MassDOT is rushing a secretive 35-year lease with Applegreen, despite inflated numbers, weak financials, and better alternatives. KPMG flagged serious flaws, yet the deal moves forward. Public oversight is missing, and $900M in rent is at risk. Legislators must act now. Before signing away public assets for decades, the MassDOT Board must pause and review. Learn more.
Keller at Large
It’s not as if the blueprint for challenging Michelle Wu was a big secret.
The mid-July Suffolk/Globe poll said it all. A voter pool that gave Wu a 30-point edge over Josh Kraft nonetheless indicated a significant amount of dissatisfaction; about a third of the voters thought the quality of life in the city had worsened over the past year, while another third said it was about the same. Forty-five percent said life in the city was either somewhat or very unaffordable.
Despite the mayor’s April pause in her pell-mell bike lane expansion, these voters were still fuming – 50 percent said the lanes has made it slower and less convenient to get around, and even Wu admitted her team had failed to authentically respond to residents’ and business complaints about it. Add in the usual concern over the schools and there were clearly issues for a dynamic challenger to exploit.
If Wu had one. We wondered where this Hail Mary pass of a campaign was headed back in February after Kraft’s somnolent performance in his first long-form post-announcement TV interview.
The bike lane issue had been Kraft’s biggest applause line at hit announcement, so we figured he’d be primed to tee off on it with anecdotes of angry citizens and a pointed indictment of the mayor’s my-way-or-the-highway approach. Not so much.
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HAPPENING TODAY
9:00 | Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks and top officials at MassDOT and the MBTA plan to attend the American Public Transportation Association's TRANSform Conference from Monday through Wednesday. The conference will include sessions and workshops on "next-gen AI and automated technologies; transformative mega projects; World Cup security challenges; fare evasion strategies; workforce strategies; transit at the ballot box." | Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston
10:00 | Victoria Bergeron from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and Amy O’Leary from Strategies for Children host a presentation on early education funding and programs, in conjunction with the offices of Joint Committee on Education co-chairs Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Ken Gordon. The briefing will focus on the frequently asked questions around early education capacity in the state, funding mechanisms, and state programs. | Room 428, State House, Boston | Register
11:00 | The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery holds a public hearing. Agenda features contentious refiled proposals from Rep. Marjorie Decker and Sen. Julian Cyr (H 2196 / S 1393) that would legalize overdose prevention centers, in which trained on-site workers would supervise individuals taking pre-obtained substances. | Gardner Auditorium, State House, Boston | Agenda and Livestream
1:00.....The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion holds an informational hearing on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies. The committee said it is inviting Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, representatives of the attorney general's office, and others "to provide accurate information about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and programs to legislators and the public, and to assess the impact of anti-DEI federal actions." | Hearing Room B-2, State House, Boston | More Info and Livestream
WU’S AT-LARGE PICKS
Mayor Michelle Wu revealed her votes for Boston City Council at-large on a call with key supporters late Friday afternoon. The call focused on the preliminary’s results and looked ahead to the November election, sources tell MASSterList.
Wu said she voted for Ruthzee Louijeune, Henry Santana and Alexandra Valdez, the sources said. Voters in Boston could select up to four candidates. Louijeune and Santana are incumbents and Wu allies, while Valdez has held several jobs inside City Hall.
Voters, who narrowed the overall field from 10 to 8, sent Louijeune to the top of the ticket, followed by fellow incumbents Julia Mejia and Erin Murphy, who are both Wu critics. Santana came in fourth, roughly 4,400 votes ahead of Frank Baker, a Wu antagonist who is attempting a City Council comeback after voluntarily leaving two years ago. Valdez came in 7,300 votes behind Baker.
Some of the mayor’s supporters are hoping Wu will turn her political operation’s attention to the at-large race after last week’s collapse and withdrawal of her chief challenger Josh Kraft last week.
Wu is set to headline a lunchtime fundraiser for Santana on Tuesday at a downtown law firm.
Baker also has a fundraiser the same day – at a Dorchester bar and restaurant co-owned by a family member. Marty Walsh, the former Biden labor chief and ex-mayor, is headlining the event, along with his wife Lorrie Higgins. Walsh and Baker are childhood friends.
With Wu’s reelection now a foregone conclusion, the undercard at-large race has moved up to become November’s prime bout, and it’s likely to be viewed by insiders as a Walsh versus Wu battle through at-large candidates. — Gintautas Dumcius
CAMPAIGN TRAIL MIX
GOLDBERG TO RUN AGAIN: Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who took office in 2015, said she plans to run for another term in 2026. – MassLive
POLL POSITION: An adviser to Mike Kennealy, a GOP candidate for governor, is unhappy with a poll showing Gov. Maura Healey, the Democratic incumbent, with a 55% approval rating. – Boston Herald
NORTHAMPTON PRELIM: Northampton voters go to the polls on Tuesday to narrow the fields for mayor and city council. Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has three challengers. – Daily Hampshire Gazette
DEM CONVENTION: After a back-and-forth, Massachusetts Democrats came out of Springfield with a new platform in opposition to the Trump administration, focused on health care and immigrant rights. – MassLive
Boston is at an economic crossroads. The vitality of its downtown business district, drained by the COVID-19 epidemic, continues to slowly rebound but has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Commercial property values have declined, creating the potential for major budget challenges for the most property-tax dependent big city in America. With Boston’s financial underpinnings at risk, what is the strategy and vision for Boston’s future, particularly for its major business districts? Join business and community leaders to explore challenges and opportunities ahead. Register here!
NEWS NEXT DOOR
EVERETT CANCELS FESTIVAL: The city of Everett has canceled its Hispanic Heritage Month festival after an increased presence of federal immigration enforcement officials. – GBH News
THREAT LEVEL: Rep. Seth Moulton says his office has received “violent and graphic” threats from right-wing individuals after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. – NBC10
LAW FIRM TRANSITION: Elizabeth Sullivan, former counsel and director of labor relations at the state’s Department of Revenue, is poised to take over as managing partner of the top-25 Massachusetts law firm Rubin Rudman. – Boston Business Journal
NEW BEDFORD BATTLE: The New Bedford City Council plans to sue and filibuster Mayor Jon Mitchell until he seeks their approval for a new chief of police. – New Bedford Light
FREEDOM TRAIL: A new statue on the Freedom Trail is meant to memorialize people enslaved by ministers and parishioners at King’s Chapel. – Universal Hub
PIPELINE PROBLEM: Pittsfield and other school systems in Berkshire County are facing teacher and staff vacancies, part of a national shortage. – Berkshire Eagle
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Retirement/Benefits Specialist, Hampden County Sheriff’s Office
Strategic Researcher, Boston Teachers Union
Director of Partnerships and Engagement, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Manager of Government Affairs, Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Special Education Schools
Chief Executive Officer, Boston Public Market Association
Deputy Director of Planning, Preservation, and Zoning, City of Somerville
General Counsel, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General
Grant Writer, City of Somerville
