POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: MA-03’s final recount countdown — DEVAL weighs in on 2020 — LAWRENCE aftermath

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MA-03’s final recount countdown — DEVAL weighs in on 2020 — LAWRENCE aftermath

09/17/2018 06:57 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @laurendezenski)
HAPPY MONDAY, MASSACHUSETTS.

THE FINAL RECOUNT COUNTDOWN — It's the final countdown for the recount to determine the Democratic nominee for retiring Rep. Niki Tsongas' congressional seat — and later tonight (barring any other delays) we should know whether Lori Trahan has held onto her first-place finish in a crowded field of 10 Democrats.

As of Sunday night's tally, Trahan widened her lead over second-place Dan Koh to 139 votes, according to Trahan's campaign. Trahan picked up an additional 72 votes in Lowell while Koh picked up 27, according to Sunday's recount results from the Secretary of State's office. The recount process has seen Trahan pick up a few additional, if scattered, votes throughout the district to increase her lead over Koh.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin set 5 p.m. tonight as the deadline for the remaining Merrimack Valley communities left to count their ballots: Gardner, Ayer, Townshend, Ashby, Bolton, Lunenburg, and Maynard. Roughly 89,000 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary.

Regardless of tonight's outcome, Republican Rick Green says he's ready to face an opponent for Tsongas' seat. "At this point, I'll take anybody," Green told WBZ's Jon Keller this weekend.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com..

TODAY — Rep. Joe Kennedy III will speak to the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce. In the evening, he will join NBC Sports Boston anchor Trenni Kusnierek, Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens, and other former professional athletes for a Suffolk University Ford Hall Forum on mental health — Rep. Seth Moulton will appear on WGBH's Boston Public Radio — Attorney General Maura Healey will join Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund , schools officials, and middle school students in Weymouth for a discussion highlighting Project Here, a public-private collaboration led by the AG's Office and the GE Foundation to tackle an unmet need in the state's battle against the ongoing opioid crisis.

ON THE STUMP —
- "Trump divide showed in Mass. GOP primary," by Kori Tuitt, Lowell Sun: "Gov. Charlie Baker may be one of the most popular governors across the country, but a good number of voters in the Republican primary race came out to show their support for his challenger, Scott Lively."

- "Deval Patrick: 'The character of the country is on the ballot right now,'" by Clare Foran, CNN: "Patrick described the 2018 midterm elections, in which Democrats are optimistic they will take control of the House but face uncertain outcomes in the Senate, as a chance to put into place 'some real oversight' of President Donald Trump's administration and characterized the 2020 presidential election as a chance to vote Trump out of the White House."

- "Jay Gonzalez attacks Gov. Baker's record on transgender rights," by WCVB's On the Record: "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez continued to fire away at Gov. Charlie Baker, saying he was against transgender rights before he signed a bill supporting them."

DATELINE BEACON HILL —
- "Here's how Massachusetts education funding talks collapsed with nearly $1 billion at stake," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The negotiations ultimately fell apart on the last day of the legislative session, July 31. ... Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Sonia Chang-Diaz, D-Boston, blamed House leadership. 'I've never seen so many rationalizations and double-standards employed to avoid doing what's right for kids,' Chang-Diaz said late at night as the session was ending."

- "State auditor feuds with RMV over driver's license report," by Christian M. Wade, Lawrence Eagle-Tribune: "Wrangling between the Baker administration and State Auditor Suzanne Bump's office continued Friday, with the Registry of Motor Vehicles demanding that Bump "correct" what it says are inaccuracies in a recent report that the agency gave out more than 1,900 drivers licenses to dead people."


CHARLIE BAKER REMAINS SILENT AND HAS FAILED TO TAKE ANY ACTION....WHERE ARE YA CHARLIE? ANTI-UNION? YET SUPPORTING GAS PIPELINES THAT CONSTITUENTS OPPOSE?

- "State leaders increase focus on National Grid labor standoff," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "The state's top union leader is calling for National Grid Massachusetts president Marcy Reed to resign from the board of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in light of the fact that she cut off her employees from Blue Cross health insurance when the company locked out union gas workers nearly three months ago."

- "Some on Beacon Hill push for voting reform," by Bob Salsberg, Associated Press: "The crowded and chaotic Democratic congressional primary in Massachusetts that is now being recounted has fueled calls from election reform advocates for the state to adopt a system allowing voters to rank candidates on the ballot rather than select just a single one."

