Candidates for chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party will have the opportunity to make their case to Democratic State Committee members at a candidates’ forum, Framingham Library - McAuliffe Branch, 746 Water St., Framingham, 7 p.m.
| Today's News |
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| Hassan declared winner in N.H., Ayotte concedes |
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Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, has been officially declared the winner in the incredibly close U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire. And in a somewhat surprising move, Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte has conceded the race, meaning there may not be a recount of the election after all, even though Hassan won by a mere 1,023 votes, reports Allie Morris at the Concord Monitor.
Concord Monitor |
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| Brady takes heat for a Trump vote that may not even be counted |
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Now that the elections are officially over, we can get back to pre-election issues of serious importance, such as Tom Brady’s alleged/apparent absentee vote for Donald Trump. It turns out No. 12 did vote by absentee ballot on Monday in Brookline. But town officials had no record that Brady was registered to vote, so they only allowed him to cast a provisional ballot, meaning it may not count if they determine within 10 days that he was indeed not registered, reports CommonWealth’s Michael Jonas. But Brady claims he properly registered via mail. So there’s still a mystery surrounding Tom’s vote. We need more reporters on this story – now!
CommonWealth |
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| Goldberg on opening pot shops: Not so fast |
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Treasurer Deb Goldberg, whose office is tasked with regulating marijuana sales now that Question 4 has passed, is calling on legislators “to extend the deadline for opening retail shops beyond the January 2018 target date so she has time to build an effective oversight force,” reports the Globe’s Joshua Miller. “If the world is moving toward recreational marijuana, then we have to do it correctly,” she said, adding “nobody wants to do this in a sloppy fashion.” She’s also asking lawmakers to increase the 3.75 percent pot tax, as stipulated in Question 4, and nix a provision allowing people to grow up to 12 marijuana plants per household, Miller writes. Meanwhile, SHNS’s Andy Metzger and Colin Young report (pay wall) that Gov. Baker, an outspoken opponent of Question 4, wants a “more efficient process of permitting retail pot shops than the extensive procedures the state engaged in to implement medical marijuana.” |
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| Not even Gateway cities went for Question 2 |
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During the heated pre-election debate over Question 2, proponents consistently argued that the charter-school measure would mostly benefit students in struggling urban schools and that suburban voters should help them by voting for Question 2. But it turns out that not even voters in Gateway Cities favored expansion of charter schools. Based on state figures we reviewed, here are the “no” vote percentages for Question 2 in cities across the state: Brockton, 61.7 percent; Chelsea, 55.2 percent; Fall River, 56.1 percent; Lowell, 56.8 percent; Lawrence, 56.4 percent; Pittsfield, 68.9 percent; Springfield, 58.6 percent; Worcester, 61.7 percent. In Boston, 61.6 percent opposed Question 2.
Bottom line: Question 2 failed not because of suburban voters, but because voters across the state emphatically said “no” to the measure. The Globe’s James Vaznis notes that nearly every Massachusetts community rejected the ballot question. Here’s the Globe’s town-by-town vote counts on Question 2. |
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| So how’s that Question 2 strategy working, Rep. Moulton? |
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As voters went to the polls on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton went on the air at WGBH to say he reluctantly favored Question 2, the charter school expansion initiative, as a way to “force” Gov. Charlie Baker and lawmakers to “do their jobs” in terms of school funding. But that strategy obviously didn’t work. Question 2 failed. And you gotta be wondering what the victorious teachers’ unions are thinking about Moulton’s stance now that Question 2 has gone down in flames.
WGBH
| Anti-Trump rallies break out in Boston and elsewhere across country |
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From the Boston Herald: “Thousands of angry demonstrators flooded the streets of Boston last night to march in protest of President-elect Donald Trump’s stunning election victory in a raucous scene that played out in cities from New York to Los Angeles.” SHNS reports (pay wall) that more than 4,000 people said on Facebook before the rally that they intended to head to Boston Common last evening for the rally – and, sure enough, that’s roughly how many were there. The rally was organized by the Boston Socialist Students, Boston Socialist Alternative and Boston Movement for the 99%. The NYT has more on all the anti-Trump happenings across the country. |
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| Hillary’s Gender Gap problems |
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CommonWealth’s Jack Sullivan had a real smart day-after analysis of what happened to Hillary on Tuesday and the voters she failed to convince. From Jack: “Men supported Trump by 12 points, with non-college educated white males voting for the billionaire by a nearly 3-1 margin and those with college degrees favoring him by 15 points. But women didn’t hold the line, with barely more than half of college-educated white women pulling the lever for Clinton while non-college educated white female voters sided with Trump by a 2-1 margin.”
Clare Malone at FiveThirtyEight confirms those numbers and goes over other stats that show how Hillary failed to connect with so many key voters. |
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| Is it political payback time for Massachusetts? |
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Some are worried that Donald Trump may hold a grudge against Massachusetts after the election, considering the Bay State, overall, went heavily for Clinton on Tuesday and considering local pols like U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren were among his harshest critics before the election, reports the Globe’s Stephanie Ebbert. The big question, to some, is whether he might try to get even somehow. The idea seems a little far-fetched to us. But here's our suggestion, just in case: Appoint Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as the state's goodwill ambassadors to the White House.
Boston Globe |
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| Blue Massachusetts is growing a little 'red in the middle’ |
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Although Hillary Clinton carried Massachusetts by a comfortable margin—her third -largest margin of victory nationwide—some regions of the state continued to show growing Republican strength. Here’s some examples:
-- Brad Petrishen of the Telegram reports that like the U.S. overall, Massachusetts is growing “red in the middle,” with central Mass. voters more likely to cast ballots for GOP candidates than the rest of the state. Trump won 41 of 70 communities in the heart of the Commonwealth.
-- Even in the reliably Democratic Berkshires, Trump gained more votes than either John McCain in 2008 or Mitt Romney in 2012, the Berkshire Eagle reports, with Trump doing especially well in small, rural communities.
-- And Rebecca Hyman of the Taunton Gazette reports that while the city of Taunton voted overwhelmingly in favor of Clinton, many of the surrounding communities were more likely to favor Trump. The GOP has done well in the Taunton area, with Rep. Shauna O’Connell—who won re-election Tuesday—among the state’s most high-profile Republican lawmakers. |
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| Will Alec Baldwin do his Trump imitation at HubSpot conference? |
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Boston’s HubSpot, the uber-hip marketing firm, is hosting its sprawling Inbound 2016 conference this week, a star studded event with appearances by movie and music star Anna Kendrick on Thursday and actor Alec Baldwin, aka SNL’s Donald Trump, on Friday morning, reports the BBJ’s Kelly O’Brien. It’s not clear if Baldwin, who’s apparently into podcasts these days, will actually appear in Boston or via a feed– and there’s no word on a possible now President-elect Donald Trump imitation.
BBJ
| Campanale looks ahead |
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Fresh off her re-election in one of the most hotly contested races in the state, Rep. Kate Campanale told the Telegram’s Craig Semon she is eager to get back to work at the State House and push legislation to benefit her Worcester County district. The Republican—who defeated challengers Moses Dixon in a race marked by accusations of domestic violence against Dixon—said re-filing a bill to address student loan issues is among her top priorities.
The Telegram |
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| North Shore towns report early vote problems |
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Election results were delayed in the towns of Beverly and Danvers due to issues with counting ballots cast during the state’s first-ever early voting period, Arianna MacNeil of the Salem News reports. Some election workers struggled to process ballots that had been folded in thirds to fit them into the sealed envelopes that were later opened to be counted on election day.
Salem News |
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| Election over, Easton fires clerk |
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With the election over and votes counted, the town of Easton moved to fire its town clerk, who officials say was responsible for an eight-year lapse in sending locally approved bylaws to the attorney general’s office for final certification. Cody Shepard of the Brockton Enterprise reports that Town Administrator David Colton made the move to “restore public confidence” in the clerk’s office. The town is still sifting through what the lack of certification may mean for local regulations.
Enterprise |
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| Springfield’s Smith & Wesson is changing its name |
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Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., the famous Springfield gun-maker that traces its roots back to 1852, is changing its name to American Outdoor Brands Corp. to better reflect the wider range of its products today, the BBJ’s David Harris reports. But fear not, traditionalists: It’s keeping the Smith & Wesson brand for its most famous gun products. "Changing our name is not intended to diminish the importance of the Smith & Wesson brand in our portfolio," the company said.
BBJ |
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| Cheers (we think): Westborough nabs 22 new liquor licenses |
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Using a legislative shortcut to bypass the usually lengthy home-rule process, the town of Westborough has been granted 22 additional liquor licenses that the town says will help unlock pent-up economic development, Sam Bonacci of the Worcester Business Journal reports. The on-site pouring licenses will be meted out over the next three years to restaurants and other establishments.
Worcester Business Journal
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