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Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The debate over ranked-choice voting in Boston is more than just academic
Send questions or suggestions to . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT If a coalition of activists and the Boston City Council get their way, 'Who did you vote for?' may soon become a trickier question to answer in Boston. And that's on purpose. Last week, the City Council Advocates say RCV gives voters more choices and encourages candidates to earn broader support. New York City; Burlington, Vt., and other municipalities Advertisement But not everyone is persuaded. Some lawmakers and political scientists question the benefits of RCV. Others worry that it will make elections more complicated for voters to participate in and for the city to run. Today's newsletter explains the debate. Advertisement Advocates' case For its supporters, the benefits of RCV flow from its design. By letting voters pick whom they want most while also signaling who should get their support if that candidate doesn't win, RCV lets voters better express their preferences. People can cast ballots for third-party or independent candidates without worrying that their vote will be wasted — or worse, hand the election to a candidate they dislike. 'The biggest gain is that folks aren't feeling like they're left out,' said Edwyn Shoemaker, who runs Ranked Choice Boston, a coalition that advocated for the measure. Voter turnout in municipal elections in Boston, as in most cities, tends to be low. But people who believe their vote matters are more likely to show up to cast it, Shoemaker argues. He cited Boston municipal elections are technically nonpartisan, without a candidate's party affiliation listed on the ballot. Shoemaker thinks RCV can reduce polarization even more by giving candidates a reason to compete for voters outside their normal bases of support. It might even incentivize them to campaign more civilly, lest they alienate a rival's supporters who might otherwise rank them second or third. Criticisms Critics say RCV's advocates overstate its benefits, which can vary depending on the kind of election in which it's used. In a statewide race for president, for example, RCV might well prevent a third-party candidate from handing the election to a Democrat over a Republican, or vice versa. But implementing it for municipal races to elect what's currently an all-Democratic city council might not change much. Most of the current district councilors won their seats with majorities of the vote, suggesting broad support even absent RCV. (RCV would work slightly differently for at-large city council seats, with a lower threshold for victory.) And in RCV elections elsewhere, the candidate with a plurality in the first round Advertisement Other critics say RCV imagines an idealized electorate that doesn't really exist. Yes, many people know which candidates they prefer or do research before deciding whom to support. But expecting most voters to parse the sometimes-minute differences among candidates for local seats in a majority-Democratic city strains credulity, said Eitan Hersh, a Tufts political scientist. 'It's sort of like if I asked you, 'What's your favorite ice cream flavor?'' Hersh said. 'And then instead of that, I said, 'Okay, now you have to rank-order all the ice cream flavors.' It's kind of hard.' Ranked-choice ballots also tend to be more complicated and time-consuming to fill out, and complexity breeds mistakes. According to Some critics also think RCV will burden Boston's already strained election system. Councilor Ed Flynn Advertisement The context In between the advocates and critics are the ambivalent. Lee Drutman, a voting reform expert at New America, a Washington think tank, is in that camp. Once an RCV evangelist, he's come to Does that mean the debate doesn't matter? The passions on both sides may instead reflect a more troubling phenomenon: growing dissatisfaction with American democracy. As voters become more pessimistic about the country's bitter partisan divides, some have evidently latched onto changes they hope will improve things — even if the evidence is mixed. 'People are looking for electoral reform,' Drutman said. 'RCV has caught on for particular reasons. But is it actually transformative enough to change the fundamentals of the system?' 🧩 6 Across: POINTS OF INTEREST The scene of a fatal accident in Hyde Park in April in which a school bus struck and killed a 5-year-old boy. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Boston and New England Karen Read: Read's lawyer pressed a digital forensics examiner on his credentials Verdict: A jury convicted a former high school basketball coach in Rhode Island of misdemeanor battery for Settlement: The MBTA Crash data: Fatal incidents involving school buses, like the one that killed a 5-year-old boy last month, Retail reclamation: Macy's is closing 150 stores nationwide. Downtown Boston's may survive Trump administration Congresswoman charged: The Justice Department said it was charging Representative LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democrat, with assaulting a police officer near an ICE facility this month. McIver called the charges political. ( Jan. 6 settlement: The administration agreed to pay Ashli Babbitt's family about $5 million after a Capitol police officer defending lawmakers fatally shot her during the riot. ( Take It Down Act: Trump signed a bipartisan bill meant to prevent the dissemination of non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes and revenge porn. ( Trump's agenda: Republicans claim they're cutting Medicaid fraud to pay for Trump's tax cuts. But in Massachusetts, fraud Free press: CBS News' president resigned after opposing the company's efforts to settle Trump's lawsuit against '60 Minutes.' ( Red tape: New England fisherman blame bureaucracy for hurting their industry. They're The Nation and the World Joe Biden's cancer: The former president's diagnosis underscores that cancers can pop up suddenly even among those with excellent health care. ( Diddy trial: Witnesses testified that music mogul Sean Combs controlled and assaulted his longtime girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura. ( Mending ties: The UK and the European Union struck a deal that covers trade, energy, and more. It's their biggest relationship reset since Brexit. ( BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 💍 The Big Day: They dated for four years before going their separate ways — only to reconnect in Savannah for a 🚗 Timing is everything: AAA predicts that 28,000 more people will drive on Mass. roads over the holiday weekend than last year. Here are the best times to travel from Thursday through Monday. ( Advertisement 🌸 Floriferous: It was a banner year for hydrangeas in 2024, and while this year's blooms may not be as spectacular, they will be quite nice. 