POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Mayoral mayhem

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY Presented by 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."   GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.     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.”   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 .     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. 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

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The race Mass. Dems don’t want to touch

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY PROGRAMMING NOTE:   Massachusetts Playbook is taking its annual end-of-summer hiatus starting Monday, Aug. 28. We’ll be back Tuesday, Sept. 5. Reach me in the meantime at lkashinsky@politico.com . MEANWHILE, IN RHODE ISLAND — There’s a 12-way Democratic congressional primary playing out just over our southern border that’s replete with celebrity endorsements , complaints over super PACs , a signature scandal and an accusation of inappropriate conduct . Yet 11 days before voters head to the polls, there’s little indication of who’s ahead in the race to replace former Rep. David Cicilline in the Rhode Island district that hugs southeastern Massachusetts. Independent polling has been nonexistent. One internal survey released by former Biden White House staffer Gabe Amo’s campaign yesterday put him second behind former state Rep. Aaron Regunberg (the one with the celebrity endorsements and the super PAC funded by family members) and ahead of Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos (the one who faced scrutiny for submitting potentially fraudulent signatures to get on the ballot, including the names of dead people). More than a quarter of the 451 likely voters surveyed were still undecided. The poll didn’t list all the candidates. Take it with a grain of salt. Ocean State political observers instead tend to divide the field by the haves and have nots — who’s got the cash to air television ads (Regunberg, Amo, Matos, Don Carlson, state Sen. Sandra Cano) and who doesn’t. But pre-primary campaign finance reports filed yesterday show Regunberg, Amo and Matos with less than $200,000 apiece in cash on hand for the home stretch. There are also ideological divides. Regunberg, the highest-profile progressive, is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Ro Khanna and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Matos and Amo, meanwhile, are more moderate. The former has the New Democrat Coalition, a group of more moderate U.S. House Democrats, on her side. The latter is playing up his Biden ties with the backing of former White House chief of staff Ron Klain. One thing that is clear in this murky race: Massachusetts’ most prominent Democrats don’t want to touch it. Some of the Bay State’s biggest Democrats played in the last open congressional contest in Rhode Island — the 2022 race to replace Rep. Jim Langevin. David Segal regularly touted Sen. Elizabeth Warren as one of his major endorsers, alongside Sanders. Seth Magaziner, who won the primary and later the RI-02 seat, counted Rep. Jake Auchincloss among his backers. But unlike last year, when fears of a national “red wave” reached even the bluest of states, Democrats aren’t worried about losing a U.S. House seat in Rhode Island. And so there’s little incentive in such an unclear race for Massachusetts’ top pols to get involved. Auchincloss has “no plans to endorse,” spokesperson Matt Corridoni told Playbook. And while Sanders is set to campaign with Regunberg on Sunday, Warren hasn’t gotten involved. One potential factor in her neutrality this time around: While Regunberg may be drawing big names on the left, Mindy Myers, Warren’s former campaign manager and chief of staff, is helping Amo with television advertising . Playbook also asked the state’s other senator, Ed Markey, and Rep. Bill Keating, whose district skirts Rhode Island, their plans. A Keating spokesperson said he’s staying on the sidelines. Markey’s team didn’t respond. At least one Massachusetts Democrat is diving in, though. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell is backing Amo , who used to be the White House liaison to mayors. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . See you in September! TODAY — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll awards Community Development Block Grants at 10 a.m. at Gardner City Hall. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gives an update on the city’s approach to Mass and Cass at 10 a.m. at The Base in Roxbury and is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. THIS WEEKEND — I’m on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday discussing the GOP debate and Beacon Hill inaction on tax relief. Wu is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO APP: Stay in the know with the POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS  – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — VICTORY LAP: Gov. Maura Healey continues to tout the policy wins she secured in her first budget as concerns mount over her vetoes. As Healey celebrated the launch of her “MassReconnect” program that makes community college free for residents over the age of 25 who lack college degrees, state Reps. Bud Williams and Gerry Cassidy called on House leaders to override the governor’s veto of $250,000 in funding for prostate cancer research. Their letter follows alarm bells raised about other cuts Healey made to the $56 billion budget, including $1 million for a youth mental health text line and $1 million for nonprofit security grants . — “After rollout, Mass. police watchdog agency acknowledges holes, possible errors in disciplinary database,” by Sean Cotter, Boston Globe: “Not 24 hours after the new Massachusetts police-watchdog agency released for the first time a statewide database of thousands of officer disciplinary complaints, it admitted the eagerly awaited list had gaps, errors, and major omissions. At least three of the police departments in larger cities and towns around Boston were omitted from the database released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, Commission.” — More: "Ousted Mass. police chiefs missing from state discipline database," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR. MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — MEETING WITH MAYORKAS: Weeks after firing off a letter urging Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to expedite work permits for asylum-seekers, Healey met with him during his visit to Boston yesterday , the Herald’s Chris Van Buskirk reports. “We had a productive conversation with Secretary Mayorkas and his team about the support that Massachusetts needs to address the rapidly rising number of migrant families arriving in Massachusetts, including work authorizations,” the governor said in a statement afterward. “We look forward to continued partnership to address this emergency and deliver results.” — “Proposal calls for 'equity' in migrant relocations,” by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: “The bill, initiated by Rep. Michael Finn, D-Springfield, would limit the number of individuals sheltered at local hotels and motels to 1% of a community’s population, and require the state to provide local officials with at least 24 hours notice before migrants are placed in a temporary shelter.” FROM