The Horse Race: Recent Episodes

Steve Koczela; Jennifer Smith; Lisa Kashinsky; Libby Gormley

A weekly podcast on Massachusetts politics, policy and elections. Hosted by Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn look at polling on Ed Markey's 2026 reelection prospects. Then Jenn is joined by Rich Parr, VP of The MassINC Polling Group, to discuss recent polling on Massachusetts' competitiveness and Boston housing. And finally, vital polling from none other than the Hi-Chew candy company on which state is most excited for spooky season.

Today on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk AI's new role in local political reporting. Then Chris Lisinski, reporter for Commonwealth Beacon, joins the program to discuss his latest reporting on the effects of budgetary uncertainty on healthcare for residents of Mass. And finally, dial-up internet is now, officially, a thing of the past.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn is dispatched to New Haven to attend the "Yes, In My Back Yard" or "YIMBYtown" conference where Massachusetts pro-housing folks angst over the MBTA Communities law. Then Steve and Jenn dig into a sweeping new MPG poll on Bay State health care -- is this as good as people expect it to get? And finally, who is not NOT running?

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss the results of the Boston Mayoral preliminary election -- by all accounts a blowout for Michelle Wu setting up a tough road to November for Josh Kraft. Plus, all politics is national, and we have some national approval polls to pick through. And last but not least, we can FINALLY stop paying taxes on all the money you've given us, dear listeners.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk with Politico's Kelly Garrity about the Trump administration's recent threats to ramp up ICE presence in Boston. Trump has also threatened to send National Guard agents to support ICE enforcement, echoing similar moves in LA and DC. On a lighter note, we are down to three choices for a new Massachusetts state flag.

This week on The Horse Race Jenn and Steve talk discuss how automatic voter registration is making Democrats’ woes look worse than they are. And, of course, all the new Mass. flag submissions. "The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis" by Shane Goldmacher With Jonah Smith www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/democratic-party-voter-registration-crisis.html"Massachusetts political parties are fading away" by Steve Koczela www.commonwealthbeacon.org/by-the-numbers/massachusetts-political-parties-are-withering-away/

This week on The Horse Race, Steve sits down with Rich Parr VP of the MassINC Polling Group to talk about a new poll they conducted for MassDOT. This highly detailed report, entitled "People and Transportation Project Report," shows how transportation can burden low income residents of Massachusetts.https://www.mass.gov/the-people-and-transportation-project

Last week was the deadline to file ballot questions for November 2026 and over 40 ballot questions made it through. These are questions that ultimately could become law covering a wide range of topics from MBTA zoning to rent control, from marijuana "re-illegalization" to voter ID requirements. This week on The Horse Race, Steve is joined by Mike Deehan, reporter for Axios, to discuss how these ballot questions will effect Mass residents. and why filing ballot questions is becoming an increasingly used tactic of political activists and special interests to force issues in Mass., the lowest ranked state for legislative productivity.

This week on The Horse Race Jenn asks Rich Parr, VP of the MassINC Polling Group, a very simple question: 'are the dems doomed?' With a surprising glint of optimism, Parr breaks down the latest polling on this question to give us a sense of how the democratic party is likely to fair in the upcoming elections.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve sits down with Rich Parr, VP of The MassINC Polling Group to discuss new polling on the mayoral election. Then Steve is joined by Katie Lannan of GBH News to tell the story of how uncertain federal dollars could spell disaster for the recently passed state budget. And most importantly of all, the heated election for the Feline-Mayor of the Somerville bike path.Guests:Rich Parr, Vice President of The MassINC Polling GroupKatie Lennan, Reporter for GBH NewsHosts:Steve Koczela, President of The MassINC Polling Group

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by CommonWealth Beacon reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria to talk about the fight to regulate nicotine use in the Commonwealth. In recent years, various Massachusetts municipalities have implemented so-called "generational nicotine bans." On Monday, Borkhetaria attended a hearing where law makers discussed whether these regulations should be statewide or would that just be nannying a population which loves its "legal vices.""An Act to create a nicotine free generation:" https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/HD2372Borkhetaria's article in CommonWealth Beacon: https://commonwealthbeacon.org/government/state-government/mass-lawmakers-weigh-a-statewide-age-based-nicotine-ban/ Articles on Mass. State Sedimentary Structure:https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2022-09-29/massachusetts-official-sedimentary-structure-geologist-wants-state-to-recognize-armored-mud-balls https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/07/14/official-massachusetts-state-symbols-bill-newsletter

