| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | PROGRAMIMNG NOTE: We’ll be off on Monday for Indigenous Peoples Day but will be back in your inbox on Tuesday. In the meantime, send your tips, scoops, birthdays and transitions to: kgarrity@politico.com. BEFORE THEY TAKE THE STAGE — Debate season might be over for the presidential and VP candidates — but in Massachusetts’ Senate race, it’s just about to begin. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her Republican challenger, John Deaton, will come face to face after the long weekend for their first debate Tuesday. Debate prep on both sides is already well underway. Elizabeth Mahoney, vice president of policy and government affairs at the Massachusetts High Technology Council, has been standing in as Warren in debate Deaton’s run-throughs. That’s one more former Baker administration staffer added to the long list helping to prop up Deaton’s campaign. Mahoney served in various roles in Gov. Charlie Baker’s office since the start, eventually as a senior adviser to the governor. In Warren’s camp, Mike Firestone, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s chief of policy and strategic planning, who worked as Warren’s field director on her 2012 campaign, played Deaton during Warren's practice rounds. Firestone also served as Gov. Maura Healey’s chief of staff during her days in the AG’s office. Warren also has Vriti Jain, who served as research director for her failed presidential bid, leading debate prep and Cate Mahan, a former scheduler, running logistics (which, according to her campaign, included time decorating for Halloween and taking her dog, Bailey, on long walks). Deaton’s been angling for more debates against Warren, calling for five single-issue face-offs, including one about abortion and reproductive care. But the candidates only have two on the books, both next week just before early in-person voting begins. The last time Warren was up for reelection, she agreed to three debates with her Republican challenger, Geoff Diehl. Warren has no reason to acquiesce to Deaton’s demands. The incumbent holds a more than 20-percentage-point lead over Deaton in recent polls from UNH, WBUR/CommonWealth Beacon and the Boston Globe/Suffolk University. Deaton’s campaign found a similar split in an internal poll, CommonWealth Beacon’s Bruce Mohl reported. Though, when prompted with details about Deaton’s background, the gap narrowed to single digits. She’s also got a far larger war chest with more than $5 million in the bank in her most recent filing. Deaton doesn’t have the campaign cash to launch his own multi-million dollar media blitz.
He'll report adding $294,221 to his coffers in the quarterly filing due Tuesday. Crypto-backed PACs could give him a boost. Commonwealth Unity Fund, a PAC bankrolled in part by crypto giant Ripple, has spent hundreds of thousands to get ads and campaign literature promoting Deaton in front of Bay State voters. But some of the bigger players, like the PACs Fairshake or Defend American Jobs, the latter of which has pledged to shell out $12 million in an effort to oust Senate Banking Chair Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), hadn’t made moves in Massachusetts as of last fundraising quarter. The decision to sit on the sidelines in the race ruffled some feathers in the crypto world. A spokesperson for Fairshake didn’t respond to an inquiry last night about whether the PAC would be a factor in the race. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. If you missed the puppies at Thursday’s bill singing don’t sweat it — they’ll be up for adoption through the Animal Rescue League of Boston. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Lt Gov. Kim Driscoll attends the portrait unveiling ceremony for former Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini at noon. THIS WEEKEND — The Boston Globe’s Victoria McGrane is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday to preview next week’s Senate. Education Sec. Patrick Tutwiler is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Rep. Stephen Lynch is on NBC10 Boston’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com
|  | IN MEMORIAM | | A ‘WOMAN OF TRUE GRACE AND GRIT’ — Ethel Kennedy, the window of Robert F. Kennedy and the matriarch of the Kennedy clan, died Thursday morning. She was 96. “It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy,” former Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III said in a statement on social media. “She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. Along with a lifetime's work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly.” Tributes poured from Massachusetts politicians: Sen. Ed Markey described Kennedy as “a woman of true grace and grit, a dedicated matriarch, and a supportive friend.” A “ripple of hope” Elizabeth Warren said in a post on social media, recalling a visit Kennedy made to talk to her campaign volunteers in 2012. “She was a passionate advocate for human rights and leaves behind a remarkable legacy of public service,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. More reaction from the Boston Globe.
| | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “With major work still undone, Mass. House leader suggests lawmakers ‘reevaluate’ their decades-old calendar,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “With major legislation still locked in closed-door talks, the Massachusetts House’s top budget official said Thursday that lawmakers should ‘reevaluate’ their decades-old legislative calendar, which is designed to dispel major lawmaking during election season. … State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the House budget chair and its lead negotiator on the multibillion-dollar borrowing bill, said he believes it’s ‘just a matter of when’ — not if — a policy-packed economic development package emerges, forcing lawmakers to go back into a rare formal session to pass it.” Gov. Maura Healey is pressing for sooner, rather than later. “We really need to get it done. I mean, we've got a lot of projects waiting on this,” she told reporters at a bill signing ceremony at the State House. “I have had big goals and ambitions for Massachusetts in terms of life sciences, climate technology and applied AI, and we are in competition with other states, so we've got to get this legislation done.” Healey didn’t offer a specific timeline for when she’d like to see the bill hit her desk. But she gave an emphatic “no” when asked if she was fine with letting the bill languish until the end of December.
