| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky | | | With help from Kelly Garrity POLLS ARE OPEN — Incumbents are fighting for their political lives in a series of high-profile preliminary elections from Boston to Springfield. Here are five cities we’re watching today: — EMBATTLED IN BOSTON: Boston’s preliminary City Council contests will test support for three incumbents embroiled in controversies and the extent of Mayor Michelle Wu’s political influence. Kendra Lara (District 6), Tania Fernandes Anderson (District 7) and Ricardo Arroyo (District 5) will face voters for the first time since the former crashed her car into a Jamaica Plain house in late June and the latter two paid civil penalties for violating the state conflict of interest law. Arroyo was also entangled in the alleged ethics violations that led to U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’ downfall. He lost his last race, for Suffolk district attorney, after the Boston Globe surfaced decade-old allegations of sexual misconduct that Arroyo has repeatedly denied and was never charged for. Progressive groups have rallied behind Lara and Arroyo. The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald have endorsed against both, with the former picking Ben Weber in D6 and Enrique Pepén in D5 and the latter backing William King in D6, Jose Ruiz in D5 and Jerome King in D7. Lara and Arroyo are considered more at risk than Anderson today, but it would still be surprising if voters kept these incumbents off the November ballot. “I have done my best to take responsibility and accountability for the mistake that I made,” Lara told Playbook last night, fresh off sending supporters out to canvass around Forest Hills in the rain. “My hope is my constituents … feel like my worst moment should not overshadow the work we have done the last two years.” Hear more from Lara on NBC10. It’s Wu versus Marty Walsh (ah, the matchup that never was) versus Arroyo in D5. The current mayor is campaigning for Pepén, her former head of neighborhood services. The former mayor is supporting Ruiz, who worked on his security detail. Wu already got one of her picks onto the council this year — Sharon Durkan, who won this summer’s special District 8 election. Now she’s attempting to get Pepén onto the November ballot in her home district, after pointedly endorsing against her former colleague and past political ally. “We need someone that people can rely on,” Wu said at a get-out-the-vote event for Pepén over the weekend. Arroyo, meanwhile, told Playbook he’ll continue to “work hard for every vote” until polls close at 8 p.m.
|  The Boston City Council convenes, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. | AP | — HISTORY IN HAVERHILL: Voters in this Merrimack Valley city will pick their first new mayor in two decades after Jim Fiorentini said he was retiring after this term. Today’s preliminary will whittle the five-person field of City Councilor Melinda Barrett, School Committee member Scott Wood, George Eleftheriou, Debra Campanile and Guy Everett Cooper down to two. The race is not without controversy: Wood faced allegations of misconduct that were surfaced by WHAV earlier this year. Wood denied the allegations and sued the city for releasing the police background check that contained them, but dropped the lawsuit in July. — VETERAN MAYORS AT RISK: A trio of incumbent mayors are battling to get on their cities' November ballots. In Springfield, Mayor Domenic Sarno faces three prominent challengers — City Council President Jesse Lederman, Councilor Justin Hurst and state Rep. Orlando Ramos — and psychotherapist David Ciampi in what’s poised to be his toughest race since his first run for mayor. MassLive has your candidate profiles. Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt is facing first-time candidates Rochelle Agneta and Rob Stevens — his first challengers since being elected to the top job in 2011. In Waltham, 19-year Mayor Jeannette McCarthy is facing off against City Councilor Jonathan Paz and Duane David Champagne Sr. Two advance in each contest. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. We'll bring you the results in all these races tomorrow. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey attends a NGA meeting at 9 a.m. in Manchester, N.H. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends meetings of the Economic Development Planning Council at 10 a.m. and the Local Government Advisory Council at 1 p.m. at the State House. Wu is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at 10 a.m. at HighRes Biosolutions in Beverly. Tips? Scoops? Preliminary-election predictions? Email me: lkashinsky@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. | | | |  | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — MIGRANT-RESPONSE REBUKE: Democratic state Rep. Bill Driscoll Jr. heard what the Healey administration had to say about the state of the state’s emergency shelter system last week. Now the emergency expert and co-chair of the Legislature’s emergency preparedness committee is slamming the state’s efforts, calling on the governor to overhaul her administration's “chaotic” response to the migrant surge that’s contributed to roughly 800 families entering the shelter system in the past month. “The Administration is underutilizing existing structures and frameworks that are in place to support communication and coordination in times of emergency,” Driscoll wrote in a nod to the emergency Gov. Maura Healey declared last month. “We are entering a new phase of the crisis. It is well past time for the Commonwealth’s plan and approach to evolve.” Read the letter. — “‘We want a welcoming community’: shelter for migrant families sparks divisive debate in Quincy,” by John Hilliard and Vivi Smilgius, Boston Globe: “An emergency state shelter for dozens of migrant families at a local college has sparked a divisive debate in the city, as supporters argue that the community has a duty to help people in need while critics say Quincy should take care of its own residents first.”
