| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | | Presented by |  | | | MOSTLY QUIET ON MAYORAL FRONT — It’s off to the races in Boston. Just not for potential mayoral candidates. Candidates eyeing city council bids are already jumping in: Alexandra Valdez, who’s currently serving as the director of the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Michelle Wu, launched a bid for one of four the at-large seats yesterday. And Will Onuoha, a longtime city employee currently serving as assistant general counsel and director of health & safety for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, also hopped in. Two challengers have emerged to take on Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson. Both Said Ahmed, the founder of Boston United, a free youth track program in the city, and Said Abdikarim, who previously ran for an at-large seat on the council, were already eyeing the seat before the federal public corruption charges against Fernandes Anderson were made public. More could hop in as the saga plays out. And in District 2, Ed Flynn is facing a challenge from the right… if he runs for reelection to his council seat, that is. Council hopeful Brian Foley is running for the seat Flynn currently occupies representing South Boston, Chinatown and part of the South End. But potential mayoral candidates are still weighing a challenge to Wu from the sidelines (or the council chambers). The reason all the action is happening lower down Boston’s ballot right now, Democratic strategist Scott Ferson told Playbook, is because declaring now puts a “pressure on incumbents to decide whether they want to run again,” he said. Plus, “unlike statewide campaigns, municipal races, they're pretty compact, both geographically and with the electorate,” he added. And this cycle’s mayoral maybes, like New England Patriots Foundation President Josh Kraft and Flynn, already have a baseline name recognition and access to cash, campaign or otherwise. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Two Playbooks left before the end of year! Send your tips, scoops and birthdays to: kgarrity@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey speaks at a State House Menorah Lighting at 4:30 p.m. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and state and local officials attend. Driscoll chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon at the State House, and Healey and Driscoll headline a fundraiser for the state Democratic Party at 5:30 p.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is on “Java with Jimmy” at 10 a.m.
| | | | A message from Vineyard Offshore: Offshore wind is revitalizing port communities from New Bedford to Salem, delivering local jobs, and establishing the Commonwealth as a leader in building a clean energy economy that benefits everyone. With Vineyard Wind 2, we can add nearly 3,800 more jobs and $2.3 billion in direct economic benefits – while delivering enough clean electricity to power 650,000 homes. Read all about it at vineyardoffshore.com/vineyardwind2. | | | |  | IN MEMORIAM | | 'THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER FRANK BELLOTTI'— Frank Bellotti, who served as attorney general in Massachusetts from 1975 until 1987, died Tuesday. He was 101. Tributes poured out for Bellotti, a towering figure in Massachusetts politics who also served as lieutenant governor and ran a handful of campaigns for governor. "My dad was my North Star and supported me always, as he did all his kids,” Bellotti’s son, Norfolk County Treasurer Michael Bellotti, said in a statement. “I'll miss our talks about his rich political history dating back to the 60’s and we will forever hold dear over 50 years of Sunday dinners we shared." House Speaker Ron Mariano described Bellotti as a “giant,” in a statement. “On behalf of the entire House of Representatives, I want to offer my sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and loved ones,” Mariano said. “There will never be another Frank Bellotti.” Gov. Maura Healey ordered flags to be flown half mast at state buildings in remembrance of her “cherished mentor, colleague and friend.” And Bellotti, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in a statement, “revolutionized the Attorney General’s Office into the modern People’s Law Firm it is well known as today, both in Massachusetts and across the country.” More from the Boston Globe.
| | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “Diplomas now within reach for some former students following scrapped MCAS mandate,” by Suevon Lee, WBUR: “Former students who completed high school but didn't earn a diploma because they could not pass the standardized exams can now retroactively earn that credential, says the state. The decision follows voter approval of a measure to overhaul state graduation criteria last month.” — “Governor Maura Healey defends her record on Steward Health Care crisis amid calls for greater state oversight,” by Chris Serres, Elizabeth Koh and Liz Kowalczyk, The Boston Globe: “Governor Maura Healey defended her record Tuesday on Steward Health Care, saying she ‘did all that I could do’ to address the now-bankrupt hospital chain’s collapse, which a recent Globe Spotlight Team investigation found was enabled by years of lax state scrutiny. Healey placed the blame for the hospital chain’s subpar care and massive financial losses on former Steward chief executive Ralph de la Torre, who resigned in October and is now a focus of a federal corruption investigation.” — “Safe Injection Sites Dropped In Compromise Substance Use Bill,” by Sam Drysdale, State House News Service (paywall): “Lawmakers dropped the controversial idea to pursue so-called safe injection sites in a compromise addiction and substance use disorder bill they filed Tuesday after months of private negotiations. Reps. Alice Peisch and Adrian Madaro and Sen. Brendan Crighton filed the bill (H 5143) at the House clerk's office at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Madaro and Crighton chaired the conference committee. With opioid-related deaths declining but still at crisis levels, the Senate embraced the sites, also known as overdose prevention centers, where people can use illegal drugs under the supervision of health care workers.” — “Home care program for elders in Massachusetts facing budget gap, advocates say,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A state-funded program that allows elderly adults in Massachusetts and people living with Alzheimer’s Disease to avoid moving to a nursing home or other long-term care facility is projected to run into the red if current usage trends continue, advocates warned Tuesday. The Massachusetts Home Care Program, which is available to those 60 and older or people under 60 with Alzheimer’s or related dementia, faces a deficit of tens of millions of dollars even with zero program growth through the rest of fiscal year 2025, advocates said during a briefing.”
