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Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Republican governor's race gets rowdy
PARTY POLITICS — There are more than 400 days before voters head to the polls to pick their gubernatorial nominees, but on the Republican side, things are already getting heated. The two former members of Gov. Charlie Baker's administration seeking the state's top office — Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Kennealy — have been trading barbs in recent days over early fundraising numbers. Shortsleeve, who helped run the MBTA under Baker, touted his first month's fundraising numbers in a press release that featured a not-so-subtle nod to Kennealy's own first month announcement. It touted that Shortsleeve's more than $400,000 haul broke 'the previous non-incumbent record' for post-launch fundraising — the same boast Kennealy's campaign previously made about its first-month figures. And the hits kept coming in an internal memo from Shortsleeve's campaign on the state of the money race. '[Kennealy's] early claims of fundraising success following his first report quickly backfired after reporting in the Boston Herald that his numbers were inflated by illegal campaign contributions,' one of Shortsleeve's consultants, Jim Barnett, wrote in the memo, per a copy obtained by Massachusetts Playbook. 'It's been all downhill since.' A spokesperson for Kennealy, the former housing and economic development secretary, downplayed the fundraising haul when Shortsleeve first announced it. 'No amount of money Brian Shortsleeve raises can erase his failures at the MBTA — or recover the millions wasted on a rail deal with the Chinese Communist Party and an utterly botched Green Line Extension,' Logan Trupiano said in a statement. It's some (very) early jockeying in a primary race with an election that's more than a year out. Just how early? Baker didn't even launch his first campaign for governor in 2010 until July of 2009. Still, Bay State Republicans have been bullish about their chances to win back the governor's office (See: reaction to the latest University of New Hampshire poll.} after getting shut out of every statewide office in 2022. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan waved off the UNH poll over the weekend. 'Governor Healey is going to earn re-election because she understands Massachusetts people need someone who's going to fight to lower costs for them, going to fight to increase housing opportunities for them, going to fight back against Donald Trump,' Kerrigan said during an interview on WBZ's 'Keller @ Large' that aired Sunday. 'And frankly, neither Mike Kennealy nor Brian Shortsleeve are willing to do any of that.' Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey tours a housing development at 2:30 p.m. and visits a hospital at 4:10 p.m. on Martha's Vineyard. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signs the Fiscal Year 2026 budget at 9:45 a.m. at City Hall. Sen. Ed Markey addresses business leaders at a New England Council breakfast at 10 a.m. in Boston. CALIFORNIA v. TRUMP — Newsom calls National Guard deployment 'unlawful' as immigration clashes rock L.A. by Blake Jones, POLITICO: 'Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration called the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area 'unlawful,' urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday to back down as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement. The Trump administration's extraordinary deployment of the Guard to quell immigration protests in Southern California came without necessary coordination with California officials, Newsom's legal affairs secretary wrote in a letter to Hegseth.' — Escalating ICE raids pull California Democrats back into immigration fight by Dustin Gardiner, POLITICO. THE LOCAL ANGLE — Monday rally at Boston City Hall to protest ICE detention of union leader via Universal Hub. DATELINE BEACON HILL — Gov. Healey touts WalletHub rankings. Reality is more complicated by Chris Van Buskirk and Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'Gov. Maura Healey promoted a ranking last week that claimed Massachusetts had 'the best state economy' in the United States. The first-term Democrat, who is up for reelection next year, touted the ranking as a 'testament to the incredible businesses, universities, and research institutions that drive our innovation economy and to the top-notch talent that continues to choose Massachusetts as the place to grow their careers and their futures.' But the reality of residents' lived experiences and the reliability of the ranking is more complicated, including the fact that WalletHub does not guarantee the accuracy of the information it publishes.' — Lawmakers weigh ban on religious vaccine exemptions by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: 'Religious exemptions for most vaccinations for school-aged children would be banned in Massachusetts under a proposal being considered by state lawmakers, but critics say the move would be discriminatory and violate religious rights. The legislation, heard by the Legislature's Public Health Committee on Friday, would eliminate a section of the state's vaccine law that allows parents with 'sincere religious beliefs' to be exempted from a requirement to submit proof of vaccination to enroll their children in public schools.' — Tarr, Newburyport student propose CPR bill by Matt Petry, The Newburyport Daily News. — Healey urges U.S. Senate to reject Pell Grant cuts, touting success of Massachusetts program by Tonya Alanez, The Boston Globe. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — Ward 6's Lane not seeking reelection, McCauley running for mayor by Jim Sullivan, The Newburyport Daily News: 'There will be a new face representing Ward 6 this winter after Councilor Byron Lane announced Thursday he would not be seeking another term this fall. The Hart Road resident joined the council five years and although he took out nomination papers last month for a potential fourth term, Lane said he doesn't intend to return them to City Hall. Instead, he wants to devote more time to his growing limousine service as well as his 12-year-old son.' PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — Driver's licenses in limbo: Government debts jeopardize thousands of Massachusetts drivers by Laura Crimaldi, The Boston Globe: 'Thousands of Massachusetts drivers each year face the possibility of losing their legal authority to drive, and sometimes the only fix carries an insurmountable cost. The state Registry of Motor Vehicles placed driver's licenses in non-renewal status nearly 3 million times during a five-period because of unpaid tolls and other debts unrelated to road safety, according to agency data reviewed by the Globe. The designation means that once those driver's licenses expire, they cannot be renewed, unless the entire debt, sometimes thousands of dollars, is paid in full.' DAY IN COURT — Hearing for judge accused of helping man sought by ICE escape begins Monday by Matthew Medsgar, Boston Herald: 'Half-a-decade after she was charged with several serious federal crimes, a Massachusetts judge will finally have her day in court — sort of. In a case bearing striking similarity to a more recent arrest of a judge from Wisconsin, former Newton District Court Judge Shelley Joseph will appear for a Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct hearing on Monday, over allegations she willfully helped a man wanted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in evading federal authorities. A court assigned hearing officer will examine the courthouse scene of the alleged crime which ultimately led to a judicial complaint against the Bay State judge, before the hearing gets underway over whether she violated the rules of conduct for jurists.' — MBTA Communities law is not an unfunded mandate, judge rules by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon: 'A Plymouth County judge overseeing a bundle of municipal lawsuits from towns seeking to halt enforcement of the MBTA Communities housing law has denied their motion for a preliminary injunction and dismissed their complaints. In a 40-page decision released Friday afternoon, Superior Court Justice Mark Gildea considered lawsuits brought by the towns of Duxbury, Hanson, Holden, Marshfield, Middleton, Wenham, Weston, and Wrentham, plus a taxpayer suit brought by Hamilton residents.' FROM THE DELEGATION — U.S. Rep. Keating demands answers from ICE after roundups on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket by Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times: 'U.S. Rep. Bill Keating is demanding answers from federal officials about the specifics of last month's roundup of immigrants on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Plymouth by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Officers with ICE and other federal agencies detained about 40 individuals and arrested 12 on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on May 27. On May 30, ICE agents conducted a sweep in Plymouth. All three areas are in Keating's Ninth Congressional District.' TRUMPACHUSETTS — The Trump administration canceled an $87 million award for this MIT startup. But life goes on. by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe: 'Sublime Systems' vision for creating a high-tech, low-carbon cement factory in Holyoke suffered a setback when the Trump administration's Department of Energy canceled an $87 million award for the project. US Department of Energy secretary Chris Wright recently terminated 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, mostly during the final weeks of the Biden administration. The list included just one grant in New England, the $87 million for Somerville-based