| | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | KRAFT KICKS THINGS OFF — After months of will-he-won’t-he speculation, Josh Kraft is kicking off his campaign in Dorchester’s Prince Hall this morning, officially putting an end to the biggest question about Boston’s mayoral race. We already know a bit about Kraft’s backstory: Former CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, scion of billionaire business mogul and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; A relatively new North End resident and a registered Democrat who’s donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past. And, according to profiles from The Boston Globe and Boston Magazine, a Kraft who takes more after his mother, Myra, (a longtime philanthropist in the region) than his father. But there’s plenty we still don’t know about Kraft the candidate. A few questions we’re waiting to see how he’ll answer today and over the next few months: Why he’s running — and why now? The political newcomer dropped some hints about the issues he plans to campaign on in a launch video released Monday. "There's a saying we had at the Boys & Girls Club. I care," Kraft says in the video. "I care that Boston is heading in the wrong direction. I care that our region continues to leave many people behind. I care that middle-class families are being squeezed by the cost of housing. And I care that City Hall puts politics and ideology ahead of impact. That's why I'm running for mayor." Starting today, he’ll have to start articulating to voters why he wants the job when his stated mission (creating more housing and opportunity for Boston residents) isn’t directly at odds with Mayor Michelle Wu’s. What will the mayor’s office allow him to do to create opportunities for people in Boston that he couldn’t already do through his philanthropic work? How will he deal with his family ties? Sure, he’s a first-time candidate, but Kraft doesn’t lack name recognition. In this case, we’ll have to wait and see whether that’s a good thing. The Kraft name is well-known among football fans in Boston and throughout New England, but Robert Kraft’s past chumminess with President Donald Trump (He’s said he hasn’t talked to Trump since Jan. 6) isn’t exactly something likely to win you points with most Boston voters. Then, there’s the soccer stadium the elder Kraft is looking to build in nearby Everett. The candidate Kraft will likely face questions about the negotiations between his dad and City Hall, which got off to a frosty start earlier this year. And speaking of the family name, here’s one more for him: Will the Pats be any good next year? Inquiring minds want to know. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Wu might not have officially launched her reelect yet, but she’s gearing up for the challenge. She’ll be around Kraft’s announcement location at 1:30 p.m. today, visiting the Grove Hall Community Center. And she’s been building out a stacked host committee for her Lunar New Year fundraiser later this week, a list that includes Robert Lewis Jr., now president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston; Vertex Pharmaceuticals founder Joshua Boger; Beth Boland, who served as finance co-chair for Maura Healey’s gubernatorial campaign and Martha Coakley’s Senate campaign; former state Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie; John Moriarty, Bob Rivers and more, according to the invite. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu visits students at Roxbury Roots Montessori at 12:30 p.m. and visits by older residents at 1:30 p.m. at the Grove Hall Community Center in Dorchester. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com.
| | | | We’ve re-imagined and expanded our Inside Congress newsletter to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy -- and we'll get it to your inbox even earlier. Subscribe today. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | SHELTER MONEY MOVING SOON — The House this week plans to take up the $425 million supplemental budget that Gov. Maura Healey filed last month to cover costs for the state’s emergency shelter program, which Healey’s office said was set to run out of money at the end of last month. What we know: The House plans to move the full $425 million sought by Healey, House Speaker Ron Mariano said Monday after House leaders publicly floated going lower. And the budget includes some provision that “speaks to residency,” Mariano said when asked whether it would include residency requirements that Healey had asked for after filing the spending bill. Beyond that, Mariano didn’t elaborate. TRUMP TALK — After a few days of dire warnings about rising prices from President Donald Trump’s tariffs on neighboring countries, Massachusetts leaders can relax (sort of, for now). On Monday, Trump reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to delay tariffs for one month, after the threat shook global markets. More on that from POLITICO’s Doug Palmer, Megan Messerly and Victoria Guida. “The speed with which these changes keep firing out of Washington is at a speed that is far faster than my simple brain can comprehend,” House Speaker Ron Mariano told reporters when asked whether the tariffs or other executive actions by Trump had been part of the discussion when he huddled with Gov. Maura Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka. “But I want to state publicly that I think people have to understand that the way the changes are coming out of Washington today, and what's going on in our economy right now, it is going to be very difficult for us to keep pace and replace everything that's being changed in Washington,” he added. — “Mariano not intending to split joint committees,” Colin A. Young, State House News Service (paywall): “House Speaker Ronald Mariano popped the trial balloon one of his deputies floated last month, telling reporters that he is not on board with the idea of splitting the joint legislative committees into separate House and Senate panels. … Rep. Michael Moran of Brighton, who last session was Mariano's majority leader and this session will serve as the House's lead negotiator for rules, told the News Service in January that he had an interest in dividing the committees and their work onto parallel House and Senate tracks. Asked about that possibility Monday, Mariano signaled that he is not interested at least for this session.” — “State uncovers $10.2M in welfare, food stamp fraud,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Investigators uncovered more than $10.2 million in welfare fraud in the previous fiscal year, according to state Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office. The office’s Bureau of Special Investigations looked into more than 3,155 cases during the fiscal year that ended June 30. It identified at least 584 instances of public assistance fraud, about 67 percent of which was in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, previously known as food stamps.”