| | | | You read POLITICO for trusted reporting. Now follow every twist of the lame duck session with Inside Congress. We track the committee meetings, hallway conversations, and leadership signals that show where crucial year-end deals are heading. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | FROM THE HUB | | — “Fed subpoena revealed: Investigators wanted Fernandes Anderson’s notes, chats, images and more,” by Gayla Cawley and Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “The federal grand jury subpoena sent to Boston City Hall in September set forth eye-popping demands for detailed copies of now-indicted Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s emails, drafts, and ‘Lotus notes’ in a kickback probe that left no stone unturned. That seven-page document, handed over to the Herald in a public records request, also lists 22 secretaries and administrative assistants who have served under Fernandes Anderson in some capacity.” — “Boston city councilor calls for Mayor Wu to cancel White Stadium plan after taxpayer tab balloons,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn is calling for the Wu administration to cancel a controversial plan to rehab Franklin Park’s White Stadium to house a pro soccer team, citing the ballooning cost to taxpayers and persistent community opposition. Flynn emphasized the need for ‘fiscal responsibility’ Monday, calling for Mayor Michelle Wu to kill Boston’s public-private plan for the dilapidated stadium. The councilor’s criticism comes on the heels of recent estimates that show the city’s portion of the cost for renovation has skyrocketed from $50 million to $91 million and counting.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “Massive Coalition Drops Report On Dire State Of Mass Transit In Massachusetts,” by Chris Farone, Horizon Mass.
| | | | A message from Vineyard Offshore:   | | | | | TRUMPACHUSETTS | | — “‘No! Here's what we stand for': Western Mass. college leader urges higher ed to stand up to Trump,” by Karen Brown, GBH News: “A western Massachusetts college president is urging higher education leaders to stand up to the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to punish and defund colleges that have diversity and inclusion programs. Mount Holyoke president Danielle Holley said many colleges are being advised, by lawyers and public relations consultants, to hide their DEI programs and LGBTQ outreach. But Holley said that would be a mistake.”
| | FROM THE 413 | | — “Hampshire County sheriff: Not heeding ICE detainer requests is the law,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick J. Cahillane will be following state law and the Massachusetts Constitution by not responding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers based solely on people’s immigration status. In a recent statement, Cahillane cites the 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision in Lunn v. Commonwealth making it unlawful for state and local officials to arrest immigrants based on civil immigration detainers issued by ICE, beyond the time that those individuals would otherwise be entitled to be released from state custody.”
| | | | POLITICO Pro's unique analysis combines exclusive transition intelligence and data visualization to help you understand not just what's changing, but why it matters for your organization. Explore how POLITICO Pro will make a difference for you. | | | | | | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Beverly City Council approves raises for mayor, City Council, School Committee,” by Paul Leighton, The Salem News: “The mayor, City Council and School Committee will all be getting raises starting in 2026. The City Council voted 6-3 on Monday night to approve pay hikes for all three elected offices. The mayor’s salary will increase each year over the next four years, from its current $145,000 to $160,833 in 2029. City councilors and School Committee members will get $500 increases in each of the next two years, bringing their salaries to $15,000 for councilors and $9,000 for School Committee members.” — “Yarmouth Select Board member apologizes for contentious comment made during Dec. 9 meeting,” by Rachael Devaney, Cape Cod Times: “After a Yarmouth Select Board member was caught whispering a contentious statement into an open microphone during a recent special town meeting, she has apologized. As town officials organized a vote count during a Dec. 9 special town meeting, Select Board member Joyce Flynn muttered ‘God I'm sick of these people’ under her breath as the meeting continued. It is unclear whether Flynn knew that her microphone was on in that moment. Flynn made the remark with four minutes left in an almost two-hour meeting.” — “City Councilors shoot down own pay raises,” by Jim Sullivan, The Newburyport Daily Daily News: “Monday night turned out to be a good one for whoever is mayor in 2026 after the City Council increased the position’s salary by $22,250 a year. The council, however, was not so kind to itself shooting down a motion to raise its own annual salary by $1,000. The salary will remain $9,000 a year, with the council president making $11,000.”
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| | | | A message from Vineyard Offshore: With a track record of working with local communities and building trusted partnerships, Vineyard Offshore is committed to a community-first approach to offshore wind development.
Our next project, Vineyard Wind 2, will continue to grow the economic engine of offshore wind, generating over 3,000 job-years of employment and more than $1.6 billion in direct economic benefits for the Commonwealth. It will also supply enough clean electricity to power 650,000 New England homes and reduce carbon pollution by 2.1 million tons per year – the equivalent to taking 414,000 cars off the road.
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