Sublime. The agency said it was cancelling these projects because they were not economically viable, would not generate a positive return for taxpayers, and failed to help the country's energy needs. But Sublime and its 100-person team have an increasing number of private-sector supporters who feel differently about the startup's prospects — and the MIT spinout is still moving ahead with its $150 million project in Holyoke.' FROM THE 413 — A disabled veteran is accusing a Holyoke city councilor of taking his home. Did he? by Greta Jochem, The Springfield Republican: 'George Golderesi's Springfield house sold to a new owner in February. It took him six weeks to find out. He said he believed a contractor hired to repair damage from a July 2024 fire was moving ahead with renovations so that Golderesi, a disabled veteran in his 50s, could return home. David K. Bartley, a Holyoke attorney and City Council member, orchestrated a sale of Golderesi's Pinta Circle home. Golderesi says he did not want to sell — and wasn't told someone else owned his home for more than a month.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Worcester had 16 homicides in 2024. This year so far: 0 by Craig S. Semon, Telegram & Gazette: 'As the city begins the second week of June, Worcester can boast something that it couldn't this time last year: no homicides so far this year. This time last year, Worcester had seven homicides, six of which were from firearms, Chief Paul Saucier said. … Although no one can know why there have been no homicides in the city this year so far, [Worcester Police Chief] Saucier said he thinks several Worcester Police Department outreach programs have contributed to the drop.' — Beverly weighs challenges this budget season, and beyond by Carline Enos, The Salem News: 'The City Council is weighing a $173.7 million budget for fiscal 2026, a 4.7% increase of $7.7 million over last year's budget. The proposed budget includes $85 million for schools, a 9.1% increase from the previous year.' — Town Meeting calls on state legislature to allow real estate transfer fee by Sam Mintz and Vivi Smilgius, 'Brookline will ask the state legislature to allow the town to enact a real estate transfer fee, after Town Meeting voted this week in favor of a home rule petition. … The petition , led by Town Meeting member Alec Lebovitz, is not binding but lays out the loose parameters of what the policy would look like in Brookline if approved by the state legislature. Town Meeting would need to approve the specific, final details in a future vote.' — Will Easton voters OK override to avoid dozens of layoffs? Tax impact? by Chris Helms, The Brockton Enterprise: 'Will Easton voters raise the town's taxing power by $7.3 million or accept service cuts? That's one way to see the bottom line as voting on an operational override ends Tuesday, June 10. Those urging a 'yes' vote say Easton's government is caught between inflation-driven cost increases and falling state aid for education. Cost drivers include health insurance for active and retired town employees, pension liabilities, property insurance premiums and utilities. On the revenue side, Easton is one of the state's 'minimum aid districts.' The upshot of that designation is that local taxes have been paying an increasing share of school costs.' — Steamship Authority considering freight service between New Bedford and Nantucket by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light: 'A Cape Cod construction company is proposing a new freight service between New Bedford and Nantucket. The proposed service would carry recyclables, tires, construction equipment, and other materials two to three days a week, using freight boats that the company bought from the Steamship Authority last year. It would use Steamship Authority dock space for loading and unloading.' HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, Sheila Ramirez, Jeff Solnet, John Dukakis, 90 West's Harry Shipps and Kelsey Perkins, district director for Rep. Katherine Clark and Ray Salazar of Rep. Katherine Clark's office.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP Mass. governor hopeful Brian Shortsleeve touts ‘record' $416K fundraising haul