| | FROM THE HUB | | — “Sick of close calls with food delivery drivers? Boston hopes a new permit for delivery apps will help,” by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “[Boston Mayor Michelle] Wu and several administration officials announced Monday they are filing an ordinance with the City Council that would require third-party delivery companies such as DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats to have liability insurance for all their drivers, as well as provide the city with certain delivery data, to qualify for a permit from the Boston Transportation Department to operate.” — “Boston’s Mayor Wu agrees to testify before Congress on sanctuary city status,” by Tréa Lavery, MassLive: “Mayor Michelle Wu has agreed to testify before Congress on Boston’s status as a sanctuary city as President Donald Trump’s administration takes aim at places that have declined to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. … The mayor, who gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Mira, on Jan. 13, said despite her intention to participate, the short timeline made it difficult to coordinate. She said her administration was in communication with the House Committee to find a later time when she could testify, when her doctor gives her the go-ahead to travel, estimating that would take about six weeks from when she gave birth.”
| | YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS | | — “Reardon announces reelection bid,” by Jim Sullivan, The Newburyport Daily News: “Kicking off what is likely to be a lively election year, Mayor Sean Reardon on Monday took out nomination papers to run for a second, four-year term. The mayor took advantage of the first day to pull papers by walking one door over from his office and visiting the City Clerk’s office.” MARK YOUR CALENDARS — The special election to fill Rep. Jerry Parisella’s House seat will be held on May 13, the Secretary of State’s Office announced Monday/ The primary will take place April 15. The field so far: Beverly City Councilors Hannah Bowen and Todd Rotondo have announced their plans to run on the Democratic side, while former Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce President Medley Long III plans to run as a Republican. More from the Salem News.
| | TRUMPACHUSETTS | | — “Business group advises companies to prepare for immigration enforcement,” by Simón Rios, WBUR: “Some businesses in Massachusetts are bracing for the impact of federal immigration enforcement, and one of the state's largest business advocacy groups advised members to prepare ahead of any actual enforcement. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts recommended that members post ‘Know Your Rights’ posters in break rooms; review workplace policies around compliance with labor laws; and establish a response plan in case of possible federal raids.” — “Amid Trump threats, local nonprofits are strategizing to stay active,” by Phillip Martin, GBH News. — “Trump administration seeks to ban DEI on campus, but Berkshire colleges are not going to change their values,” by Sten Spinella, The Berkshire Eagle.
| | | | A new era in Washington calls for sharper insights. Get faster policy scoops, more congressional coverage, and a re-imagined newsletter under the leadership of Jack Blanchard. Subscribe to our Playbook Newsletter today. | | | | | | | FROM THE 413 | | — “Northampton mayor: Uncertainty over fed funds looms over budget,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra provided a review of the city’s finances for the first half of the current fiscal year on Thursday, amid concerns over rising property values, school staffing cuts and an uncertain future with regards to federal funding. The presentation was giving during a joint meeting of the City Council, School Committee and the board of trustees for the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Worcester city manager pushes sprinkler law after major residential fires,” by Adam Bass, MassLive: “In June of 2024 and again last month, the Washington Heights apartment complex suffered two fires that resulted in a combined displacement of more than 50 people and a total loss of more than 50 units. Now Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista is asking the City Council to adopt an optional state law that would then mandate installing automatic sprinkler systems in residential buildings with four or more dwelling units to mitigate these fires from spreading.” — “City Council to consider petition for Worcester to become sanctuary for 'trans and gender diverse people',” by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: “The ongoing discourse about gender issues at City Council will continue Tuesday with a petition urging Worcester to become a sanctuary city for ‘transgender and gender diverse people.’ Petitioner Allie Cislo, in a telephone interview, said the petition holds symbolic value, but she hopes that it will be a step toward city resources ‘not (being) used for detaining people seeking or providing gender affirming care.’’ — “Man living in migrant shelter in Marlborough charged with impregnating teen daughter,” by Norman Miller, The MetroWest Daily News: “A man who lived at a local migrant shelter and is accused of raping and impregnating his own teen daughter has been ordered held without bail. The man, who the Daily News is not identifying so as not to also identify the victim of a sexual assault, was arrested by Marlborough police over the weekend for an incident that was reported last May. According to the heavily redacted incident report, Eliot Community Human Services, which is operating migrant shelters at the Holiday Inn and Extended Stay hotels in Marlborough, contacted police last May for an incident that occurred the previous month.”
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | TRANSITIONS — Lauren Peters is the new board president of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to David Edelman, Ropes & Gray’s Abby Cable; former Gov. Charlie Baker senior adviser and the NCAA’s Tim Buckley; and former Baker associate comms and digital director Maura Driscoll, who’s now with Consigli Construction Co. 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 | | | |
