Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Hospital have been recognized as two of the Best Hospitals in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report. This honor reflects our commitment to exceptional care, groundbreaking research, and taking a leadership role as an integrated health care system. Thank you to our incredible teams for improving patients’ lives every day.
Josh Kraft's team huddled together the night of the preliminary inside a South Boston union hall, after results started to show a loss to Mayor Michelle Wu that would widen to a nearly 50-point margin.
The November election still lay ahead. “This is doable,” one team member repeatedly shouted, seeking to keep spirits up.
It was not doable, Kraft appeared to decide soon after.
Facing the task of unseating a popular incumbent mayor, the nonprofit executive taped an interview with WCVB’s Maria Stephanos that aired Thursday night, saying he was suspending his campaign.
In a letter to supporters, he wrote, “We could spend the next eight weeks politicking – with harmful rhetoric or nasty attack ads. Or we could get back to what really matters – the issues that impact Bostonians each and every day.”
Questions remain about what the ballot will look like in November, and whether the runner-up, community activist Domingos DaRosa, can take his place.
But Kraft's suspension essentially ends an effort that began nearly two years ago, when he bought a condo in Boston’s North End. Word of his move from Chestnut Hill quickly spread. Weeks later, when a reporter chased him down a State House hallway while he was attending an unrelated event and asked him about the rumors, he was coy, declining to rule out a run.
After formally jumping into the race this past February, he stumbled and struggled when he left campaign-provided talking points behind. He also found in Wu a relentless opponent. She stayed on offense even as polls showed her up by double digits, spending part of her family’s vacation in Maine fanning questions about his tax returns and involvement in the family’s stadium project in Everett.
That paid off on Tuesday, when she won 264 out of 275 city precincts. Despite spending millions of his own dollars, and aided by a super PAC powered in part by friends of his billionaire father, Kraft won just nine.
Analyzing the results, the Dorchester Reporter’s Bill Forry said on a post-election podcast taped Wednesday that Kraft could keep going. Or Kraft could “take a proverbial knee here and think about your legacy,” he said. “Josh has a good reputation in the city for a lot of good works he has done with the Boys and Girls Clubs and a lot of other efforts. This might be an opportunity to turn that $3.5 million you were going to burn in a general election and maybe try to rethink how to use that.”
Given that Kraft told supporters he planned to funnel money towards the crisis at Mass. and Cass, and organizations in the recovery community, it sounds like he’s doing just that.
Can Josh Kraft run for something else in the future? Let me know what you think: [email protected].
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Communications Specialist — NEW!, American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
General Counsel, Longwood Collective |
Legislative and Membership Administrator, Utility Contractors’ Association of New England |
Director of Finance, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance |
Executive Director, Massachusetts State College Building Authority |
Collaborative Consultant, Providers’ Council |
Assistant Director of Human Resources, City of Chelsea |
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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.
HAPPENING TODAY
1:30 | Gov. Maura Healey visits Teddie Peanut Butter in celebration of its 100th birthday. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll plans to be there as well. | Teddie Peanut Butter, 100 Santilli Highway, Everett
1:30 | Congressmen Jim McGovern and Richard Neal, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, and Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger speak at 10th anniversary of the Knowledge Corridor Train Service. | 170 Pleasant St., Northampton
7:00 | Congressman Richard Neal and the Massachusetts Democratic Party State Convention Host Committee hold a welcome party ahead of Saturday's platform convention. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the event running through 10 p.m. | White Lion Brewing Company, 1500 Main St., Springfield
THE SUNDAY SHOWS
KELLER AT LARGE: 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller's guests are Kelly Garrity of Massachusetts Politico Playbook and yours truly on the Boston preliminary election and the latest poll numbers for Gov. Maura Healey.
@ISSUE SIT DOWN: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard interviews Rep. Stephen Lynch, a South Boston Democrat.
ON THE RECORD: 11 a.m., WCVB. The guest is state Sen. Julian Cyr, who represents the Cape and Islands.
FROM BEACON HILL
HEALTH CARE POLL: A MassINC Polling Group survey reveals Bay State residents are satisfied with the quality of health care, and overall coverage, but one third say cost has led to them skipping or putting off seeking care. – CommonWealth Beacon
AFTER HASBRO: After toymaker Hasbro’s announcement that it’s moving its headquarters to Boston, Gov. Maura Healey’s economic development chief, Eric Paley, said he would like to see ChatGPT maker OpenAI become the next company to base itself out of here. – Boston Business Journal
9/11 IN CURRICULUM: Gov. Maura Healey has directed state education officials to incorporate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks into school curriculum frameworks, calling them a “tragic and important piece of both our state and our nation’s history.” – State House News Service
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
SHERIFF’S RISE: The Boston Globe traces the political rise of Suffolk Sheriff Steve Tompkins, who is now facing federal charges and could end up behind bars himself. – Boston Globe
BROOKLINE AUDIT: The annual audit of Brookline’s town budget is running behind due to changes in the state’s accounting sector. Powers & Sullivan was acquired by Marcum, which in term was acquired by CBIZ. – Brookline.News
NEW BEDFORD FINGER-POINTING: New Bedford’s fire department hasn’t formally inspected the city’s assisted living facility in nearly 20 years, saying it’s up to the state to do it. The state says it’s New Bedford’s job. The finger-pointing comes after a deadly fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River. – New Bedford Light
HOLYOKE TEACHERS: Holyoke’s teachers union is balking at Mayor Joshua Garcia’s push for state mediation after contract talks stalled, with the union president saying it’s not helpful after years of state receivership. – MassLive
HARVARD SCANDAL: A teacher of behavioral economics at Harvard Business School, Max Bazerman, has a new book out about the scandal surrounding the first faculty member in Harvard history to lose tenure. – GBH News
SHORT-TERM RENTALS: The Pittsfield City Council okayed regulations of short-term rentals, laying out inspections and caps on stays to 150 days a year.– Berkshire Eagle
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JOB BOARD
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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
