal is to “use our Sharpies to write to save democracy together,” as well as build community and hear from candidates/political leaders.

Just a little over two hours of your day could change everything. Your postcard could reach a reluctant voter, or you could join forces with someone across the country on an issue you’re both passionate about. The possibilities that come from connection are endless — you just have to take the leap.

Sign up for a Postcarding and Political Conversation session to build a progressive grassroots network!

PS — Please don't forget to sign the petition to tell Florida not to expand the “Don’t Say Gay” law, and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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