The race for the 2026 Republican gubernatorial nomination moved into high gear Monday with one aspirant for the corner office announcing he'd 'shattered' a fundraising record. Brian Shortsleeve, who helmed the MBTA under former Gov. Charlie Baker, said his campaign had raised $416,027 in its first 20 days, outpacing both his old boss and his so-far only competition for the nomination. 'I'm deeply grateful that so many Bay Staters have stepped up to support my campaign to bring affordability and fiscal sanity back to Massachusetts,' Shortsleeve, who entered the race last month, said in a statement. The other Republican in the race, Mike Kennealy, who served as Baker's housing and economic development czar, said he'd raised more than $130,000 in the first three weeks of his campaign. That haul prompted a challenge from the state Democratic Party, which complained to state regulators that Kennealy apparently had collected thousands of dollars in donations above the allowable limit. Shortsleeve said his campaign broke the $139,502 record for non-incumbents that Baker set during his first 30 days as a candidate in 2009, when the individual donation limit was $500 instead of the current $1,000. It also exceeds the $405,511 that incumbent Democratic Gov. Maura Healey raised in March 2025, Shortsleeve's campaign said. Healey announced earlier this year that she's seeking a second term. Kennealy's campaign attributed the overages to donors who'd covered credit card processing fees and couples who contributed to the Republican hopeful as a single transaction, MassLive previously reported. A spokesperson told MassLive that the campaign was 'actively' refunding excess donations. And the campaign was in 'full communication' with regulators to ensure compliance. State data show Kennealy with $256,715 in his campaign account as of Monday. Healey had $2.9 million in her campaign account as of Monday, data show. Bill Clinton raises alarm over Donald Trump: 'We've never seen anything like this before' Mass. Gov. Healey's popularity takes a dip in new poll Hampden County June Staff Office Hours for State Senator Paul Mark Springfield officials support legislation to automatically seal criminal records Gov. Healey demands answers after ICE arrests Mass. high school student Read the original article on MassLive.
Bloomberg
15-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Massachusetts GOP Governor Contender Downplays Federal Pressure
Brian Shortsleeve is seeking to become the next Republican governor of Massachusetts, a state that's facing acute economic pressure from the White House 's cuts to federal funding for universities and scientific research. He doesn't want to dwell on that. 'I'm running for governor. I'm not running for president,' Shortsleeve, a venture capital executive and the former chief administrator of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority under previous Republican Governor Charlie Baker, said in an interview at Bloomberg's Boston office.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shortsleeve jumps into 2026 race for Massachusetts governor
BOSTN (SHNS) – Brian Shortsleeve, a former MBTA executive, venture capitalist and Marine Corps veteran, announced his candidacy for governor on Monday, calling his campaign a 'mission for Massachusetts.' Shortsleeve, 52, of Barnstable, is a first-time candidate and the second Republican from former Gov. Charlie Baker's administration to join the 2026 race for governor. Running on a platform to 'bring commonsense conservative leadership to Beacon Hill,' Shortsleeve joins the race with the intent of 'cutting taxes, slashing waste and overregulation.' Shortsleeve told the Boston Herald recently that he voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election — an immediate contrast to his GOP opponent Michael Kennealy, who said he blanked his ballot in November. In a campaign ad, Shortsleeve highlighted plans to cut spending, audit 'every' state agency, reduced taxes and fees, and oppose Gov. Maura Healey's approach to immigration and shelter. He also supports repealing the MBTA Communities Act that targets the housing crisis by boosting production in eastern Massachusetts. The new candidate didn't specify which taxes he would cut or where he'd chop spending, but said the state budget is 'soaring, up 50% in just six years.' He pledged to cut 'state-mandated charges on your utility bill.' Shortsleeve mentions high costs, wasteful spending, static private sector growth and business outmigration as major items he'll take on if elected to the corner office. His ad harkened back to his work at the T under Baker, who tapped Shortsleeve in 2015 to be the T's chief administrator. In 2017, Shortsleeve began serving on the agency's fiscal and management control board. 'We turned things around. Until Governor Healey took it back and broke the budget all over again,' Shortsleeve said in his advertisement, when talking about the T. 'That's just what career politicians do. They don't solve problems, they just throw your money at them.' While problems at the T persisted through Baker's term and since then, Shortsleeve said he 'cut waste, balanced the budget [and] modernized the system' at the T. In recent years under the Healey administration, state leaders have pointed to T General Manager Phil Eng as the figure mending the struggling transit system. Saying 'the people of Massachusetts don't want to hire the guy who ran the T into the ground to run their entire state,' Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan tagged the candidate as 'Brian 'Slowzone' Shortsleeve,' a reference to subway system stretches where trains have been unable to run at normal speeds due to disrepair. 