Politics

Baker-affiliated super PAC has gone silent

No spending on Boston mayor’s race, other local campaigns

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SUPER PACs have pumped more than $4 million into the race for mayor of Boston, but one has been noticeably absent from the political fray.

The Massachusetts Majority PAC, which has close ties to Gov. Charlie Baker, so far has taken a pass on the Boston mayor’s race as well as all the other local races around the state. In fact, it’s reported no expenditures or receipts at all since October 2020.

Super PACs can raise unlimited amounts of money, including from corporations, and can use their funds to support or oppose candidates. Super PACs, however, cannot coordinate their activities with the campaigns they are supporting.

James Davis, a Republican and the chairman of the New Balance athletic shoe company, has attracted lots of attention for pumping $495,000 into a super PAC backing Annissa Essaibi George in the Boston race for mayor. Essaibi George, viewed as the most moderate candidate in the mayor’s race, came in second in Tuesday’s preliminary election and now faces Michelle Wu in the final. 

The Baker-affiliated PAC was set up in May 2019 to help the governor support candidates who are, in the words of Massachusetts Majority chair Gregg Lisciotti, “common sense, bipartisan, fiscally responsible leaders.”

Massachusetts Majority was a way for Baker to support like-minded politicians at a time when he was at odds with his own state party, which had elected Trump supporter Jim Lyons as its chair.

In 2019, the Massachusetts Majority PAC raised $920,201, and spent $267,419 on a series of local races for city council and mayor across the state. The biggest beneficiary was Donna Colorio, whose campaign benefited from $38,000 in direct mail advertising in what turned out to be a successful run for Worcester City Council. The PAC spent $21,312 supporting Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo’s successful reelection bid.

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Bruce Mohl

Editor, CommonWealth
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About Bruce Mohl

Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.

About Bruce Mohl

Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.

In 2020, the PAC raised $1,068,500 and spent $1,339,447 on a wide variety of races, mostly for the Legislature but also the Governor’s Council and register of probate in Worcester County.

But this year, a time when Baker is trying to decide whether to seek a third term as governor, the PAC has gone silent, reporting no receipts and expenditures. Officials with the PAC could not immediately be reached for comment.

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