| | | | 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 | | — BALLOT BATTLE: Attorney General Andrea Campbell certified the proposed ballot question that would codify Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s authority to audit the Legislature over the objections of the Senate. State House News Service’s Sam Doran reports that Senate Counsel James DiTullio sent a letter to Campbell calling on her to reject the DiZoglio-backed petition because it should have been filed as a constitutional amendment — a different ballot process. More from SHNS (paywall). — “Bill would force change in state flag, motto,” by Christian M. Wade, Daily News of Newburyport: “The legislation, if approved, would require the state Legislature to pass a measure ordering a change to the seal. If the Legislature fails to do, the governor would be required to issue an executive order mandating the changes.” — “Opponents of Leominster birthing center closure want Healey to declare state of emergency,” by Kinga Borondy, Telegram & Gazette: “A coalition of Central Massachusetts legislators fighting the impending shuttering of the Leominster birthing center want Gov. Maura Healey to declare a state of emergency to address declining maternal health outcomes and force the parent health system to abandon its plans.” UMass Memorial Health is moving forward with its plan to close the unit anyway.
| | | | A message from Endicott College:   | | | | | FROM THE HUB | | — YOU DIDN’T THINK WE FORGOT D3, DID YOU? Fresh faces are guaranteed in Boston’s District 3, where centrist stalwart Frank Baker opted out of running for another City Council term. The seven candidates vying to replace him range from the more moderate, Marty Walsh-and-Boston-Herald-backed John FitzGerald, to Deval Patrick alum Matt Patton, to Boston Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed Joel Richards. Which two candidates make it through will help determine whether this Dorchester-based district could lurch to the left. More on the D3 candidates from the Dorchester Reporter. — NOTHING TO SEE HERE: DCR may have finally cracked the code on how to stop people from crashing their moving trucks into the bridges on Storrow Drive. After a series of video PSAs that started by parodying that famously heart-wrenching BC SPCA ad set to Sarah McLachlan’s song “Angel” and continued on to use clips from “The Office,” the Department of Conservation and Recreation reported no instances of “Storrowing” on move-in weekend. A truck struck a bridge on Soldiers Field Road a few days later, but that’s a different story. Here’s DCR’s Ryan Hutton delivering the good news — with another parody, of course.
| | 2024 WATCH | | — “GOP considers ballot fee for presidential hopefuls,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “MassGOP chairwoman Amy Carnevale said she is proposing a $20,000 per candidate ‘ballot access fee’ for the party's leadership to place the names of contenders on the GOP primary ballot. … Carnevale said the fee system would be two-tiered, with the option for presidential hopefuls to reduce the charge to $10,000 if they're a featured guest of the party at gatherings or meet-and-greet events ahead of the primary.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Brockton schools assistant CFO rang deficit alarm in 2022,” by Christopher Butler, Brockton Enterprise: “Brockton Public Schools' Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chris Correia, who was put on administrative leave in early September after the announcement of the $14.4 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2023, had warned school district Chief Financial Officer Aldo Petronio of the impending financial crisis as early as July 2022, according to emails obtained by The Enterprise on Monday. Attorneys representing Correia also informed city and school district officials that they plan to file a lawsuit against the city for violating the Massachusetts Whistleblower Protection Act by retaliating against Correia when they placed him on leave.” — “A Framingham City Council candidate no longer wants it. Why there's still a primary,” by Jesse Collings, MetroWest Daily News: “There's only one race in the city's Sept. 19 preliminary election this year, and if not for a just-too-late withdrawal, there would be no need to hold the event at all. Jose Ferreira, one of three candidates who qualified for the ballot in the race for District 9 city councilor, announced on social media that he was bowing out of the race. He cited an incident in which his wife received racist messages on social media from anonymous posters.” — “Boston-based DraftKings slammed after offering ‘never forget’ sports parlay on 9/11,” by Frank O’Laughlin, Boston 25 News.
| | | | 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 — Reggie Ramos will be the new executive director of Transportation for Massachusetts. She previously was deputy director of pilots and innovation at the MBTA. — Kristen J. Fallon is now a real estate partner at Nixon Peabody in Boston. — Heather M. Boutet is now partner at Parker Scheer LLP. — Christopher Huntley is now VP of executive communications for the Human Rights Campaign. He’s formerly a speechwriter for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign and most recently at Blue State. — Bruce Haynes is now SVP for corporate and external affairs at Charles River Laboratories. He most recently was partner and global co-chairman of crisis communications and issues management at FGS Global. — Caitlin Delehanty is now communications specialist at the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to POLITICO’s Ben Schreckinger, former Massachusetts U.S. senator and U.S. ambassador Scott Brown, Waterville Consulting Principal Sean Curran and MassGIS’ Paul Nutting. 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 | | | | 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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