After years of delayed budgets, the Massachusetts state budget came ever so close to passing on time this year. This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by Chris Lisinski of Statehouse News Service to look at how we got here, and why this year was different.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve discuss the flurry of news from the Middle East this weekend. Then they discuss various polls which reveal how Americans are feeling about Trump's unannounced bombing of Iran. And finally, on a lighter note, some very dedicated young citizens are pushing our state to protect a certain Salamander.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jenn Smith are joined by CommonWealth reporter Gin Dumcius. The race for Governor is beginning and candidates such as Maura Healey and Mike Keneally and are on the trail. Then Gin breaks down Monday's meeting between politicians from Canada and Northeastern States. And finally... Dunkin' Donuts Lip Gloss... why.

What could the situation in LA mean for Massachusetts? This week on The Horse Race, Jenn Smith is joined by Steve Koczela to discuss recent New England polling which reveals growing political pessimism... and its not only directed at Republicans.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn Smith is joined by Steve Koczela for an early update on key Massachusetts elections, who is running... and who is definitely not running. Then, Jenn and Steve are joined by Paul Watanabe, professor of political science and director of the Institute for Asian American Studies at the UMass-Boston, to discuss a groundbreaking new poll from Mass Inc. Polling Group entitled "No Longer Invisible" [Link Below]. This poll focussed on issues facing Asian & Pacific Islander American residents of Massachusetts, the fastest growing group in the Commonwealth. And finally, tomorrow is donut day... but the feminist history may surprise you. https://aapicommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/No-Longer-Invisible-6-2-25-rev2.pdf

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss how the latest federal proposals will effect education throughout Massachusetts from Harvard to community colleges. Plus, did you know that horse racing is subsidized in Massachusetts?

This week on The Horse Race, Steve talks to MassINC Polling Group VP Rich Parr about his trip to the annual conference of the American Association of Public Opinion Researchers (AAPOR), which featured extensive discussions of AI tech in polling, postmortems on the 2024 election cycle, and public perceptions of the polls.

This week, it's a double housing policy polling special from the MassINC Polling Group. Jenn interviews Jesse Kanson-Benanav of Abundant Housing Massachusetts about a new poll MPG conducted for them, finding that majorities of Massachusetts voters support most policies to build more housing. Then, Steve and Jenn talk to Olivia Wine of MPG about a recent report on the experiences of tenants and landlords in the Massachusetts state housing voucher program (MRVP).For the Abundant Housing poll: https://www.massincpolling.com/our-work/new-poll-voters-across-massachusetts-support-building-more-housing-in-their-own-neighborhoodsnbspFor the MRVP report: https://www.massincpolling.com/our-work/tenants-and-landlords-both-give-massachusetts-rental-voucher-program-good-marks-but-administrative-hurdles-pose-a-challengeFor video of the MRVP report release event: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/videos/2025/may/voices-of-experience-recap

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss a MassINC Polling Group survey that asked nonprofit workers and leaders what impacts they expect the Trump administration to have on their organizations and the communities they serve. Plus, a look at competing internal polls from gubernatorial candidates.MPG conducted the nonprofit survey for the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and the Boston Foundation, which also hosted an event on May 5 for nonprofit leaders to hear and discuss the results. For the full results, as well as a video recording of the event, visit this link: https://www.massincpolling.com/our-work/40ls2wra074r1sola48s94ojwt0lm2

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn go international, looking at the polling both around the Canadian federal election and around the first hundred days of the second Donald Trump administration. Plus, horse and Dunkin content.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss the latest polling on the Trump administration's actions, especially divides that show up in different ways of asking about the same issue. Then, GBH reporter Katie Lannan joins to break down Beacon Hill's response to federal uncertainty, scandal at the statehouse, and the upcoming budget season.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by John Gee of The MassINC Polling Group to discuss new MPG polling on how Massachusetts voters are feeling about national politics right now. Then, Jenn tells us about her reporting on the intertwined climate and housing crisis on the Cape and Islands, part of CommonWealth Beacon's Climate Month.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by Rich Parr to discuss new polling on transportation in Massachusetts from The MassINC Polling Group, and Jenn explains how federal funding cuts are affecting fair housing organizations. Stick to the end for our co-hosts' perspectives on "the group chat situation."

