Mayoral rivals meet up
SPARKS MOSTLY DON'T FLY — Last night's forum made clear what early polling shows: the Boston mayoral race is Michelle Wu's to lose.
While the incumbent mayor didn't escape the first forum of the cycle hearing some criticism of her record, the most effective arguments against her were made by candidates who have yet to qualify for the ballot.
Wu took the stage at a downtown Boston theater alongside three other mayoral hopefuls: Josh Kraft, a longtime non-profit executive and son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Domingos DeRosa, a longtime activist and former city employee; and Alex Alex, a 24-year-old Dorchester resident who immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a youth. As of Thursday, Wu and Kraft were the only candidates to have met the requirements to be on the ballot this fall.
For the most part during the two-hour long forum, candidates focused more on their own talking points than on landing blows on the competition, drawing on personal backstories and laying out plans to address everything from housing to education. That meant few memorable moments in a debate that could have done more to move the needle for Kraft — viewed as the frontrunner against Wu — four months out from the preliminary election.
Wu planted punches on Kraft, criticizing his calls to trim the city budget and going back and forth over transportation policy. When he declined to clearly answer a yes-or-no question, she dubbed him 'Mr. Halfsies.' Kraft took most of the attacks in stride, offering Wu a good-natured handshake in response to the new nickname.
And while he knocked the city's response to the addiction crisis that's long plagued the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard intersection — giving Wu an 'F' on the issue — he acknowledged that solutions were 'easier said than done.'
The night underscored one the challenges Kraft faces: introducing himself to voters in the city familiar with the famous last name but not the candidate, while undercutting Wu's popularity — without coming off as too abrasive.
One moment that attendees likely won't soon forget — in a night with mostly forgettable moments — came during a rapid-fire question section in the last minutes of the forum, when moderator and GBH News reporter Saraya Wintersmith asked candidates to say which ward they lived in.
Kraft, who bought a condo in the North End in 2023, said he didn't know, eliciting some grumbling from the crowd of mostly of Democratic Ward Committee members.
GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF. Missed the forum? You can watch it here.
TODAY — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at a groundbreaking for Motta Field at 10:30 a.m., attends the grand opening of Cannery Wharf Park at 11:15 a.m. and speaks at a Seasonal Communities Advisory Council meeting at 1 p.m. in Provincetown before attending La Colaborativa's Masquerade Gala at 7 p.m. in Chelsea. Attorney General Andrea Campbell and attorneys general from New England host a town hall at 6:30 p.m. in Boston. Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the city's Haitian flag raising at noon at City Hall.
THIS WEEKEND — Rep. Seth Moulton speaks at Newburyport's 3T & 2C Democratic Breakfast at 9 a.m. in Newburyport Saturday. Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Rooney is on WBZ's 'Keller @ Large' at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Mike Kennealy, a Republican candidate for governor, is on WCVB's 'On the Record' at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com.
DATELINE BEACON HILL
AGREE TO DISAGREE — State Democratic House and Senate leaders tasked with finding common ground on a new joint rules package downplayed their points of disagreement during a rare 30-minute public conference committee meeting Thursday. But the sentiment between the chambers is still so fraught that all it took was a couple questions for the long-simmering frustration to spill out into the open.
What started out as a sleepy status update (Most of the more significant differences between the two proposals had been tabled.) turned into an edgy back-and-forth between lead negotiators once the formal conference committee meeting closed.
After ticking through the dozens points of disagreement that remain, lawmakers moved to close the session and meet again at a date TBD. Then, the real debate began.
Sen. Cynthia Creem and Rep. Michael Moran stood side by side as they took questions from reporters for more than 15 minutes after the meeting officially ended, each offering rebuttals to answers the other gave, debating differences over the meaning of 'attendance' in live time.
By the end of scrum, they seemed closer to an agreement on that issue — Moran hinted the House may be willing to 'soften' its position on remote attendance. But it's unclear how soon negotiators will reach an agreement on the more than two dozen remaining differences.
— Advocates and immigrants demand Healey intervene in ICE arrests by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: 'Immigrants and advocates are asking Gov. Maura Healey to intervene in the ongoing immigration-related arrests across Massachusetts. … There are no firm numbers on how many people have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Massachusetts since President Donald Trump took office nearly four months ago. But advocates have seen a surge in activity in recent weeks. Immigrants say the flurry of ICE sightings is 'paralyzing communities,' and that these are arrests 'state-sanctioned violence.''