| | | FROM THE HUB | | | — “For the first time in a long time, Boston’s office market looks like it might be on the mend,” by Catherine Carlock, The Boston Globe: “For the first time in nearly three years, Boston’s office landlords ended the quarter with more tenants taking up space than abandoning it. Brokerage firm CBRE tracked 30,941 square feet of positive absorption — basically the net increase in occupied space — in Boston’s office market in the third quarter. While the figure is marginal — 30,941 square feet is just 0.08 percent of Boston’s 39.3 million-square-foot downtown office market, roughly a single floor of some larger buildings — it’s the first positive absorption tracked by CBRE since late 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the office market.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “North Station bridge project to take eight years, contract out for bid next year, MTBA boss says,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A project to replace a key rail bridge leading into North Station using $472 million in federal funds will take eight years once construction starts. A contract will be ‘on the street’ for the job next year, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said at the transit hub Thursday morning. The bridge, known as the North Station Draw One Bridge, is a critical piece of infrastructure for the local rail network, carrying both MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak trains and serving roughly 11.2 million passengers each year, according to Massachusetts federal lawmakers.”
| | CHARLIE ON THE NCAA | | THAT’S NOT A NO — A return to politics for Charlie Baker? The former governor is leaving the door open. Questions about politics? Not so much. The NCAA president said he’ll “never rule anything out,” when asked/encouraged by an attendee at a New England Council breakfast to run for elected office again. If someone had told him he’d be leading the NCAA near the end of his term that wrapped in 2022, “I would have said, 'yeah right,'” Baker said. “So, I never rule anything out," But Baker batted down all non-NCAA related inquiries from reporters after a New England Council breakfast Thursday — including queries about who he plans to vote for in November’s presidential election and how he thinks Gov. Maura Healey is doing in his old role. He also wouldn’t weigh in on a question about soon-to-be starting Patriots QB, Drake Maye.
| | YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS | | — “Conservative ‘election integrity’ group wants to publish Mass. voter data online. They’re suing the state to get it,” by Anjali Huynh, The Boston Globe: “A group with conservative ties seeking to obtain voter records nationwide is suing Secretary of State Bill Galvin for not providing access to Massachusetts voters’ information. The Voter Reference Foundation, an organization that has for years compiled and published online a public database of state voter rolls, filed a lawsuit against Galvin in federal court Wednesday.” — “Former Gov. Charlie Baker endorses Kelly Dooner of Taunton in Massachusetts Senate race,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Former Gov. Charlie Baker endorsed Taunton City Councilor Kelly Dooner, a Republican, in her bid for a southeastern Massachusetts Senate seat just as the state’s former chief executive said Thursday he was not ruling out a return to elected office. The stamp of approval is one of only a few handed out this election cycle by Baker, who ended his time in office as one of the most popular governors in the country and having guided the state through the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
| | BALLOT BATTLES | | — “Massachusetts tipping point: Restaurant workers from Boston, elsewhere sound off on Question 5,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald. — “Emotional testimony as Easthampton council backs psychedelics ballot initiative,” by Alexa Lewis, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “At an emotionally charged meeting full of deeply personal stories from community members and officials, the City Council voted to approve a resolution supporting Question 4 on Election Day next month.”
| | | DAY IN COURT | | | — “Judge: Jasiel Correia must stay behind bars, says his sentence was already 'generous',“ by Dan Medeiros, The Herald News: “Correia, 32, is serving what Judge Allison Burroughs called a “generous” six-year sentence after being convicted of wire fraud and extortion worth more than $800,000. Before and during his time as mayor, Correia ran multiple schemes to fund a lifestyle of buying luxury clothing, cars, adult items, expensive trips to restaurants and vacations, repaying student debt and more.”
| | WARREN REPORT | | — “Warren takes aim at private equity again, now with Steward as ammo,” by Chris Serres, The Boston Globe: “Senator Elizabeth Warren unveiled legislation Thursday designed to rein in the growing power of private equity firms and limit the sort of leveraged buyout deals that led to the crisis at Steward Health Care, whose bankruptcy continues to roil communities in Massachusetts and seven other states.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Speed humps, 25 mph speed limit included in new Worcester traffic safety plan,” by Adam Bass, MassLive. — “Methuen partners with state to provide free Narcan,” by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune. — “New Bedford could reduce unsheltered homeless population to 15,” by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light.
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | SPOTTED — at the Ethos Gala where Boston Mayor Michelle Wu received the Ethos’ Community Impact Award last night: state Reps. Rob Consalvo, Kevin Honan, John Moran, Bill MacGregor, and Sam Montaño along; Boston City Councilor Ben Weber; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to David Halbert and Conor Yunits. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Mary Campbell, Kate Nocera, Mass Cultural Council Public Affairs Director Bethann Steiner, Linda Gerstle and Seth Harris who celebrate Saturday; to Sunday birthday-ers Corinne Falotico, EEA comms director Maria Hardiman and former Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo; and to Monday birthday-ers the Boston Globe’s Victoria McGrane, Natasha Silva and Pierce J. Haley. 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 | | | | |