This week on The Horse Race, Steve talks to Democratic strategists Alex Goldstein and Kristen Halbert about the party's response to the current political moment, what elected officials are doing, and what they should be doing. Plus, Jenn introduces Steve to the foodstuff known as an "Irish Potato."

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn take a socially-distanced stroll down memory lane to mark the five-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic emergency declaration. Then, they break down some of the many ways the Trump administration's slashing research funds could affect research-based industries and the Massachusetts economy.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn break down the polling on President Trump's joint address to Congress. Then, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Gin Dumcius joins them to discuss Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's recent appearance before the House Oversight Committee alongside several other mayors of so-called sanctuary cities.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn break down polling on Governor Healey’s approval rating and top voter issues. Then, State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski joins to debrief the latest rules to increase transparency in the state legislature.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss national polling around Trump's approval rating one month into his second term. Then, GBH news reporter Sarah Betancourt gives the latest immigration updates on how communities are responding to threats of mass deportations.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve is joined by State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski to unpack the recent federal funding cuts to medical research, and subsequent lawsuit filed by attorneys general against the Trump administration. Plus, special guest Yael Mazor, director of audience engagement at CommonWealth Beacon, joins for a quiz show.

Steve and Jenn sit down with Jarred Johnson, executive director of TransitMatters, and Luc Schuster, executive director of Boston Indicators, to explore the connection between housing density and public transit. Plus, the first segment of 'Policies and Pitfalls': how Trump's trade war may impact Massachusetts. The Boston Foundation, TransitMatters report on Transit-Supportive Density: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/reports/2025/january/transit-supportive-density

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela is joined by Senior Research Director of the MassINC Polling Group and Horse Race Western Mass correspondent Rich Parr. They discuss polling on President Trump's executive orders, and overall approval rating. Plus, a look ahead at Josh Kraft's bid for Boston mayor.

Steve and Jenn sit down with Lisa Kashinsky, Politico reporter and former co-host of The Horse Race, to discuss the impact of Trump’s immigration executive orders on Massachusetts. Then, they dive into a new education poll examining parents’ views on students' access to math courses.

Steve and Jenn sit down with Brian Kane, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, to discuss Governor Healey's plan to invest Fair Share funds in the MBTA and statewide transportation. Then, is Dunkin running out of donuts?Transportation Funding Task Force report: https://www.massdotat15.com/transportation-funding-task-force

Steve and Jenn are joined by State House News Service reporter Alison Kuznitz to break down the drama on Beacon Hill over an audit of the Legislature and calls for transparency. Plus, an exclusive look at the Supreme Judicial Court's ruling on Milton and the MBTA Communities Act.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn share their take on Trump's latest lawsuit against The Des Moines Register and Selzer poll in Iowa. Then, a holiday roundup of Horse Race best Dunkin' moments, and how the new climate bill empowers disadvantaged communities in developing clean energy projects.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith sit down with Georgia Barlow, Government Affairs Specialist at Metropolitan Area Planning Council, to discuss policies to increase state transportation funding as the MBTA faces its largest budget deficit next year. Plus, a preview of upcoming mayoral, senate, and gubernatorial elections in Massachusetts.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith break down the property tax drama that has the state legislature and Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu abuzz. Then, Boston Globe Reporter Mandy McLaren shares how the elimination of MCAS is impacting high school graduation requirements. Plus, Historian and former Horse Race producer John Gee offers his perspective on the future of teaching writing in the age of AI.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn continue their Thanksgiving tradition with a special episode of mispronunciations and outtakes, featuring Dunks' infamous potion macchiato and a poll on America's favorite turkey sides.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by Senior Research Director of the MassINC Polling Group and Horse Race Western Mass correspondent Rich Parr to unpack trends in voter turnout. Then, Boston Globe Reporter Tiana Woodruff shares her perspective on the rightward shift among some Black voters.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by Ben Forman, Research Director at MassINC, to discuss how gateway cities in Massachusetts can address the housing affordability crisis. Then, a take on polling accuracy in the 2024 Presidential Election.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith unpack results and polling from the 2024 Presidential Election. They're joined by Senior Research Director of the MassINC Polling Group and Horse Race Western Mass correspondent Rich Parr to discuss demographic and regional voter trends to the right. Plus, how did the ballot questions' outcomes compare to polling predictions?

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith discuss how polls today compare to previous presidential elections, and taste test Dunkin's newest spooky drink: the potion macchiato. Then, state house reporter for GBH News Katie Lannan reveals what Beacon Hill lawmakers think about Ballot Question 1 and 2.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith delve into the arguments in favor and against the ballot questions facing Massachusetts voters on November 5. They also examine state auditor Diana DiZoglio's recent audit of the Legislature, and what it means for ballot question 1.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith share their thoughts on the role of AI in local journalism, and comment on the Melrose Robocast. Plus, Senior Research Director of the MassINC Polling Group and Horse Race Western Mass correspondent Rich Parr discusses reasons polls can be wrong.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith give their take on the 2024 vice-presidential debate, and the MBTA advancements overshadowed by a derailment. Then, Cape and Island's Climate Reporter Eve Zuckoff shares her on-the-ground perspective of the Massachusetts National Guard's proposal to build a machine gun range on Cape Cod.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith unpack the latest poll on ballot questions, the State Legislature, the Warren v. Deaton race for senate, and the presidential race. Then, an exclusive first look on national fall foliage rankings. Spoiler alert: Massachusetts should be first!

In a live episode of the Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by Steve Crawford, President of Crawford Strategies with years of experience in building public support for ballot questions. They discuss how ballot questions are developed, what makes them successful, and who benefits in the context of the 5 questions on the ballot this November. Then, a special edition of ballot-themed trivia and proposed ballot questions from the audience.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by state house reporter for GBH News Katie Lannan to discuss the generally uncompetitive state primaries last Tuesday with at least ONE twist. Next, the co-hosts break down the Trump-Harris debate and what it could mean for a neck-and-neck race.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith speculate on Governor Healey joining a future Harris-Walz administration, new polls showing Harris with an edge over Trump, and how heartbreak and engagement made their way to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith react to the news that RFK, Jr. has dropped out of the presidential race...along with other news stories connected to RFK, Jr. They also discuss the complicated politics of community input into development review processes and their relationship to the housing crunch.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith reunite with Lisa Kashinsky to hear about Massachusetts's presence at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Steve and Jennifer also discuss voters' seeming lack of interest in the GOP Senate primary, and subject themselves to yet another Dunkin beverage on the air.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith update you on where the presidential tickets stand in the polls, and where Massachusetts stands in the latest attempt to rank the states. Then, Jarred Johnson of TransitMatters joins to discuss the upcoming electrification of the Fairmount line in the MBTA commuter rail system.

This week on the Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by state auditor Diana DiZoglio to discuss her ballot measure to enable her office to audit the state legislature, in light of recent legislative events. Steve and Jenn also discuss the latest polling on the presidential campaign, with a special focus on what seems to be a very real shift in vibes from the Democratic side.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by Sam Drysdale of Statehouse News to discuss the last day of the legislative session, the first day of new emergency shelter restrictions, the upcoming MCAS ballot fight, and of course, Massachusetts representation at the Paris Olympics.

This week on The Horse Race, Rich Parr of the MassINC Polling Group discusses a new survey of Massachusetts residents and how they're feeling about their transportation experiences. Plus, Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela run through the Massachusetts angles on the shakeup in the Democratic presidential primary, and hurtle through the latest on Beacon Hill.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by CommonWealth Beacon reporter Gin Dumcius to discuss the state of the presidential race, and in particular a poll of Massachusetts delegates to the Democratic convention by CommonWealth Beacon and the MassINC Polling Group.

