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Presented by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's Election Day!
Across the state, voters will head to the polls today for municipal elections. Here are a few of the races I'm keeping an eye on today:
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL RACE: Boston could elect its most diverse city council ever today. Two at-large candidates, Alejandra St. Guillen and Julia Mejia, could become the first Latinas elected to the city council. There are also interesting dynamics playing out in the contested races for seats representing Districts 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. Plus, this election is a way to gauge Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu's strength across the city ahead of 2021, when some speculate she may run for mayor. Wu was the top vote-getter in the city's preliminary election earlier this fall.
FALL RIVER MAYOR'S RACE: It's likely that Fall River will finally part with troubled Mayor Jasiel Correia today. Correia recently stepped away from his role as the city's leader after a tumultuous year. Correia was arrested twice, and he was recalled and reelected on the same ballot several months ago. Fall River school committee member Paul Coogan is the only other name on the ballot with Correia, and City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros is waging a write-in campaign.
WESTFIELD MAYOR'S RACE: Republican state Sen. Don Humason and Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe are vying for the mayor's office in Westfield. If Humason wins, his state Senate seat would become up for grabs. State Rep. John Velis, a Democrat, has already said he'll run for Humason's seat if it opens up. A Democratic victory for Humason's seat would chip away at the already anemic Republican presence in the state Senate.
MELROSE MAYOR'S RACE: State Rep. Paul Brodeur is on the ballot today. He's running for mayor of Melrose against City Councilor Monica Medeiros. A preliminary election earlier this fall left Brodeur ahead by several hundred votes — he led with 2,576, while Medeiros got 2,397. If Brodeur wins the mayoral race today, it will spur a race for his state legislative seat.
NEWTON CITY COUNCIL RACE: The race for Newton City Council is crowded and contentious. A number of seats on the council are hotly contested in the politically active city. The race is also a way to size up the viability of at least one the six candidates running to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III in Congress. Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss, who is running for the open House seat, is on the ballot today and faces a challenge.
TAUNTON MAYOR'S RACE: Republican state Rep. Shaunna O'Connell and Taunton City Councilor Estele Borges are squaring off in a mayoral race that's been closely watched in Taunton and on Beacon Hill. Before announcing outgoing Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. would take a job in Gov. Charlie Baker's administration, the governor's office gave O'Connell a courtesy heads-up. The catch: The appointment was announced just before nominating papers were due in the mayor's race, which meant others who wanted to run for the open seat were caught flat-footed. Baker's administration and O'Connell say the mayoral race was not discussed ahead of time, but some saw the move as Baker's administration tipping the scales in favor of the Republican O'Connell.
NEW: YOUNG VOTERS PREFER SANDERS, WARREN — Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are the leading Democratic presidential candidates among young Americans, according to a new poll from the Harvard Institute of Politics.
The national youth poll surveyed voters ages 18 to 29 between Oct. 15 and Oct. 28. The poll shows Sanders topping the field with 28 percent, and Warren six percentage points behind him at 22 percent. Former Vice President Joe Biden is in third place among young voters, with 16 percent. No other candidates polled in the double digits. When the poll was last conducted in the spring, Warren polled at 4 percent among young voters. The Bay State Democrat has seen an 18-percentage-point rise over the last eight months or so.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at a ribbon cutting for the new Henry L. Higginson K-2 School playground. Rep. Seth Moulton is a guest on WGBH's "Greater Boston." Rep. Ayanna Pressley speaks at a student forum organized by the Boston University College Democrats. Rep. Joe Kennedy III discusses transgender equality at Boston College Law School, then moderates a panel on the documentary "College Behind Bars," at the Boston Public Library.
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A message from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts:
Massachusetts, we have to do better. Healthcare decisions should be made between a patient and her doctor. Support the ROE Act today, because anything medical should never be political. Learn More |
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Spilka won't commit to take up tax bill," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "WHILE HOUSE SPEAKER ROBERT DELEO plans to advance a transportation revenue bill within the next few weeks, Senate President Karen Spilka is taking a more cautious approach, and might not follow suit if the House does act on a tax bill. After meeting with DeLeo and Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday, Spilka would not commit to actually voting on a bill to raise more money for transportation improvements this session, though she did say she thinks more revenue is needed."
- "Baker opposes 'big increase' in gas tax," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "With House Speaker Robert DeLeo eyeing a vote in the coming weeks on new transportation revenue, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday said a "big increase" in the gas tax would be a non-starter for his administration. Baker said he has already proposed policies that would bring more money into the state's transportation system without raising taxes, including a regional effort to drive down carbon emissions from vehicles with a multi-state cap-and-invest program that could lead to higher gas prices."
