When it comes to political fundraising this cycle, Democratic attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey continues to far outpace absolutely everyone.

Healey raised $2.3 million between January and June of 2022, while no other candidate for statewide office even exceeded $1 million.

A look at political contributions for statewide races between January and June, posted on the website of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, gives an early indication of how much donor support each candidate is getting.

One trend in all the races was that Democrats are outraising Republicans, which is unsurprising in a state where voters lean heavily Democratic.

In the governor’s race, other than Healey, Republican Chris Doughty reported raising $775,000, but over $500,000 of that came from his own pocket. Democratic Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz raised $468,000, and Republican Geoff Diehl raised $296,000.

In the race for lieutenant governor, Democratic Sen. Eric Lesser is by far the top fundraiser, raising nearly $650,000 this year. That could make him and Healey a formidable fundraising machine should they win their respective primaries and end up topping the Democratic ticket in November. None of the other candidates for lieutenant governor – Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, Bret Bero, Rep. Tami Gouveia, and Sen. Adam Hinds on the Democratic side, or Republicans Kate Campanale or Leah Allen – exceeded $300,000. Driscoll came in second among that pack, with $282,000.

One other formidable fundraiser is attorney general candidate Andrea Campbell, a former Boston city councilor. Campbell was the only other statewide candidate to come close to $1 million, raising $923,000 since she entered the race in February. She benefitted from her Boston roots, raising nearly $340,000 from donors living in the city. Also in the attorney general’s race, Democrat Shannon Liss-Riordan raised $678,000 this year, of which $500,000 she contributed herself, while Democrat Quentin Palfrey raised $230,000. Republican Jay McMahon trailed with just $25,000.

In the secretary of state’s race, Democrat Tanisha Sullivan, a former NAACP Boston president, is launching a strong challenge against incumbent Democrat William Galvin. Unusual for a challenger, Sullivan actually outraised Galvin this year, raising $237,000 to Galvin’s $189,000. Galvin, however, may not need to raise as much money now since he has $2 million in the bank, reflecting a war chest built up over years in office. Republican Rayla Campbell lags in fundraising, having raised just $17,000.

In the auditor’s race, the two Democrats have raised similar amounts this year – $203,000 for Sen. Diana DiZoglio and $173,000 for Chris Dempsey. Republican Anthony Amore raised $70,000.

Jerold Duquette, an associate professor of political science at Central Connecticut State University and the author of a blog and book on Massachusetts politics, said while modern candidates have an opportunity to get attention without spending tons of money, Massachusetts maintains a very traditional and transactional political culture. “It’s fair to say [fundraising] success in this period is indicative of electoral viability,” Duquette said. If Healey’s fundraising is impressive, he said, it indicates an assumption by donors that she will be the Democratic nominee, and likely the governor – though the conventional wisdom could still change between now and November.

SHIRA SCHOENBERG

 

FROM COMMONWEALTH

Operator error? MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said there is no indication that vehicle, signal, or track issues played any role in the collision of two Green Line vehicles Wednesday night at Government Center. That suggests operator error was the culprit, but Poftak said he wouldn’t speculate about the cause until the T’s investigation is completed.

– The Green Line doesn’t have an anti-collision system, but one is coming on an accelerated timetable next year after years of delay. Poftak said the system most likely would have prevented Wednesday’s crash and a high-speed crash on the Green Line last August. “I surely wish it would have been installed much sooner,” Poftak said. Read more.

Drug lab settlement: 31,000 defendants who had their convictions vacated in the wake of a drug lab scandal will split $14 million in a settlement with Attorney General Maura Healey’s office. Read more.

OPINION

Ratcheting down the rhetoric: Republican Anthony Amore, who is running for state auditor as a Republican, distances himself from those at the Republican state convention who called the Democrats evil. “I know evil, and Democrats aren’t it. And neither, by the way, are Republicans,” he says. Read more.

A party platform gap: Democratic party activist Jonathan Cohn says there’s a troubling gap between the platform the Massachusetts Democratic Party adopts and the actions of Beacon Hill lawmakers who get elected under the party label. Read more. 

 

FROM AROUND THE WEB

 

BEACON HILL

Demonstrators rally outside the State House asking lawmakers to override Gov. Baker’s veto of a bill giving driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status. (MassLive)

Advocates from the LGBTQ community urge lawmakers to update Massachusetts’ parentage laws to expand the ways parental relationships can be defined, giving non-biological parents equal rights in cases where a child is born through surrogacy or donor insemination. (MassLive)

MUNICIPAL MATTERS  

Boston experienced two manhole explosions on Federal Street on Thursday. (WBUR)

Worcester pilots a program to move triple-decker homes from fossil fuel-powered heating to renewable energy sources. (Telegram & Gazette)

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

In a prime-time televised address, President Biden urges Congress to take action on gun control measures. (Washington Post)

At a conference in Boston, FBI director Christopher Wray said a cyberattack last August on Boston Children’s Hospital was sponsored by Iran. (GBH)

ELECTIONS

The Globe profiles Democratic gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey, who would be the nation’s first openly lesbian governor if elected this fall. 

The New York Times digs into the race for attorney general in Massachusetts for clues as to what the Democratic left cares about.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

The last Howard Johnson’s restaurant in the country, in Lake George, New York, closes, marking the end of a restaurant chain that began in Quincy over 90 years ago. (Patriot Ledger)

EDUCATION

In Education Commissioner Jeff Riley’s draft plan for reforming the Boston Public Schools, the state is cast as overseer and enforcer, while Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s counter-proposal puts the state in the role of partner and supporter. The state’s proposal to the city, obtained via a public records request, also holds Wu directly accountable, asking her to sign the document, which requires her to “agree that in addressing [these] concerns … she will always put the interest of BPS students first, ahead of adults.” The state and the city are trying to reach agreement. (WBUR)

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy plans to retire in 2023. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Worcester shows continued disparities in which demographic groups of students are more likely to face discipline. (Telegram & Gazette)

The Malden teachers union overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in the district’s superintendent, Ligia Noriega-Murphy. (Boston Globe) 

TRANSPORTATION

The police arrest two teenage boys for taking over the PA system and making lewd announcements on an Orange Line train, then assaulting a woman who yelled at them. (MassLive)

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

Former Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone takes stock of his new role as president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council. (Boston Globe) 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS

A 28-year-old woman sues two Boston Archdiocesan auxiliary priests claiming they failed to properly supervise a now-defrocked Haverhill priest who the woman says sexually abused her as a child. (Eagle-Tribune)

The former president of the union representing TSA screeners at Logan Airport pleaded guilty to defrauding her union. (Boston Herald)