Latest news with #Shortsleeve
Boston Globe
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Two former Charlie Baker appointees are vying to be governor. Those from Baker-world are starting to pick sides.
led another pro-Baker super PAC. '[Kennealy] is the only candidate that can win against Healey because of his full resume and experience,' Lindstrom said. Advertisement The breadth of political contributions show the expanse of Baker's political orbit after he ran statewide three times and spent eight years in office. They also illustrate the ways in which Shortsleeve and Kennealy are simultaneously tapping long-time connections and similar wells of support to bolster their case as the Republican alternative to Healey, a first-term Democrat. 'Mike's a good person. He really is. But I think Brian is the right person,' said John Chapman, a former state Advertisement Shortsleeve is 'someone who has been on the horizon' in the state party, Chapman said. 'He's been involved.' Charlie Baker and Brian Shortsleeve, then the MBTA's acting general manager, listen during a 2017 meeting at the T's headquarters. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Both Republicans have pitched themselves as pragmatic, first-time candidates who would rein in state spending, including in a state emergency shelter system where costs are expected to soar past $1 billion this fiscal year. They've also both put President Trump at relative arm's length publicly, either saying they didn't vote for him (as Kennealy did) or describing their support as voting 'the Republican ticket' (Shortsleeve's words). Healey, who said in February she Fundraising, to a degree, offers a window into how that's translating into early support, particularly from the corners of Massachusetts politics where Baker thrived. Shortsleeve Shortsleeve raked in maximum donations from Matt Beaton, Baker's one-time energy secretary, as well as Paul Dacier, an attorney and Baker appointee who led the committee that vetted the governor's judicial nominees. Advertisement Gregg Lisciotti, a developer and chairman of Massachusetts Majority, a since-closed super PAC with 'What you're seeing is people believe Brian is the strongest candidate,' said Holly Robichaud, a Shortsleeve adviser. Robichaud downplayed the role those close to Baker played in the fundraising haul, noting 'it's not just Baker people' who gave. Car magnate Ernie Boch Jr., for example, contributed a max donation, as did former US Senator Scott Brown. Brown, who 'I'm returning the favor,' Brown wrote in a text message. To be sure, Kennealy and Shortsleeve's donor lists, and even their political operations, share similarities. One-time members of Baker's cabinet — Mike Heffernan, Baker's former budget chief, and Mark Nunnelly, his former secretary of technology services — made $1,000 donations to both candidates within days of one another last month, records show. Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah — another frequent Shortsleeve and Kennealy have also each enlisted Red Curve Solutions, a Beverly firm that handles campaign finance compliance and long worked with Baker and Advertisement It was Shortsleeve, however, who got a maximum $1,000 donation from its founder, Bradley Crate, who's also personally serving as Shortsleeve's campaign treasurer. The two have a long history. Both worked for Mitt Romney; Shortsleeve was political director of Romney's gubernatorial campaign, Crate worked for both Romney's administration and presidential campaign. They also remain 'long-time friends,' Robichaud said. In an email, Crate said the company uses a 'strict firewall' when it's working for competing clients, assigning different personnel and employing 'technological buffers' between the campaigns. Baker, now the president of the NCAA, has not publicly thrown his support behind any candidate. He also said he personally has no It's Kennealy, however, who's leaned more heavily on those close to Baker to build his own political operation. Jim Conroy, a long-time adviser to Baker, and Brian Wynne, who managed Baker's 2018 reelection campaign, are both working for his campaign. It's also enlisted David Drummond, who served as finance director for Baker's political committee. 'That's a proven, winning team with a record of success in Massachusetts,' said Logan Trupiano, a spokesperson for Kennealy. He said the campaign has also taken contributions from 'dozens of former Baker donors and finance committee members.' That includes Mike Cimini, who served as finance committee chair for Baker, and Lindstrom, a longtime Republican operative who once led Advertisement 'I understand how serving in a governor's cabinet lets you see a lot of Massachusetts and its issues,' Lindstrom said of donating to Kennealy, who also served as the state party's finance chair after Baker left office. 'He spent time putting the party back in the right direction.' To what degree those in Baker-world further splinter — and open their wallets — remains to be seen. The bulk of Kennealy's campaign cash so far has come from his own wealth, with personal loans accounting for $400,000 of the $631,000 he's reported raising. His aides have said he's planning to commit up to $2 million of his own money to the effort. That has quickly become a point of pride, and derision, in the nascent race. Shortsleeve's camp has argued that the party's nominee will 'need to do more than just stroke a check' to beat Healey. Kennealy's campaign said putting in his own money shows a level of commitment. 'We're just getting started,' Trupiano said. Matt Stout can be reached at
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mass. governor's race intensifies as GOP candidates seize on LA protests