This week on The Horse Race, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria talks to Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith about the ballot measure proposing to legalize medical psychedelic drugs in Massachusetts. Plus, Steve and Jenn take a look at how both polls and elected officials have responded to the presidential debate.

This week on The Horse Race, enjoy our semiannual holiday blooper reel

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by guest co-host Katie Lannan to discuss the end-of-session rush on Beacon Hill, and the current state of Massachusetts immigration politics. Plus, past host Lisa Kashinsky swings by to explain the Forward Party's entry into the Bay State.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith talk to Politico's Kelly Garrity about the State House Employee Union, and producer-slash-guest John Gee about employment numbers for PhDs. Plus, the latest on hemp product regulations and the cutting edge in Massachusetts equestrianism.

This week on The Horse Race, Lisa Kashinsky bids farewell to Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith before riding off into the sunset of national election coverage. But along the way, they discuss Massachusetts Democrats' reactions to Joe Biden's asylum order (and Donald Trump's guilty verdicts), as well as new poll results on state leadership and upcoming elections.

This week on The Horse Race, Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service joins to preview the summer's legislative agenda. Meanwhile, Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky examine hopeful trends in student attendance, alongside less hopeful trends in electoral competitiveness and the Greater Boston news ecosystem.

This week on The Horse Race, Shaleen Title of the Parabola Center joins Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela to discuss a survey on what Americans think marijuana legalization should look like. Plus, how are Boston Public School parents thinking about the proposed facilities plan, and what did Steve learn at the national pollsters' conference?

This week on The Horse Race, Jennifer Smith asks Zayna Basma-Doyle of the MassINC Polling Group what Massachusetts parents know and don't know about early childhood reading instruction. Meanwhile, Jennifer and Lisa Kashinsky lament the latest findings about local news consumption, and sort through the legal arguments between the AG's office and Uber and Lyft.

This week on The Horse Race, Gov. Maura Healey joins Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky while at the MA Tech 16 conference. They discuss her economic development priorities, the Commonwealth's role in building new climate technology, and her upcoming visit to the Vatican. Meanwhile, Steve shares what's on the minds of youth and small business owners in new polls, including climate change; and Lisa breaks down what's in the Senate's budget proposal.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky are joined by Gin Dumcius of CommonWealth Beacon to discuss Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden's recent ethics penalty, and the long shadow of the 2022 DA race. Meanwhile, Lisa dives into the role of crypto in the US Senate GOP primary, and the crew considers whether it's possible for Boston to have fun.

On the 300th episode of The Horse Race, Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky celebrate reaching this milestone by looking back at the early days of the pod (with help from some special guests), and by trying out the Dunkin' orders of various Massachusetts officials. And of course, they do what they do best: discuss the latest poll results, this week on marijuana use and attitudes.ty

This week on The Horse Race, Katie Lannan of GBH News joins Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky to discuss a new poll out from GBH, CommonWealth Beacon, and the MassINC Polling Group. Plus, what to watch for in the MA House leadership budget proposal.

This week on The Horse Race, Ben Forman of MassINC joins Jennifer Smith to discuss a new report on economic development in the Pioneer Valley, Steve Koczela weighs criticisms of the Harvard/Harris poll's perceived slant, and Lisa Kashinsky recaps the latest in the MassGOP's internal struggles.

This week on The Horse Race, Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela get to the bottom of why hemp-based THC seltzers are appearing outside of dispensaries, and why fewer and fewer voters are registered with a party. Meanwhile, Jennifer and Lisa Kashinsky do not get to the bottom of where Maura Healey travels, or why elected officials say the things they do at the St. Patrick's Day breakfast.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith break down the latest numbers on why young residents are staying in, or leaving, Greater Boston. Then, Gin Dumcius of CommonWealth Beacon sorts out the different aspects of a ballot measure on tipped wages. Plus, a look back at the first days of Covid, and a quizzical glance at the Kenators of St. Galentine.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky break down the Super Tuesday results in Massachusetts and elsewhere, explaining what the surprising and not-so-surprising outcomes mean for November. Plus, Jennifer Smith checks in on the first of a series of committee hearings on the current slate of ballot measures.

This week on The Horse Race, the Boston Globe's Tiana Woodard breaks down a new report on what local reparations could look like in Boston. Then, Jennifer Smith digs into AG Campbell's lawsuit against Milton and its wider implications for home rule in Massachusetts. Plus, Lisa Kashinsky gives us the background on Elizabeth Warren's new challenger.Sad trombone noise by Joe Lamb, used under Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License (link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sad_Trombone-Joe_Lamb-665429450.ogg)

This Valentine's week, on a special joint recording of The Horse Race and The Codcast, Steve and Jenn ask the burning question: is #mapoli breaking up? They're joined by a crew of #mapoli veterans to discuss how social media has impacted political communications over the past decade and a half, and what the declining political twittersphere means for the future.

This week on The Horse Race, Lisa checks in on the Mass. GOP one year into Amy Carnevale's tenure, Steve walks through Mass. voters' feelings on presidential candidates and immigration, and Jenn explains what's new and different in the latest ballot measure litigation. Plus, a roundup of animal-based climate prediction in the northeast.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn talk to the Boston Globe's Diti Kohli about renewed controversy between Boston's North End and Mayor Michelle Wu; and Jenn asks Steve some probing questions about how pollsters rank each other. Plus, the glorious return of #mapoli trivia: name that reporter edition.

This week on The Horse Race, the crew is scattered across the country. Lisa breaks down the New Hampshire primary results, Steve digs into Diana DiZoglio's financial support base with the help of CommonWealth Beacon's Gin Dumcius, and—we swear there's a Massachusetts connection—Jenn and producer John report from the Sundance Film Festival.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn ask how pollsters did in the Iowa caucus, and what the results say about the GOP primary. Then, Jenn explains how Massachusetts taxes stack up next to other states for the majority of earners. Plus, the terror of the downtown Boston public art installation…and the terror of the MBTA.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn try out a new segment format, announce a Valentine's live pod event, and also manage to discuss the news. Specifically, are people really fleeing Massachusetts? Should they? And why have the state's tax revenues fallen short?

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by friends of the pod Katie Lannan of GBH News and Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service to take a look back at some of the biggest news stories of 2023, and share what they're watching in 2024. Plus, some service journalism (and public interest polling) about treats to enjoy this holiday season.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn talk to WBUR's Max Larkin about the controversy following university presidents' Congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. Then, they dive into a poll of former members of Congress and how they feel about the state of democracy. Along the way, they recap the finale of the Granite Bachelor and express bewilderment about the New England Patriots.For the poll of former members of Congress: https://www.umass.edu/news/article/new-umass-amherst-poll-nearly-300-former-members-congress-shows-rising-concerns-about#:~:text=The%20poll%20found%20that%2084,and%2094%25%20of%20Democrats%20surveyed.

This week on The Horse Race, it's a polling extravaganza, as Jenn and Steve talk with the MassINC Polling Group's Rich Parr about controversies in poll-land, the Massachusetts public's transportation opinions and experiences, and a recent national poll of youth.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Lisa talk to the Shah Foundation's Ross Wilson about guaranteed income programs, before breaking down the contest for New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu's presidential endorsement with an extended metaphor that longtime listeners may be familiar with.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve, Jenn, and Lisa resume their annual Thanksgiving tradition: bloopers, bleepers, and hot-mic moments.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk through new polling on how parents think their children are planning for after high school, and the Boston Globe's Catherine Carlock joins to catch us up on rent control proposals. Also, the great Thanksgiving dish debate continues.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn, Steve, and Lisa break down the big takeaways from this week's elections in Massachusetts, with some help from GBH's Katie Lannan. Of course, there's also polling, and that picture of Ben Affleck that went viral.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve mark the launch of Commonwealth Beacon by discussing new polling and bringing on Commonwealth Beacon reporter Gin Dumcius for the latest on the migrant shelter crisis.

This week on The Horse Race, there's a bumper crop of polls for Jenn and Steve to discuss, along with the state's new guidance on diversity in higher education admissions. Plus, Lisa's latest report from the campaign trail in New Hampshire, and an exciting announcement about the launch of CommonWealth Beacon.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Lisa talk to GBH's Katie Lannan about what is and isn't in the new housing bond bill, and Lisa explains the governor's latest announcement on the shelter emergency. Plus, what do our hosts think of the new Green Line "super" cars?

