Two years after her barrier-breaking victory, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu rallied behind four progressives looking for seats in the City Council. All four of her picks won in the low-turnout election, a feat without precedent in 40 years of Boston politics.
Politics
Durant, amiable conservative, wins Senate seat
Durant swept to what appeared to be a double-digit victory in an election that offered a glimmer of hope that Republicans can actually win seats on Beacon Hill. An amiable conservative, Durant appealed to the rural, conservative-leaning voters in the central Massachusetts district and did a better job of getting his voters out in a low-turnout special election to find a replacement for Democrat Anne Gobi.
Seeds of discontent with Massachusetts exceptionalism
Massachusetts residents rightly view the state as a leader on issues like education, civil rights, and health care. But that sense of Massachusetts exceptionalism is threatened by growing economic unease about the cost of living here.
Restoring civic discourse by embracing complexity
Sometimes things are simpler than they seem. But other times, maybe most of the time, things actually are complicated, with at least two sides to every story.
Short takes: Extended hunt for SJC justice
“Third time’s the charm” is a proverb, not necessarily a legal doctrine. Even so, the team tasked by Gov. Maura Healey to help fill an upcoming vacancy on the state’s highest court is again extending the application deadline for people interested in becoming a justice on the Supreme Judicial Court.
Healey said abortion and LGBTQ-friendly policies make the state more competitive. Residents agree.
In April, Gov. Maura Healey made an impassioned pitch to residents of other states: Massachusetts is the place to live, she said, if you care about abortion access and other civil rights. Results from the new CommonWealth Beacon poll suggest Bay State residents agree.
What regional differences reveal about Mass.
Poll results illuminate clear political regions within the state: Blue in Boston and its suburbs and in western Massachusetts; between them, a collar of red across central Massachusetts and wrapping north towards the New Hampshire border and down into the South Coast.
Danielle Allen says we have work to do on Massachusetts democracy
Harvard professor Danielle Allen says a health democracy hinges on inclusionk participation, and competitiveness. “One each of those dimensions, we can see room for improvement in Mass.,” she says
Wu-aligned unions funnel cash into super PAC backing Boston council candidate
Four left-leaning unions closely aligned with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are directing money to a newly formed outside super PAC that is backing Boston City Council candidate Henry Santana, a former Wu aide who is considered a top hopeful for one of the four at-large seats in the November 7 election.
Mariano urges Healey to issue executive order on shelter crisis
House Speaker Ron Mariano offered some interesting advice to Gov. Maura Healey as she struggles to navigate the state’s emergency shelter crisis, urging her to declare an executive order tweaking the law as she sees fit.