If you're a member of the Bay State's political and chattering class, and you needed a reminder that Massachusetts is officially in the thick of a gubernatorial campaign season, then you didn't have to look much further than your email inbox on Monday. There, you would have found dueling press releases from Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve, the two former Baker administration officials dueling for the GOP nomination for the Corner Office in 2026. The target, inevitably, was Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who'd signed onto a statement with her fellow Democratic governors criticizing the Trump administration's decision to federalize National Guard forces in response to immigration protests in Los Angeles. The statement, issued through the Democratic Governors Association, took the Republican White House to task for its unusual decision to sidestep Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom when it called in the National Guard — which 700 U.S. Marines have since supplemented. The White House's end-run was 'an alarming abuse of power. Governors are the commanders-in-chief of their National Guard, and activating them within their own borders without consulting or working with a state's governor is ineffective and dangerous,' the DGA's statement asserted. Kennealy, who served as Baker's housing and economic development czar, was first out of the gate at little after 4 p.m., arguing that, by opposing the federal response, the Democratic incumbent was 'legitimizing criminal behavior under the guise of protest.' Shortsleeve, who ran the MBTA under Baker, followed up around 6:30 p.m. He got in a similar shot, condemning Healey for appearing to side with 'rioting protesters waving foreign flags' who were 'violently attacking American law enforcement officers.' Shortsleeve also slammed Healey for her management of the state's hugely expensive migrant crisis and, by implication, her criticism of the aggressive tactics of federal immigration agents as they've rounded up undocumented people across the state. 'If cooperation between the federal and state governments is what she wants, you wouldn't know it by her refusal to work in an orderly way to ensure criminal illegal immigrants in our state were delivered to federal law enforcement for deportation instead of released onto our streets,' Shortsleeve said. Kennealy, who didn't explicitly mention the migrant crisis, but who has been publicly critical, observed that 'when the federal government offers help to restore order and protect citizens, we take it — because doing the right thing for our people should always come before scoring partisan points.' Read More: Rümeysa Öztürk chose grace over bitterness. What we can learn | John L. Micek Taken together, the broadsides from the two Republican hopefuls were a reminder that the migrant crisis, which has subsided in its intensity, remains a potent line of attack, and that the Democratic incumbent remains vulnerable on the issue. More than half of respondents (52%) to a UMass Amherst/WCVB-TV poll in February, for instance, said they disapproved of the Arlington Democrat's management of the shelter crisis. Their mood was reflective of national trends. A broader UMass poll in April found Americans to be of 'two minds' on the issue, supporting a path to citizenship, even as they supported the White House's moves against migrants with criminal records. A CBS News poll completed before Saturday's unrest in Los Angeles, however, provided a reminder that public patience for the White House's tactics extends only so far. That's because support for enforcement against non-criminals drops off precipitously, the poll found. While 55% of respondents approved of Trump's deportation goals, only 44% approved of his approach to the deportation effort. Healey, in public appearances, repeatedly has drawn that line. She's stressed that she supports taking criminals off the streets, even as she's decried the apparent shroud of secrecy that's enveloped the apprehension of such noncriminal migrants as Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk and Milford High School student-athlete Marcelo Gomes da Silva. Read More: Gov. Healey demands answers after ICE arrests Mass. high school student 'This is part of the problem that we're seeing with ICE across the country. And certainly here in Massachusetts, people are being picked up. We have no information about their circumstances,' Healey said after an unrelated news conference at the State House last month. 'There have been real questions raised about due process and whether or not ICE and immigration officials are ... complying with due process here and in other states. And we need answers.' It's not clear, however, if the Massachusetts voters were grasping the subtlety of that policy fine line. An internal poll by Kennealy's campaign pointed to a similar vulnerability for Healey on immigration issues, The Boston Herald reported last month. And 49% of respondents to a University of New Hampshire poll last week said they approved of her job performance, compared to 45% who said they disapproved. With the poll's 3.3% margin of error, that's a statistical dead heat. Even still, Healey's loyalists pounced on the UNH canvass, dismissing it as an outlier, as they pointed to other public polling that showed her more broadly popular overall. 'Governor Healey is going to earn reelection 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,' state Democratic Party Chairperson Steve Kerrigan said during an interview on WBZ-TV's 'Keller @ Large' program that aired last weekend. 'And frankly, neither Mike Kennealy nor Brian Shortsleeve are willing to do any of that.' The lingering question is what happens if Massachusetts, which already has been targeted by the White House, finds itself facing a Los Angeles-style protest that results in Trump doing a gubernatorial end-run by federalizing the state National Guard or, at its extreme end, dispatching U.S. troops to Boston or some other city. If elected, would Kennealy or Shortsleeve acquiesce in the face of such an action? Or would they protest a usurpation of their executive authority? At that point, the question moves from political to practical. Healey staked out her territory with that DGA statement. The responses from Shortsleeve and Kennealy would speak volumes about how they intend to lead during what presumably would be the final two years of Trump's term. That's something that Massachusetts voters would have to decide for themselves. Which makes their answers bear watching. Can the Mass. GOP flip this Taunton state House seat? | Bay State Briefing Mass. lawmakers get bad grades on industry report card. But who's failing whom? | John L. Micek Math is hard. Midterm math is harder. The lessons Mass. needs to learn for 2026 | John L. Micek Read the original article on MassLive.
Politico
09-06-2025
- 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.