- "Poll Finds Mass. Workers Don't Compare Medical Costs Before Buying," by Mike Deehan, WGBH News: "A poll released Monday has found that 70 percent of Massachusetts workers with employer health care want to know how much medical procedures will cost them before having a procedure done, but don't know how to find that price information. The survey, commissioned by the Pioneer Institute and conducted by pollster David Paleologos, comes as Beacon Hill leaders are considering a massive proposal from Gov. Charlie Baker that would reshape much of the health care industry by focusing health spending by providers on primary care and behavioral health."
- "Some Massachusetts convenience stores closing Wednesday to protest proposed menthol cigarette ban," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Convenience stores across the state are planning to close for a day on Wednesday to protest a proposed ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes. Rakesh Patel, who owns eight Springfield area convenience stores, is among those planning to close his doors in protest. Patel said he does not think his stores could survive if they could no longer sell menthol or flavored tobacco products. "That's a good chunk of my revenue I wouldn't be able to sell anymore," Patel said."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Boston Mayor Marty Walsh On Free Community College, Police Body Cameras And ICE," WBUR. Link.
- "Some Boston neighborhoods face severe shortage of child care — and it's unaffordable almost everywhere," by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: "The chasm between supply and potential demand for child care is so wide across much of Boston that in some neighborhoods, there aren't enough seats for roughly half the children, according to a new report from the Boston Opportunity Agenda. Only about one in four children under the age of 5 has access to high-quality programs, as defined under state and national standards, the report found. That shortage is most pronounced in Roslindale, West Roxbury, and Hyde Park, which lack high-quality slots for nine out of every 10 children, the report found."
- "Phone booths, political memorabilia and kitchen equipment from Doyle's up for auction," by Gintautas Dumcius, Boston Business Journal: "Beer enthusiasts, political nerds and restaurant entrepreneurs, take note: A public auction of pizza ovens, neon beer signs, and memorabilia from past elections and politicians is set for Wednesday. With the closure of Doyle's in Boston's Jamaica Plain, equipment and fixtures of the former neighborhood bar are up for grabs at the 11 a.m. auction. The equipment and fixtures will be open to inspection at the pub starting at 9 a.m."
- "Massachusetts casinos keep missing their revenue targets. What's wrong?" by Andy Rosen, Boston Globe: "During the years of debate over whether to allow casinos in Massachusetts, proponents invariably returned to this point: The state was losing out on a revenue jackpot enjoyed by Connecticut and other states where gambling was legal. But with the Massachusetts gaming industry up and running at three sites, the bonanza casino operators promised when they applied for licenses here has yet to materialize. And the amped-up expectations are giving way to a more prosaic reality."
- "Workers say Museum of Science demoted them for not upselling visitors," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "A shake-up at the Museum of Science has the visitor services staff up in arms, with a recent department-wide reorganization prompting employees to voice concerns that they are being pressured into "taking as much money as possible from visitors." A number of workers at one of Boston's top tourist destinations say they are no longer allowed to work in the box office because they didn't sell enough memberships, a change that to them felt like a demotion."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- UWUA Local 369 announces early endorsement of Joe Kennedy III for U.S. Senate," from UWUA Local 369: "The Utility Workers Union of America Local 369 (UWUA Local 369) today announced its endorsement of Rep. Joe Kennedy III in his run for U.S. Senate. "We are at a unique crossroads in our country right now," said UWUA Local 369 President Craig A. Pinkham."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "T board approves commuter rail vision," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWEalth Magazine: "THE MBTA'S OVERSIGHT BOARD unanimously approved five resolutions on Monday designed to start transforming the state's commuter rail network into more of a subway-like system with electrified trains arriving every 15 to 20 minutes on the "most dense corridors." The initial phase of what could be a decades-long process, according to the resolutions, would be the Providence, Fairmount, and at least a portion of the Rockport/Newburyport line that serves Lynn, Chelsea, Revere, and Everett. The resolution calls for rapid-transit-like service on the Fairmount and Lynn corridors at subway prices."
- "MBTA Is Planning A 'Supersized' Orange Line Diversion For This Weekend," The Associated Press: "For the sixth weekend in a row, train service will be offline for most of the Orange Line to allow MBTA crews to accelerate maintenance and modernization work, but this version will be expanded, officials said Monday. Shuttle buses will replace trains between Sullivan Square and Ruggles on Saturday and Sunday, two stops more than the previous five weekends of closures that affected Sullivan Square to Tufts Medical Center."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Federal grand jury investigating municipal marijuana contracts," by Dan Adams, Felicia Gans and Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "A grand jury convened by US Attorney Andrew Lelling is investigating contracts and payments between Massachusetts municipalities and the marijuana companies they host, a major escalation of an effort by federal prosecutors to crack down on local corruption related to the burgeoning cannabis industry. At least five communities — Eastham, Leicester, Newton, Northampton, and Uxbridge — confirmed Monday that they have received subpoenas from Lelling's office seeking information about so-called host community agreements."