THE HUB — “Mayor Wu moves to ban tents and increase police at Mass. and Cass,” by Tori Bedford, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu plans to issue an ordinance by the end of the month that will ban encampments of unhoused people around Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue — or Mass. and Cass — while increasing policing and limiting access to some streets in the area, Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Dr. Bisola Ojikotu said.” — More: “Wu to propose 4th South End shelter in Mass and Cass plan, and area leaders are not happy,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — “Former Gov. Patrick to host fundraiser for D3 candidate Patton,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “Former Gov. Deval Patrick is hosting a Dorchester fundraiser [on Sept. 1] for Matt Patton, a Savin Hill attorney who worked on Patrick’s 2010 reelection campaign as deputy field director and is now running for the District 3 City Council seat.” BALLOT BATTLES — “A religious wrinkle in the rent control debate,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Magazine: “In between claims that the [proposed] ballot measure [to bring back local-option rent control] improperly includes unrelated items in the same proposal and that it would allow taking property without just compensation, coalitions of real estate and property interests include an unusual claim — that the rent control measure tries to put religion on the ballot.”   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 — “T promises this fall’s subway shutdown won’t be like the one last year,” by Daniel Kool, Boston Globe: “The MBTA will suspend service on the Red Line’s Ashmont branch and Mattapan Line for more than two weeks in October to repair tracks and speed up trains, general manager Phillip Eng announced Thursday, in the latest effort to improve service on the beleaguered system. But, the T chief promised, it won’t be déjà vu for riders who remember the debacle last year when the agency closed the Orange Line for repairs, only to result in slower service. Eng said the plan is: ‘Get in, get it done, and get out.’” — “MBTA overtime isn’t in any slow zone at nearly $70M to date,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “The MBTA has logged $69.30 million in overtime this year with months still left to go. A Herald analysis of the added hours shows 11 employees — including Transit Police officers — already eclipsing $100,000-plus in OT, state Comptroller records show.” — “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sets timeline for new MBTA board seat appointment,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she plans to appoint a member to the city’s new seat on the MBTA Board of Directors before its next meeting in September.” FROM THE DELEGATION — “Nearly 90 Democrats urge Biden to do more to address student debt,” by Liz Brown-Kaiser, NBC News: “A group of nearly 90 Democratic members of Congress urged President Joe Biden in a letter Wednesday night to do more to address the burden of student debt, according to a copy shared exclusively with NBC News. The letter — led by two progressive Massachusetts lawmakers, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley — is also signed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and other Democrats.” DAY IN COURT — “Trump surrenders at Georgia jail in election case,” by Kierra Frazier, POLITICO: “‘You should be able to challenge the election,’ [former President Donald] Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport as he was about to depart after being booked. ‘I thought it was a rigged and stolen election. What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. I did nothing wrong.’” See the first mug shot of a former U.S. president. FROM THE 413 — “McDonald resigns as chair of Amherst School Committee,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Character smears, allegations of corruption and ‘vitriol and distraction’ are being cited by Amherst School Committee Chairwoman Allison McDonald as playing into her decision to resign from her elected position immediately. McDonald … is the second Amherst representative to resign this week. … Both resignations come less than a week after the Amherst-Pelham and Union 26 school committees and Superintendent Michael Morris announced a separation agreement in which he will step down from his position effective Aug. 31. Morris’s departure comes in the midst of an ongoing Title IX investigation.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “New gas pipeline rules floated following 2018 blasts in Massachusetts,” by Steve LeBlanc, The Associated Press: “Federal regulators are proposing a series of rules changes aimed at toughening safety requirements for millions of miles of gas distribution pipelines nationwide following a string of gas explosions in Massachusetts in 2018.” — "2,048 confirmed cases and 17 deaths in a week. See the latest COVID-19 data from Mass.," by Boston Globe staff. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Maria Nation and Chandra Allard. Happy belated to former NH congressional candidate and MAGA Inc. spokesperson Karoline Leavitt , who celebrated Thursday. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to WCVB’s Sharman Sacchetti, Hampshire County Register of Deeds Mary Olberding, Eric Fehrnstrom, Quint Forgey and Francis Morris , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Westford state Rep. Jim Arciero, Robert Orthman, Sierra LaBonte, Jaime Watson and Noah Futterman. HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY — to late-August babies state Rep. Christine Barber, Katie Bowler, Revere Ward 3 City Councilor Anthony Cogliandro and Meghan Sorensen , who celebrate Monday; Kelly Smith, Michael Segal and Ben Martello , who celebrate Tuesday; the Washington Post’s Martine Powers , a Boston Globe/POLITICO alum, and Julia Hoffman , who celebrate Wednesday; and to state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli and state Sen. Becca Rausch , who celebrate Thursday. HAPPY EXTRA EARLY BIRTHDAY — to early September birthday-ers Amy Friguletti and Alan Dershowitz , who celebrate Friday, Sept. 1; former Rep. Michael Harrington , who celebrates Saturday, Sept. 2; state Rep. Andy Vargas, state Rep. Dawne Shand, state Sen. Jo Comerford , The Boston Globe’s Dan McGowan , Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara, Scott Bosworth, Leo Stella, Caroline Lehman, Nick Andersen and POLITICO’s Kelly Garrity , who celebrate Sunday, Sept. 3; and to Boston City Councilor Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta, Sebastian Zapata and former Boston mayoral candidate John Barros , who celebrate Monday, Sept. 4. MEA CULPA — We missed Gumdrop Day ! Happy belated to all who celebrate this important #mapoliwithanimals holiday. See Gumdrop now ! NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: A DAY AT THE STEEPLECHASES — Hosts Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela talk to the Boston Globe’s Tal Kopan about Rep. Stephen Lynch and the ethical questions surrounding congressional earmarks. Smith explains the legal issues surrounding churches getting historic preservation grants. Koczela talks new polling on Joe Biden and Maura Healey . Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud . 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

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA