MONEY MOVES — Patrick Roath, the attorney, voting rights advocate and Deval Patrick alum challenging Rep. Stephen Lynch, raised more than $115,000 on the first day of announcing his bid — none from corporate PACs — according to his campaign.
That’s more than the roughly $47,000 Lynch raised in the first quarter of this year (He had more than $1 million in his campaign coffers at the end of the March, per the most recent data from the Federal Election Commission.). The next deadline candidates face to file campaign finance reports is in mid-July.
Roath, 38, launched his campaign Wednesday calling for “new thinking and new energy,” in Washington. “I think it's really a time that demands new leadership,” Roath told Playbook. “I think that the problems that we're facing in Washington, that are very much mirrored here in Greater Boston and South Shore, are challenging, are serious, and are not being adequately addressed — certainly not by the Republicans, but not necessarily by some of the Democrats in Washington either.”
Lynch, 70, has been in Congress since 2001, when he won a special election to fill late Rep. Joe Moakley’s seat. But it’s not just age and tenure that set them apart; Roath pointed to Lynch’s vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act, an immigration bill that would allow officials to deport people in the country illegally who have been accused of certain crimes.
“I think that we need to be challenging the administration, not handing them more authority to strip rights away from non-citizens,” Roath said.
The challenge comes amid a reckoning over age and stagnation in the Democratic Party. Roath is among a handful of candidates challenging long-time members of Congress and channeling frustration among the party’s base over how those in office are responding to President Donald Trump.
There’s even been some agitation for change within the party’s leadership apparatus. David Hogg, the 25-year-old Democratic National Committee vice chair, pledged to spend $20 million funding primary challenges to “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats in safely blue districts.
Taking on Lynch in a primary won’t be a cake walk . The South Boston Democrat faced a primary challenge from the left in 2020, when he defeated Robbie Goldstein, a doctor and an infectious disease specialist, by more than 30 points .
It’s not the only generational debate Lynch may be about to be embroiled in, as members of his party vie for the a top spot on the House Oversight Committee after Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) announced his plans to step down last month . Connolly tapped Lynch to lead Democrats on the powerful committee in his stead in the interim — a position Lynch said he’s seeking to make permanent — but a slew of younger members including Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) are already maneuvering to make their own bids.
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announce new initiatives to support older adults at 10:30 a.m. in Plymouth. Healey speaks at the 34th annual Small Business and Entrepreneur of the Year Awards hosted by the Metro South Chamber of Commerce at noon in Brockton. Driscoll speaks at the Associated Industries of Massachusetts annual meeting at 8:30 a.m. in Boston, attends the Soccer Unity Project's 2025 Unity Ball at 6 p.m. in Boston and speaks at a Latinos for Education event at 7 p.m. in Revere. Sen. Ed Markey hosts a press conference on cuts to rural internet access at 10 a.m. in D.C. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a coffee hour at 10 a.m. in Jamaica Plain and participates in an annual disability community forum at 2:15 p.m. downtown.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .
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DATELINE BEACON HILL
— Mass. Senate will ‘explore’ ban on cellphones in public schools, top Democrat says by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “Massachusetts Senate leaders will ‘explore’ legislation to ban cellphones in the state’s public schools, the chamber’s top Democrat said Wednesday, giving momentum to the push on Beacon Hill to curb students’ phone use during school hours. Senate President Karen E. Spilka told Boston-area business leaders Wednesday that the idea has broad support, and that at least 18 other states have already passed laws limiting phones in schools. Governor Maura Healey told reporters at a separate event Wednesday that she, too, backs ‘reining in’ students’ use of phones while in class.”
— Spilka eyes sales tax exemption to encourage housing by Alison Kuznitz, State House News Service: “Senate Democrats are moving to study the trade-offs associated with suspending the sales tax on construction materials used in multifamily housing projects, potentially forgoing some state revenue in a bid to encourage badly-needed housing production. Senate President Karen Spilka said a forthcoming proposal from Sen. Julian Cyr, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, will explore nixing the sales tax on building materials used for multifamily housing developments in conjunction with the Healey administration. The president's comments on the idea drew applause from the audience at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event Wednesday.”
****MARIANO'S ARGUMENT DEFENDING A PARKING GARAGE IS OUTDATED 'OLD SCHOOL' ! 500 CARS IN AN ALREADY CONGESTED AREA? HAS ANYONE CONSIDERED THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OR THE POSSIBILITY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? THE MASS GENERAL COMPLEX HAS AN MBTA STOP ACROSS THE STREET. THE LONGWOOD AREA HAS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NOT AS EASILY ACCESSIBLE, BUT IT'S AVAILABLE....THE MASS GOP BLOVIATORS COULDN'T EVEN GET THEIR HEADLINES STRAIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THEIR PROPAGANDA!****
In a statement to the Globe, Mariano defended the move, saying the money would pay for an “essential component” of the new health care facility.
It gave a leg up to the city of Quincy, which is building a 500-spot parking garage for a new Beth Israel Deaconess-run medical facility, according to The Boston Globe, which was the first to report the news.
“Providing support for key transportation infrastructure projects, especially projects that are related to the health and well-being of our residents, is one of the most fundamental ways that state government can better the lives of the people that it serves,” Mariano said, according to the newspaper.
Quincy has gone all-in on the project, investing $157 million to build a pair of parking garages in Quincy Center, according to the local Patriot-Ledger newspaper.
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
— Wu challenger emerges from inside Boston City Hall by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “A dozen people have expressed interest in taking on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu as she runs for a second term. An attorney who works for her is among them. John F. Houton, who lives in the city’s South End and often walks to work, has been employed as an attorney for Boston City Hall for nearly 20 years. Houton, 58, has served as an assistant corporation counsel, starting under the late Mayor Tom Menino, continuing into the Marty Walsh and Wu administrations, representing the city in various legal matters. He is currently in-house counsel for City Hall’s treasury department, which handles money, property, and securities acquired by the city.”
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
****REAL ID SCAM! ****
— Real ID deadline flew by smoothly at Logan by Robert Goulston, GBH News: “The enhanced identification requirement, known as Real ID, for domestic flights took effect Wednesday — and most travelers at Boston’s Logan Airport came prepared. Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Dan Velez said by early afternoon, nearly 90% of Logan’s domestic fliers were compliant. TSA agents pushed those without an approved ID — such as a Real ID, a passport or a military identification card — through a different line for additional security screening.”
EYES ON 2026
****SCRUTINIZE ALL CANDIDATES WHO HAVE NOT HELD ELECTED OFFICE WITHIN THE PUBLIC EYE! MIKE KENNEALY AVOIDED SCRUTINY, NO NAME RECOGNITION & NOW CHALLENGES THE MASSACHUSETTS CAMPAIGN LIMITS! KENNEALY IS A MAGA CANDIDATE!***
— Mass Dems. call for state to investigate donations to Republican Mike Kennealy’s gov campaign by John L. Micek, MassLive: “Massachusetts Democrats have called on the state’s campaign finance watchdog to investigate what they’re describing as ‘multiple violations’ of state law by Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike Kennealy’s campaign. The call for the probe is tied to recent reporting by The Boston Herald that Kennealy, a former senior Baker administration official, accepted a series of contributions in April that exceeded the state’s individual donation limit.”
POOR LITTLE BLOVIATOR LOGAN TRUPIANO! HE'S LIKE A LITTLE ATTACK DOG...ALWAYS OFF BASE, SNARLING & INEFFECTIVE!
excerpts:
“The fact that the MassDems are trying to manufacture outrage over this routine matter only underscores one thing: they know Maura Healey is politically vulnerable and are desperate to distract from her failures,” Trupiano said.
Kennealy, a Lexington resident who was Baker’s housing and economic development czar, said he’s already committed to spending $2 million of his own money in his bid to unseat Healey, who said in February that she’s running for a second term.
***TRUMPER MIKE KENNEALY IS BRAIN DEAD TO NOT RECOGNIZE THE MANDATES OF THE MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT! THIS IS THE CLOWN WHO WANTS TO HOLD OFFICE?
NOTICE HOW THESE CLOWNS FLOCK TO THE BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG!
MUST READ!
GUESS MIKE KINNEALY MISSED THE MASSIVE ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS!
IF YOU WANT TO ELECT TRUMP THE ECONOMIC DESTRUCTIONIST, SUPPORT MIKE KENNEALY!****
— GOP’s Mike Kennealy ‘never’ thought MBTA Communities Act would lead to lawsuits by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Mike Kennealy, a Republican candidate for governor and former housing and economic development secretary, blasted the Healey administration for targeting cities and towns that do not abide by a controversial transit-oriented zoning law with legal action. In an interview with the Herald, Kennealy said he would not advocate for the repeal of a contentious shelter law but rather push for further reforms. He also described a 2017 immigration-related state court ruling as a ‘real problem,’ and vowed to work with President Donald Trump if elected governor.”
***BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG IGNORES FACTS!
A CANNED POLL THAT PRESENTS 'INFORMATION' IS MEANINGLESS!
CARPETBAGGER, CRYPTO SCAMMER & PERENNIAL LIAR SHOULD HAVE LOST BY MORE IF "R" VOTERS INFORMED THEMSELVES...WHICH THEY DON'T! DEATON VOTED 3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS?
A survey conducted by Survey USA and paid for by backers of Deaton found he initially trails Markey by 19 points in a 2026 matchup. But after some background information is shared, Deaton leads Markey by 3 points, according to the survey.
CARPETBAGGER & PERENNIAL LIAR JOHN DEATON STOOD IN FRONT OF THE SAGAMORE BRIDGE SURROUNDED BY OTHER BRAIN DEAD REPUBLICANS & BLAMED SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN FOR LACK OF FUNDING - A LIE!
JOHN DEATON'S LIES WERE BAD ENOUGH, BUT HE WAS SURROUNDED BY BRAIN DEAD MASS GOP WHO ENDORSED HIS LIES!
— John Deaton, former challenger to Warren, considering a run against Ed Markey by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “John Deaton, who ran last year as a Republican against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, is considering challenging U.S. Sen. Ed Markey during the 2026 election. But there are caveats. ‘I would consider running again, but if I ran again, I wouldn’t run against a Trump-endorsed candidate in the primary because I’m not interested in running against President Trump,’ Deaton said. ‘Now, if it looked like … President Trump and the administration approved of my candidacy because they see that I can win, and I didn’t have to spend all my money to win a primary, then absolutely I would think about it again.’”
Not to belabor the sad truth about the ignorance of "R" VOTERS, but in the last several MASSACHUSETTS ELECTIONS, I have posted readily available REPUBLICAN LIES that MASS GOP candidates have spewed.
One noteworthy candidate was CRYPTO SCAAMMER JOHN DEATON who ran against SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN.
JOHN DEATON is a CARPETBAGGER, never lived in MASSACHUSETTS. HE VOTED 3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS.
JOHN DEATON stood in front of one of the CAPE COD BRIDGES surrounded by other MASS GOP LIARS & blamed Sen. Warren for the FAILURE TO FUND THE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT....except it was ALL LIES!
The 2 BRIDGES are owned by the ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS - TRUMP SLASHED FUNDING!
(The replacement bridges are complex because they are heavily traveled so can't simply be shut down. One bridge is A RAILROAD BRIDGE that lowers for train traffic & might be at risk of collapse.)
Neither REPUBLICANS nor MASS GOP spoke out for funding!
"R" VOTERS ARE LAZY - LOOK IT UP!
THESE ARE A FEW OF THE MASS GOP DIM WITS WHO DID NOTHING TO FIGHT
FOR FUNDING...JOHNNY COME LATELY: WHINE & BLAME OTHERS FOR THEIR FAILURES:
State Representative Steven Xiarhos (R-Barnstable)
State Representative Matt Muratore (R-Plymouth)
Christopher Lauzon, candidate for the Cape and Islands State Senate district
Susanne Conley, candidate for the Second Barnstable State Representative district
Whack-A-Ding KARI MACRAE
MASSACHUSETTS, along with other states, was a VICTIM of STEWARD'S HOSPITAL SCAMS & STEWARD'S BANKRUPTCY. JOHN DEATON attended one public meeting & spewed NONSENSE because he's ignorant of BANKRUPTCY LAWS.
John Deaton, a candidate in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, speaks near the Sagamore Bridge. With him are state legislative candidates Kari MacRae, Susanne Conley, and Christopher Lauzon.
THAT MAKES JOHN DEATON A LIAR!
JOHN DEATON WAS SURROUNDED BY OTHER BRAIN DEAD REPUBLICANS
AT THE TIME.... JOHN DEATON HAD SO LITTLE INTEREST IN POLITICS THAT HE VOTED
3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS!
I am a firm believer in NOT SUPPORTING ANY CANDIDATE who has never held
ELECTED OFFICE!
In addition, that CRYPTO SCAMMER JOHN DEATON LIED about the CAPE COD
BRIDGE FUNDING defines a candidate willing to MISINFORM VOTERS....
MASSACHUSETTS does not need of deserve a LIAR!
In addition, JOHN DEATON has LIED about SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN's
RECORD!
JOHN DEATON insists he would only vote for legislation the benefits
MASSACHUETTS....that's a narrow & deceiving focus that does not
protect ALL AMERICANS! SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN authored CFPB - CONSUMER FINANCIAL
PROTECTION BUREAU that REPUBLICANS have fought to destroy. It's
the only government agency that fights abuse to protect CONSUMERS -
THAT'S YOU!
There's a great deal of information available about Senator Warren's actions--
some of which seem pretty dull & boring, but they matter!
MEGABANKS have record breaking DERIVATIVES & HEDGE FUND INVESTMENTS
that duplicate the previous economic crash - the FEDERAL RESERVE is not
reigning them in, but rather lowering the CASH RESERVE LIMITS....that's a sleeper
if there ever was one...BUT IT'S IMPORTANT!
CRYPTO SCAMMER JOHN DEATON is promoting CRYPTO (& his supporters are CRYPTO SCAMMERS) that is UNREGULATED and has been BANNED IN CHINA & OTHER NATIONS....WARREN BUFFETT called
CRYPTO 'RAT POISON SQUARED' !
DAY IN COURT
— Court rules Rümeysa Öztürk be transferred to Vermont, denying Trump administration’s appeal by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “A federal appeals court on Wednesday morning ordered the Trump administration to comply with a lower court order to transfer Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk from ICE detention in Louisiana to Vermont. The ruling comes a day after a three-judge panel for the 2nd Circuit for the U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments over the administration’s request to pause Vermont District Court Judge William Session’s order to move Öztürk ahead of a Vermont court appearance in the case about her detention.”
****SJC CHALLENGE!****
— Should Massachusetts judges be able to raise criminal defendants’ bail to prevent deportation? The state’s highest court will decide. by Sean Cotter, The Boston Globe: “As state and federal authorities clash over deportation matters in the Trump era, Massachusetts’ highest court will decide whether a state judge can increase the bail of someone facing deportation in an effort to keep them in the country to answer for criminal charges. This issue came before the Supreme Judicial Court for a hearing Wednesday through the case of Cory Alvarez, whose charges became a symbol of the safety issues at state-run emergency shelters last year after he was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in a Rockland hotel housing migrants.”
