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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayor Wu slams rival Josh Kraft over big bucks infusion: ‘Boston is not for sale'
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu didn't waste any time Tuesday making her feelings known over news that rival Josh Kraft was not only dropping big bucks on his campaign, but also was getting a leg-up from a super PAC on top of that. "Most Bostonians don't have a billionaire father to buy them a condo so they can move in to run for an office they've never voted for, live in a ward they don't know, and spend millions from their family wealth and connections to try to buy the election," the Democratic incumbent said in a statement released through her campaign. A bit of background: Kraft, a political newcomer and the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, announced last week that he was putting $2 million of his personal cash toward his campaign for City Hall, according to published reports. Late last week, Your City, Your Future, a pro-Kraft super PAC, disclosed through a state filing that it was spending $1.42 million on text messages, digital, TV and radio advertisements, along with billboards, supporting the challenger. That personal donation effectively erased Wu's fundraising lead. Heading into last week, the Democratic incumbent was sitting on more than $2 million in her campaign accounts, compared to Kraft's $151, 161. "The power of incumbency is a real thing,' Kraft said in a Friday statement to The Boston Herald. 'While Mayor Wu appears to be running her campaign out of City Hall, I have a fully staffed campaign team, including a campaign headquarters in Nubian Square.' 'While my campaign just reached the $1 million mark in donations, a modern campaign that includes a strong and robust field organization requires more resources than I can raise in such a short time frame,' he said, adding, 'I have never felt more optimistic about my campaign and what lies ahead.' Wu fired back on Tuesday, saying the senior Kraft and his "fellow Trump associates are trying to buy Josh a job by trashing our city with millions of dollars of negative attack ads. And without grassroots support for his campaign of half-measures and grievances, Josh Kraft is now having to self-fund his campaign with millions more from his family wealth too." 'This is an unprecedented early start to outside money raining down on a Boston city election as Kraft runs the most negative mayoral campaign in generations,' Wu continued. Wu and Kraft, who officially made the 2025 ballot last week, have spent most of the campaign exchanging jabs on social media and in dueling public statements. That happened most recently during a forum earlier this month that took in issues ranging from the city's prohibitive housing costs to public safety. Here's who's on the ballot for Boston mayor, City Council — so far Boston mayoral candidates clash over city budget, housing and transit in first forum Angela Menino, wife of former Boston Mayor Tom Menino, endorses Michelle Wu for reelection Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
26-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Kraft-aligned super PAC pours $1.4 million into attacks on Wu in mayoral race
The filings don't detail the ads' content, but the group also put $10,360 toward text messages, which some on social media have Advertisement When Wu won her first term in 2021, the highest-spending super PAC that year reported pouring $1.6 million into the race. Combined with another $125,000 it already spent on digital ads, 'Your City, Your Future' has already reported spending $1.55 million with still more than five months to go until Election Day. Advertisement The group's lines of attack echo Kraft's own campaign messaging. Kraft, the nonprofit executive and third son of billionaire He has also sought to undermine Wu's claims that Boston's Related : Super PACs and the campaigns they support are not allowed to coordinate. But the groups, officially known as Super PACs are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, and, unlike candidates themselves, they can take donations directly from businesses. New Balance chairman and billionaire Jim Davis has already Advertisement The super PAC has also received high-dollar donations from other influential business leaders, including $150,000 from John Calnan, chief executive of the construction company J. Calnan and Associates, and $100,000 from Robert Hale, the chief executive of Granite TeleCommunications. Howard Kessler, a prominent philanthropist and financial industry executive; J. Derenzo Companies, a A spokesperson for the PAC did not immediately respond Monday to an email seeking comment. Super PACs and other outside groups have proven to be a force in mayoral races dating back more than a decade. In 2013, amid the crowded scramble to succeed long-time mayor Thomas M. Menino, outside groups spent $3.8 million, with labor-affiliated political action committees That included help from a mysterious political action committee that paid for $480,000 in TV ads supporting Walsh during the final days of the Boston mayoral race. The American Federation of Teachers later confirmed it was the Outside that year, dropping nearly $1.62 million. In all, super PACs and other entities, including traditional PACs that face Advertisement Matt Stout can be reached at
Boston Globe
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Sports businessman and friend of Robert Kraft, Michael Rubin, donates $1 million to super PAC backing Josh Kraft
Rubin, who lives in Conshohocken, Penn., has close ties with Kraft's father Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, according to media reports and posts on Rubin's social media profiles. In photos shared on his public Instagram account in recent years, Rubin Rubin is also the co-chair and co-founder of the criminal justice advocacy group Advertisement Rubin's donation is not the first time Robert Kraft's associates have supported his son's political ambitions. The chairman and several top attorneys of the Josh Kraft was largely expected to receive support from a broad network of wealthy donors in his bid to challenge Wu, given the nonprofit leader's own relationships and his father's connections. Individuals can only donate up to $1,000 to a political candidate in a calendar year, according to state law. But those restrictions do not apply to super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, but are prohibited from coordinating with a campaign. A spokesperson for the 'Your City, Your Future' super PAC emphasized that its contributions and spending are publicly available on its state campaign finance page. 'Your City, Your Future is proud to support Josh Kraft and his vision for an affordable, livable, and safe Boston for all,' a spokesperson for the super PAC said in a statement. 'That is why people across Boston, Massachusetts, and even the country are supporting Your City, Your Future's efforts.' A spokesperson for Kraft's campaign declined to comment on Rubin's donation, but criticized Wu's leadership of the city. 'Josh is 100 percent focused on his campaign and holding Mayor Wu accountable for her mismanagement of city government and failed policies that are driving up the cost of housing among other things,' said Kraft campaign spokesperson Eileen O'Connor in a statement. Related : Advertisement Wu's team opted to take aim at Kraft's privileged background, a dig Wu has frequently reiterated in recent weeks. 'Not surprised that Robert Kraft is working his billionaire friends to buy his son a job, but Boston is not for sale,' said Wu campaign spokesperson Julia Leja in a statement. Fanatics did not immediately return a request for comment. Kraft has raised nearly $880,000 since launching his campaign in February, and had just over $150,000 in cash on hand at the end of April, according to his latest campaign finance report. Wu ended the same period with about $2.2 million in cash on hand. Niki Griswold can be reached at