- "SJC to hear Baker vaping ban case," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT has agreed to hear arguments related to Gov. Charlie Baker's emergency ban on vaping products, elevating to the state's highest court a legal argument brought by the Vapor Technology Association against the administration's ban. The SJC will hear arguments in the case during its December sitting, the court announced in an order issued Monday."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "5 ways opponents are going after Warren's 'Medicare for All' plan," by Alice Miranda Ollstein, POLITICO: "Elizabeth Warren's highly detailed plan to raise the roughly $20 trillion needed to pay for "Medicare for All" opened her up to attack from all sides. While the plan won praise from progressives for going hard on the rich, drug companies and Wall Street, it generated questions about taxation, fairness and practicality that Warren is certain to face in the next Democratic debate. Here are some of the ways Warren's Democratic rivals, conservative critics and progressive wonks are going after her plan and whether those attacks are likely to hit home."
- "Elizabeth Warren is a friend to capitalists, at least those who see revolution coming," by Sally Kohn, USA Today: "Mark Zuckerberg isn't the only one. According to The Wall Street Journal, many corporate executives are "feeling a bit uneasy about" the prospect of Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the White House. They shouldn't be. In fact, they should be cheering on her possible presidency. Because Elizabeth Warren may be capitalism's last hope. That capitalism is even in jeopardy should come as no surprise to any American working hard to make ends meet."
- "'I care' — billionaire investor tears up talking about America, Elizabeth Warren and Donald Trump," by Thomas Franck, CNBC: "Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman teared up on Monday as he discussed the political divide in the U.S. and his concerns about the American dream. "I care," the hedge-fund manager answered on CNBC's "Halftime Report," tearing up after CNBC's Scott Wapner asked why he has been so vocal about the 2020 election. Cooperman's response came in the midst of a political battle between the longtime investor and presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Cooperman has been a vocal critic of Warren's proposed wealth tax and her general distrust of America's richest individuals."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "Ethics Committee reviews campaign funding allegation against Rep. Lori Trahan, by John Bresnahan, POLITICO: "The House Ethics Committee is reviewing whether to open a full-scale investigation into allegations that Democratic freshmen Rep. Lori Trahan (Mass.) failed to properly disclose the source of $300,000 in personal funds she loaned to her congressional campaign in 2018. Trahan is the second Democratic freshmen caught up in ethics issues in recent weeks, although this case is far less serious than the allegations that brought down former Rep. Katie Hill (Calif.), who resigned last week."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "NEW BIG DIG," — Globe: "Museum's workers decry sales tactics," "Grand jury investigates cannabis payments," "Diplomat testified to being a target." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Northampton resident offers free taxi rides to polls," by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "For the second time in as many elections, Florence resident John Martine is offering free, round-trip rides to all polling locations in Northampton on Election Day. Martine's Poll Taxi runs during Tuesday's polling hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is geared toward people who need transportation for this year's municipal election."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Political Notes: Fernandes decides against Senate run," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Woods Hole, has ruled out a special election run for the Plymouth & Barnstable District state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Viriato "Vinny" deMacedo, R-Plymouth. Fernandes, 29, is serving his second term in the House, representing the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket District. "I would have to give up two-thirds of my district to run, and I love my hometown and waking up every day to represent the folks in Falmouth and on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket," he told the Times on Monday."
- "Opioid deaths rise in Worcester, even as city spends more on antidote," by Hannah Schoenbaum, Telegram & Gazette: "Worcester has spent nearly $200,000 on overdose revival medications like naloxone since 2015, but even as the medication has become widely available, the city's opioid-related death count has risen. That has led some in the community to question whether revival medications are a worthy investment. Worcester is one of 10 municipalities in the state where the rate of fatal overdoses continues to climb, defying a broader statewide trend toward fewer deaths. According to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, opioid-related overdose deaths in Worcester increased 55.8% from 2014 to 2018 ."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Jeremy Ravinsky, Steven Bachner and Richard Parker.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Bruins beat the Penguins 6-4.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: The Headless Horse Race - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Stephanie Murray and Steve Koczela get in the Halloween spirit and talk all things #mapoli. Congressional candidate Jake Auchincloss discusses his bid to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III, and CommonWealth Magazine's Andy Metzger talks about House Speaker Robert DeLeo's plans to run for speaker again next year. 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.
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A message from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts:
The ROE Act is transformative legislation that will break down unjust barriers to safe, legal abortion and build healthier, more equitable communities. It takes politicians out of the doctor's office, and allows patients and their health care providers to make informed medical decisions without political interference. Support the ROE Act today, because anything medical should never be political. Learn More |
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