| Awkward but necessary | Healey keeps it vague | Doughty charts own course | Quick hits | About Contrarian Boston
New MassGOP candidate rejects ‘Baker Republican’ label
Pushing a message of “common sense” conservatism, Wrentham businessman Chris Doughty has buoyed hopes among party moderates since he jumped into the race for governor roughly two weeks ago.
But while he is clearly hoping to fill the political lane Gov. Charlie Baker is exiting, Doughty, in an interview with Contrarian Boston, pushed back on being identified as a ‘Baker Republican.’ Or, for that matter being called a ‘Romney Republican,’ either.
“I’m my own man,” Doughty said. “I am a Chris Doughty Republican.”
No doubt, Doughty is being forced to walk a tight line here, with his immediate challenge surviving a Republican primary dominated by Trumpie hardliners with an intense dislike of Baker and his middle-of-the-road politics.
But Doughty, who is in his late 50s, also noted he comes to the race as a successful owner of a Wrentham factory with 300 employees, as well as being a father of six children who now also has four grandchildren.
“There is an appetite for a candidate like me,” Doughty said, describing himself as a “common sense outsider with a business background.”
Still, Doughty also faces a tough road ahead, with former state lawmaker Geoff Diehl and rival Republican candidate closer to the state party’s hard-right core, having won Trump’s endorsement.
So Doughty and his wife, Leslie, who he met in college, are taking the show on the road, speaking at one or even two Republican town committee meetings each night, hoping to drum up support – and delegates – for the party’s state convention.
While he spoke to both Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito before he ran, Doughty has not spoken to either since he jumped in.
Coming Monday: Doughty’s message and campaign take shape.
Guess who’s also betting on the Super Bowl? Teens
In preparation for Sunday’s big game, the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health has an unusual ask of parents: Talk to your teens about the dangers of sports betting.
Why? Well, 70 percent of teens in 2019 reported trying their hand at gambling in one form or another, according to the council.
“Whether you’re rooting for the Bengal or Rams or just watching the commercials, we encourage you to tackle this conversation,” the council said in an email Friday, urging parents not to “fumble your opportunity.”
File under: Awkward but necessary.
As rivals push ambitious plans, Healey remains vague
Harvard professor Danielle Allen continues to punch above her weight in the budding governor’s race.
Allen grabbed more press attention on Friday when she rolled out a One Commonwealth plan to crisscross the state with public transit.
Her plan includes a high-speed East-West rail line that would shuttle back and forth between Western Massachusetts and Boston five times a day.
State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz has her own plan that combines East-West rail with an electric “regional rail system.”
And what about Attorney General Maura Healey? The frontrunner has yet to detail her East-West rail plans, other than to say she supports the idea.
Quick hits:
Encore Boston Harbor shrinks plans for Everett entertainment complex (Boston Herald)
War scare: “U.S. and allies tell citizens to leave Ukraine as Russia could invade 'at any time'” (Reuters)
Big Sullivan Square revamp: “RISE Together Plans Major Community-Focused Transformation of Sullivan Square, Charlestown” (Charlestown Patriot-Bridge)
What is Contrarian Boston?
I have fielded emails over the past couple weeks asking what Contrarian Boston is about.
Here’s a link to our mission statement – you can find it in the “about” section.
For a more prosaic, nuts-and-bolts description, read on.
An online newsletter, Contrarian Boston publishes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In Contrarian Boston you’ll find analysis of the day’s news, and original reporting as well.
Our focus is:
· Politics and all levels of governance, good and bad, with an emphasis on state and local, with some national mixed in;
· Economic growth and business, especially real estate, housing and new development projects;
· The media and why it does what it does;
· Education, from school board spats to the doings of multibillion-dollar university endowments;
· And whatever else catches our fancy.
Contrarian Boston seeks contributors
Have a news tip? Is there an issue you would like to see explored? Interested in writing up a news item or short opinion piece? As Contrarian Boston gets on its feet, I would like to add more news and a wider range of commentary as well.
Intrigued? Drop me a line at sbvanvoorhis@hotmail.com.
Thanks for reading and see you Monday.