👶🏼 Robbing the cradle: It's not just men who like dating younger partners. Turns out women are attracted to younger men, according to a recent study. ( 🏠 People pleasers: If you're selling your home this spring, there are seven things that homebuyers really want and I have to say, a clean crawl space was not on my dance card. ( 📥 RTO or WFH? Workers in some cities have been quick to return to offices; others are among the slowest. Boston's on one of those lists. ( 🥺 Living with guilt: Being the person who accidentally causes another's death can lead to a lifetime of grief. But there are resources to help. ( Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited and produced by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida pays $40K to settle civil rights suit by former top Worrell staffer fired amid 2023 suspension
The Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office settled a lawsuit last month brought by Keisha Mulfort, State Attorney Monique Worrell's former chief of staff who was fired amid her boss's 2023 suspension. In exchange for Mulfort abandoning the lawsuit, the agency, represented by the Florida Office of the Attorney General, will pay her $40,000. Of that amount, she will get $15,107.40 for compensatory damages and $6,474.60 in back pay. The rest will go toward attorney fees, according to the agreement. Details of the April 21 settlement were first reported by WKMG, which published the full document online. A lawyer for Mulfort did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Mulfort was months into her maternity leave after the birth of her daughter when she was fired Aug. 10, 2023, by the State Attorney's Office a day after Andrew Bain was appointed top prosecutor by Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis suspended Worrell Aug. 9, 2023, for what he said was neglect of duty. The settlement ties one of the remaining loose ends of Worrell's previous administration. Her ouster and subsequent return became one of the most-watched dramas in Central Florida politics — in which a progressive prosecutor in a majority-Democratic judicial circuit was pit against DeSantis as he looked to remove anyone he deemed too soft on crime. A spokesperson for Worrell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mulfort was notified of her termination by Orange County deputies who came to her home demanding she return agency-issued devices, vehicles and access cards as well as relinquish access to the office's social media accounts. At the time, she was in contact with the office through her attorney, who sought to amicably resolve the matter of turning over access to the online profiles. 'I am on FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) and y'all are coming here like I'm a criminal,' Mulfort said at the time as shown on body-worn camera video. 'Regardless of what has happened at that office … regardless of what you have with Monique Worrell, I am on FMLA and y'all should have made arrangements. That would have been a respectful thing to do.' In June she filed a federal lawsuit against Bain — someone she once called a friend who had attended her child's baby shower — claiming he had violated her employment protections under FMLA. At the time, a spokesperson for Bain's office said they rejected the claims, adding they took 'compliance with state and federal employment laws very seriously.' 'I did so much for the community and to have everything just uprooted for political posturing,' Mulfort said when the lawsuit was filed. 'It wasn't just insulting, it was infuriating, and it was a slap in the face to everyone that voted for Monique Worrell.' According to the settlement agreement, the State Attorney's Office denied any wrongdoing. Mulfort, who managed Worrell's successful reelection campaign last year, now works for ACLU of Florida, but the agreement does not preclude her from returning to work for her former boss.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cook County's Democratic incumbents plant flags for 2026 re-election bids
With a year to go until the 2026 primary election, Democratic Cook County officials are marking their territory. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Sheriff Tom Dart, Treasurer Maria Pappas and Assessor Fritz Kaegi have all declared or signaled they plan to run again. Preckwinkle, who turned 78 Monday, announced her re-election bid to once again lead the board in an interview with Politico. Dart is hosting a re-election campaign kickoff and fundraiser next week. Kaegi sunk $500,000 into his campaign coffers earlier this month — filing a 'self-funding' notice for next year's primary — a reminder to any potential challengers of his deep pockets. Pappas didn't release a formal re-election announcement, but simply told the Tribune, 'I'm in.' Pappas, Dart, and Preckwinkle have been in their current roles since 1998, 2006 and 2010, respectively. Many believed Preckwinkle's current term would be her last, an assumption so baked in that preliminary jockeying among current members of the majority-Democratic board to succeed her had kicked off. But allies of Preckwinkle, who also chairs the county's Democratic Party, suggested she still had the energy and interest for another term. In a statement, she echoed another motivator allies have cited: maintaining a steady hand during the Trump presidency. 'With a new administration at the helm in the federal government causing chaos and uncertainty, now is not the time to step aside from this important work. Now is the time to lead the fight to protect all residents of Cook County,' she said in a written statement. Pre-slating, where countywide candidates introduce themselves to members of the party, will be held mid-April. Besides those countywide candidates, all 17 members of the Cook County board are up for re-election, as are judges, water reclamation district commissioners, and two of the members of the county's Board of Review. Petition passing doesn't begin until August 5, giving challengers plenty of time to bolster their bids. Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele is widely rumored to be considering a run for Assessor, but has not yet publicly declared her intentions. If she runs for assessor, she would have to give up her board seat, which is also up in 2026 along with fellow commissioner George Cardenas. So far, Liz Nicholson, a Democratic fundraiser, has filed paperwork to run in Steele's district. Fellow commissioner Larry Rogers, who defeated a Kaegi-backed challenger last year, said he might run to unseat Kaegi next year, or help fund a candidate to challenge him. Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, who won a special election to replace the late Karen Yarbrough last year, is also expected to run. Though he has not made a formal declaration either, Kaegi has filed paperwork with the state board of elections to run for a third term. In recent months, he has reminded taxpayers of their eligibility for property tax exemptions and pushed 'circuit breaker' reforms in the General Assembly. Those reforms, in theory, would help low-income people pay fast-rising property tax bills, but Kaegi and allies don't have a way to pay for it yet. The $500,000 loan from Kaegi to his campaign brings his self-funding total to $5.6 million since he first ran for office in 2017, according to the Illinois Sunshine database. 'I love this work. I'm running for re-election because there's more work to be done. Making the Assessor's Office fairer is a crucial part of maintaining the public's trust in local government. We need that now more than ever,' Kaegi said in a written statement. In explain her decision to go again, Pappas said she wanted to see through the publication of more 'brilliant' studies from her property tax research team, and talked about her desire to create an artificial intelligence unit. The treasurer is pursuing her own changes to the tax sale process in Springfield. The 75-year-old has also started a side hustle as a model signed with Lily's Talent Agency. 'The only reason I'm successful is I've hired people much smarter than me, but I know how to run it,' Pappas said Monday. 'That's what a good executive does.'
Chicago Tribune
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Cook County's Democratic incumbents plant flags for 2026 re-election bids
With a year to go until the 2026 primary election, Democratic Cook County officials are marking their territory. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Sheriff Tom Dart, Treasurer Maria Pappas and Assessor Fritz Kaegi have all declared or signaled they plan to run again. Preckwinkle, who turned 78 Monday, announced her re-election bid to once again lead the board in an interview with Politico. Dart is hosting a re-election campaign kickoff and fundraiser next week. Kaegi sunk $500,000 into his campaign coffers earlier this month — filing a 'self-funding' notice for next year's primary — a reminder to any potential challengers of his deep pockets. Pappas didn't release a formal re-election announcement, but simply told the Tribune, 'I'm in.' Pappas, Dart, and Preckwinkle have been in their current roles since 1998, 2006 and 2010, respectively. Many believed Preckwinkle's current term would be her last, an assumption so baked in that preliminary jockeying among current members of the majority-Democratic board to succeed her had kicked off. But allies of Preckwinkle, who also chairs the county's Democratic Party, suggested she still had the energy and interest for another term. In a statement, she echoed another motivator allies have cited: maintaining a steady hand during the Trump presidency. 'With a new administration at the helm in the federal government causing chaos and uncertainty, now is not the time to step aside from this important work. Now is the time to lead the fight to protect all residents of Cook County,' she said in a written statement. Pre-slating, where countywide candidates introduce themselves to members of the party, will be held mid-April. Besides those countywide candidates, all 17 members of the Cook County board are up for re-election, as are judges, water reclamation district commissioners, and two of the members of the county's Board of Review. Petition passing doesn't begin until August 5, giving challengers plenty of time to bolster their bids. Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele is widely rumored to be considering a run for Assessor, but has not yet publicly declared her intentions. If she runs for assessor, she would have to give up her board seat, which is also up in 2026 along with fellow commissioner George Cardenas. So far, Liz Nicholson, a Democratic fundraiser, has filed paperwork to run in Steele's district. Fellow commissioner Larry Rogers, who defeated a Kaegi-backed challenger last year, said he might run to unseat Kaegi next year, or help fund a candidate to challenge him. Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, who won a special election to replace the late Karen Yarbrough last year, is also expected to run. Though he has not made a formal declaration either, Kaegi has filed paperwork with the state board of elections to run for a third term. In recent months, he has reminded taxpayers of their eligibility for property tax exemptions and pushed 'circuit breaker' reforms in the General Assembly. Those reforms, in theory, would help low-income people pay fast-rising property tax bills, but Kaegi and allies don't have a way to pay for it yet. The $500,000 loan from Kaegi to his campaign brings his self-funding total to $5.6 million since he first ran for office in 2017, according to the Illinois Sunshine database. 'I love this work. I'm running for re-election because there's more work to be done. Making the Assessor's Office fairer is a crucial part of maintaining the public's trust in local government. We need that now more than ever,' Kaegi said in a written statement. In explain her decision to go again, Pappas said she wanted to see through the publication of more 'brilliant' studies from her property tax research team, and talked about her desire to create an artificial intelligence unit. The treasurer is pursuing her own changes to the tax sale process in Springfield. The 75-year-old has also started a side hustle as a model signed with Lily's Talent Agency. 'The only reason I'm successful is I've hired people much smarter than me, but I know how to run it,' Pappas said Monday. 'That's what a good executive does.'