'Another member of the Trump crowd has entered the Republican race for Governor,' Kerrigan said in a statement. 'Brian Shortsleeve voted for Donald Trump and chaired Trump loyalist Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign. He's not going to stand up to Trump as he takes away health care from the seniors, women and children, halts research for cures to cancer and Alzheimer's, or launches a tariff war that's raising costs for everyone. This is what he voted for, and it's what he'll bring to Massachusetts.' Shortsleeve has recently served on the boards of capital and software companies, the Massachusetts High Technology Council and the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, according to his LinkedIn. He is also listed as co-founder and managing director of M33 Growth, a venture and growth stage investment firm. A central point in Shortsleeve's campaigning appears to be his identity as a Marine. His ad opens with war and defense visuals with a voiceover: 'For nearly 250 years, when America faced its toughest moments, we called the Marines. First in, last out. We get the job done. No excuses. Now, Massachusetts needs a Marine.' Kennealy, a former Baker housing secretary, announced his candidacy in April. Republican Sen. Peter Durant continues to weigh a possible run for governor. Healey has said she plans to seek reelection next year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Brian Shortsleeve, a former T general manager, launches Republican campaign for governor
He's also the second former Charlie Baker appointee to enter the race. He joins Advertisement Shortsleeve enters the race with deep ties to Baker and other prominent Republicans. Before Baker He met Baker years earlier on Mitt Romney's gubernatorial campaign, where Shortsleeve served as political director. He later raised money for Baker's 2010 and 2014 runs for governor and for Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. Last presidential cycle, Shortsleeve was an early backer and Shortsleeve, a first-time candidate and married father of three, has long been viewed as a future candidate for elected office, and has hovered over the governor's race for months. His early entrance — a GOP primary is still nearly 16 months away — also underscores his need to introduce himself to voters who may not remember among the line of people who've been tasked with trying to manage the T. Advertisement His time at the transit agency will likely be a heavy focus in the campaign. He entered with no background in public transportation, and later left as general manager in 2017 before sitting on the T's control board for three more years. In his campaign video, he said he 'cut the waste' and helped modernize a system that both then, and now, has Under Healey's hand-picked general manager, Phil Eng, the T has 'We turned things around,' Shortsleeve said in the video of his time at the T, 'until Governor Healy took it back and broke the budget all over again. That's just what career politicians do.' Shortsleeve also heavily criticized Healey's handling of the state's emergency shelter system, where annual costs have ballooned to more than $1 billion under an influx of migrant families. Healey and lawmakers have also Shortsleeve, conversely, said he would tackle the 'migrant crisis and Healey's sanctuary state policies.' He said the state also has experienced 'stagnant private sector growth' in recent years, and promised to focus on cutting people's energy costs, something Advertisement Shortsleeve said he wants to repeal the MBTA Communities Act, the controversial zoning law that Baker signed and that Shortsleeve dubbed an unfunded mandate that 'punishes towns.' 'It's no wonder people and businesses are fleeing the state. This isn't leadership, it's insanity, and Massachusetts deserves better.' President Trump will also likely loom large in any nascent GOP primary. Trump has enjoyed unmoving support among most of the small Republican base that will help decide the Massachusetts GOP primary. But he remains unpopular with the majority of Massachusetts residents, with some going as far in Kennealy said he didn't vote for Trump, but vowed to pursue a more collaborative approach with a Republican administration that Healey has increasingly attacked as Trump has pursued Shortsleeve didn't cite Trump in his launch video. Kennealy's campaign was quick to criticize Shortsleeve and his handling of the MBTA. 'Massachusetts needs a manager to clean up Maura Healey's mess. When Brian Shortsleeve had his chance to lead, he mismanaged the MBTA and left it in just as big a mess as he found it,' Ben Hincher, Kennealy's campaign manager, said in a statement. 'It's hard to imagine what exactly he's 'proud' of.' This is a developing story and will be updated. Matt Stout can be reached at