THE WARREN REPORT —
- "Elizabeth Warren rips GOP, touts 'for the people' agenda," by Kathleen McKiernan, Boston Herald: "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren made her case for being the roadblock to conservative policies she says undermines American values during a Town Hall in Quincy yesterday, as a November face-off looms against Republican challenger and avowed Trump supporter Geoff Diehl."

FRONT PAGE PLAY — Herald: "POLS' POT OF GOLD," "BACK IN THE WATER" — Globe: "Kavanaugh accuser speaks out," "A collection steeped in loss," "OUT OF AFRICA - HOPE AND HELP," "Forced leave of church official ignites protests," "For GOP, an unlikely pairing."

THE LOCAL ANGLE —
- "Lawrence area residents will not have gas restored for weeks as pipes are replaced," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "Residents in South Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover will have to wait weeks before they can cook or take hot showers, as Columbia Gas announced Sunday that it would replace 48 miles of pipeline in the communities rocked by a string of explosions and fires last week."
- "Lawrence residents begin to return to their homes," by Zoe Mathews, Lawrence Eagle-Tribune: "As displaced residents in Lawrence prepared to go back home Sunday morning, Mayor Daniel Rivera walked out of the Arlington School shelter, after spending the night, and made his way back to the command center to meet with Governor Charlie Baker and other state officials."

- "Lawrence police officer discovers his own home was among the fires," by Laura Crimaldi and Steve Annear, Boston Globe: "The desperate scene unfolded as police radios crackled with emergency calls for fires and explosions across the city and convinced Soto that his daughter wasn't safe at home. But soon after he reached his eldest, Destiny, and told her to evacuate, his wife called with life-altering news: A blast had rocked their home on Jefferson Street. Destiny escaped safely, she told him."

- "Springfield mayor wants meeting with Columbia Gas to reassure residents after Merrimack Valley gas explosions," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Friday that city officials will seek a meeting with Columbia Gas to discuss maintenance and safety here in the aftermath of gas explosions in three Merrimack Valley communities Thursday night that resulted in death, injuries and destruction."

- "Violence, neglect and false advertising: The fall of a Massachusetts special education school," by Dan Glaun, Springfield Republican: "When current and former staffers at Tri-County Schools for troubled youth gathered for a reunion this May at the Brass Cat bar in Easthampton, they did not know what was coming."

- "From prison to college: Consortium puts inmates in a positive 'pipeline,'" by Morgan Hughes, Boston Globe: "Inmates like Bou are a rarity in Massachusetts; higher education degree programs have long been available to just a small number of prisoners in a few correctional institutions at any given time. Now, that's about to change: A new consortium of more than a dozen Massachusetts colleges plans to help make the chance to earn a college degree accessible to more inmates throughout the state."

- "Fatal shark attack on Cape: 'This is real now,'" by Doug Fraser and Mary Ann Bragg, Cape Cod Times: "A 26-year-old Revere man died after he was attacked by what was believed to be a great white shark Saturday afternoon at Newcomb Hollow Beach. ... He was the first man killed by a shark in Massachusetts in 82 years, and the second to be bitten this summer."

MAZEL! - to state Rep. Jay Livingstone and his wife Julie Livingstone on the birth of their son Harry Dean Livingstone.

ALSO MAZEL! - Margaret Moulton has been hired as the next executive director of Berkshire Grown and will take the place of Barbara Zheutlin, who headed the organization for over a decade. She previously has worked with the Trustees of Reservations and the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Nantucket County Sheriff Jim Perelman, who celebrated on Sunday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Steve Kerrigan, president and co-founder of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund.

DID THE HOME TEAMS WIN? Yes and no! - The Red Sox beat the 
Mets 4-3 while the Patriots fell to the Jaguars 31-20.

ICYMI - On this episode of The Horse Race, we wrap up our recap of the primary election and make a big announcement. ... We welcomed News Editor at the Dorchester Reporter, Jenn Smith, and Michael Jonas of Commonwealth Magazine to cover the DA race. We then catch up with our friends of the Codcast, Jennifer Nassour and Jesse Mermell to hear all about their new, highly opinionated, cross-partisan podcast, Disagreeing Agreeably. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud

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