— POST Commission, court system at odds over training of constables for eviction by Sam Turken, GBH News: “When a resident is evicted or foreclosed on, the state’s Housing Court can send a constable to ensure the person leaves the property. Some housing advocates and a state board in charge of police oversight argue constables should have additional training, similar to what police officers must go through. The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission says it’s a precaution in case the move-outs escalate and become unsafe. But the Massachusetts Trial Court, which manages the Housing Court, disagrees with POST, and says the board is overstepping its authority in asking for that change.”
THE LOCAL ANGLE
***MILLBURY!****
— Millbury approves MBTA housing law, zoning changes for land at town meeting by Kinga Borondy, Telegram & Gazette: “Residents attending the annual Millbury town meeting May 6 voted to accept state requirements outlined in the MBTA Communities Act and approved the change in zoning for several parcels to allow multifamily housing to be constructed on the tracts by right. The 130 to 150 residents in attendance at Millbury High School voted on two possible maps, approving one showing three tracts.”
— Mass. business confidence plummets to lowest level since pandemic onset by William Hall, Boston Business Journal: “For the third month in a row, a barometer of confidence in the Massachusetts economy has plunged, reaching a low not seen since Covid-19 shuttered businesses at the onset of the pandemic. The AIM Business Confidence Index, updated and released Wednesday by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, sank 4.5 points in April to 41.5 on the 100-point scale. That level was 10.4 points lower than the year-earlier period.”
****TRUMP IS SLASHING FOOD FUNDING! MASS GOP ARE SILENT! HUNGRY CHILDREN & FAMILIES ARE ACCEPTABLE? MASS GOP WHINE & COMPLAIN...NO SOLUTIONS! LOOK IN THE MIRROR: CHILDREN HAVE NO FOOD! MASS GOP BLABBER...NEVER ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE!***
“I’m just trying to get the lay of the land,” said Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
The Food Bank, with its headquarters in Chicopee, is to date missing $440,000 in delivered food due to service cuts and budget restructuring ordered by the new Trump administration.
“We are fundraising. We are doing food collections, trying to get what we need,” Morehouse said. “We are bracing for cuts to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno summed up the mood of the 30-or-so officials in the conference room.
“Things aren’t changing daily now, they’re changing every five minutes,” Sarno said.
Palfrey, a one-time official in the Obama and Biden administrations and Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said major Biden-era legislation — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — raised funding in the state and are still on the books. The infrastructure bill alone allocated $6 billion in federal funds to support over 190 projects across the state.
“Yeah, it’s a dynamic environment,” he said. “And you know, that is a challenge, I think, for a lot of our partners in cities, towns and tribes. And one of the resources that I think that our office offers is really to work in partnership with communities to give good information on what’s going on. “
Palfrey’s office takes a whole-government approach to pursuing federal funds using MassDOT and MassTech, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
“We have a number of issues around urban forestry, around water, around broadband, around clean energy and environmental justice, resiliency, decarbonization,” Palfrey said. “So it really runs the gamut of programs that’s been true in terms of the new resources that Congress has made available.”
Major transportation projects, like the Cape Cod bridges and, in Springfield, west-east passenger rail, were also top-of-mind.
For passenger rail, the federal government has already announced a CRISI — Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements — grant of $108 million in federal funding announced two years ago and another $37 million for rail improvements reliving a “chokepoint” at Springfield Union Station announced in October.
MassDOT also previously received a $1.75 million CRISI grant for preliminary engineering for the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project.
The Healey administration steadfastly says it’s “full steam ahead,” the governor’s words, on west-east rail.
“And we’re working hard to move those programs forward,” Palfrey said.
But the Trump administration says it wants to link transportation funding to places with higher marriage and birth rates.
Who are pronatalists, the people who want women to start having a lot more babies?
excerpt:
HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH
SPOTTED — seated baseline at last night’s Celtics playoff game: former Gov. Charlie Baker a seat away from new New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Francy Wade, Dana Sprole, Janis Lippman, Tom McCuin, Dave Lam, David Brade, Robert Horvitz and Kelley Greenman.
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