FROM THE HUB
— Boston City Hall staffers placed on unpaid leave after alleged domestic incident by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: 'Two City Hall staffers, including Boston's chief of staff for the office of police accountability, have been placed on unpaid leave after being arrested on charges related to an alleged domestic assault, according to officials and court records. Marwa Khudaynazar, 27, and Chulan Huang, 26, were arrested after police responded early Thursday to an apartment on Hudson Street in the city's Chinatown neighborhood.'
— Lego cuts the ribbon on new Back Bay headquarters: 'Boston attracts great tenants' by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe: 'Already the world's largest toy company, Lego keeps finding new ways to grow — and now Boston will play a key role in helping with that momentum. Executives at the Danish toymaker joined with Governor Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu — plus two brave souls dressed like Lego characters Jester and Pirate Princess Argenta — to officially cut the ribbon on Lego's new US headquarters in the Back Bay on Thursday. Although the 157,000-square-foot office over six floors opened this month, the corporate relocations from Enfield, Conn., will continue through the end of next year.'
EYES ON 2026
— GOP candidate for Massachusetts governor Mike Kennealy backs gun law repeal by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: 'Mike Kennealy, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts governor, said he supports a campaign to repeal a sweeping gun law that Beacon Hill Democrats say creates safer communities but opponents criticize as an overreach of governmental powers. In pledging to support efforts to repeal the law, the 57-year-old from Lexington has sided with a group of gun owners, hunters, and Second Amendment rights activists who have launched a ballot question campaign asking voters to buck the statute during the 2026 statewide elections.'
FROM THE DELEGATION
— Millions are behind on student debt. Pressley wants to stop wage garnishment for those in default. by Hannah Loss, GBH News: 'More than 5 million people in the United States could soon have their student debt sent to collections — and another 4 million are months behind on their payments. Combined, that's almost 1 in 4 student loan holders across the country. Since the Department of Education resumed sending accounts in default to collections last week, some lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley are trying to curb the hurt that can cause — like wage garnishment.'
FROM THE 413
— Springfield and attorney general coordinating to recover $20 million feds snatched by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass Politics & Insight: 'The federal government has confirmed its cancellation of a $20 million environmental grant to the city of Springfield, but officials are not giving in.'
— 'This is not fair to us': Amherst Regional Middle School leaders outline poor conditions, ask committee for help by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Falling ceiling tiles, locked bathrooms with broken stalls and a class schedule that regularly drops a guided academic study and advisory period are among concerns Amherst Regional Middle School student leaders are bringing to the Regional School Committee.'
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— Honking at undercover ICE car set off Worcester arrest firestorm, family claims by Adam Bass, MassLive: 'The daughter of Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira, a Brazilian mother of three who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on May 8 at Eureka Street, says that the arrest of her mother started after her partner honked at an undercover car with ICE agents. Augusta Clara Moura, the 21-year-old daughter of Ferreira-De Oliveira, presented new details about how ICE arrested her mother as well as her partner, and how she was threatened with arrest by ICE agents.'
— 3 citizens' petitions take aim at MBTA zoning by Buck Anderson, The Salem News: 'Citizens' petitions aimed at overturning zoning in place to comply with the state's MBTA Communities Act are likely to draw much of the attention at Monday night's Annual Town Meeting [in Danvers]. Three petitions — Articles 36-38 — come near the end of the 39-article agenda. Two of the articles propose Town Meeting reject measures it has already taken to come into compliance with the state law, while the third seeks close scrutiny of those changes and further zoning amendments to address 'overdevelopment' they will cause.'
— Worcester Memorial Auditorium project gets $25 million commitment from state by Henry Schwan, Telegram & Gazette.
HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Christian Scorzoni, the Lowell Sun's Alana Melanson, Emma Rothschild, former Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey, Kayla Scire and Alvin Gunnion. Happy belated to Western Mass Governor's Councilor Tara Jacobs, who celebrated Thursday.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Ralph Neas and Robert Petito, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers POLITICO and Boston Globe alum Bryan Bender, state Rep. Bill Driscoll Jr., Erik Smith, Robert Colt, Patrick Long, Jason Meininger, Judy Boullet and Josh Troop.
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