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn recap the gun bill hearing on Beacon Hill, Brent Benson explains why a central Mass. Senate seat may be a toss-up, and Steph Solis of Axios joins to review Massachusetts elected officials' responses to the violence in Israel and Palestine.

This week on The Horse Race, the Boston Globe's Taylor Dolven goes through the MBTA's considerable woes, while Lisa explains those of the Massachusetts GOP. Meanwhile, Steve and Jenn have woes of their own, as they are once again forced to cover politicians releasing recorded music.

This week on The Horse Race, Lisa and Jenn break down the Beacon Hill tax reform package, Todd Wallack of WBUR explains why there are so many vacant subsidized housing units, and Steve tells us when to panic and when to plan in response to bad poll numbers.

This week on The Horse Race, Lisa and Jenn talk through elections and endorsements around the Commonwealth, and Jenn explains the current challenge to a foreclosure practice known as home equity theft. Plus, novelty Dunkin' drinks and political piano ballads.

This week on The Horse Race, the MassINC Polling Group's Rich Parr breaks down a new survey on MBTA-area transit habits and opinions, Jenn and Lisa react to the latest prelim results, and Steve pitches a hot take on firetrucks.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by Matt Szafranski to discuss the Springfield mayoral election, and Jenn and Lisa react to learning which ballot measures have been cleared by the AG's office. Plus, the long-awaited return of art thievery content to the pod, featuring a brand new mailbag question for listeners.

This week on The Horse Race, Lisa tells us why the 2024 New Hampshire primaries might not have either Joe Biden or Donald Trump on the ballot, and Jenn explains why Massachusetts may need a program of managed retreat from threatened coastal areas. Plus, fresh polls on Boston parents' opinions of public schools.

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn talk with the Boston Globe's Tal Kopan about the ethics of Rep. Stephen Lynch's earmarks requests. Plus, Steve breaks down Biden and Healey polls, Jenn breaks down controversy over public money going to church buildings, and we all break down over this podcast's dubious history of pun-based episode titles.

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk with State Senator Becca Rausch about Governor Healey's budget vetoes, in particular a veto of funding for a youth mental health hotline. They also sort through the various renewed efforts to expand ranked-choice voting in Massachusetts, and consider expanding their global media empire into the online lottery ticket gray market.

This week on the Horse Race, Steve and Jenn explain Governor Healey's emergency declaration regarding migrant shelter capacity, and discuss the implications of Ohio's special election for the role of abortion in national and state politics. Plus, shots fired between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and sandwiches stolen by sassy seagulls.

This week on The Horse Race, the budget battles have barely wound down as the ballot battles start to ramp up. Steve, Jenn, and Lisa walk you through the details.

This week on The Horse Race, we’ve got a stalemate at the State House and chaos in the council chambers with The Dorchester Reporter's Gin Dumcius. Then we pull back the sequined curtain on drag queen story hours.

This week on The Horse Race, we've got a fire at the State House, floods in New England, and pandemic era policies to discuss. Commonwealth Magazine's Jennifer Smith breaks it all down with special guest host Katie Lannan. MassINC Polling Group's Rich Parr joins as well.

This week on The Horse Race, we’re not on shrooms, but you could be soon. Seven years after the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, is there a new path to decriminalize psychedelics in the bay state? Then we'll take a ride through some of the other potential ballot measures for 2024 with State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski.

This week on The Horse Race, two new polls show Donald Trump still dominating his Republican competitors in a potential primary. Then, how can the MBTA staff up when the workers they already have are leaving? And finally, we’ll look at the connection lawmakers are making between cell phone data privacy and the abortion fight.

This week on The Horse Race, two new polls show Donald Trump still dominating his Republican competitors in a potential primary. Then, how can the MBTA staff up when the workers they already have are leaving? And finally, we’ll look at the connection lawmakers are making between cell phone data privacy and the abortion fight.

This week on The Horse Race, Governor Maura Healey is launching the nation’s first green bank dedicated to affordable housing. Then we’ll take a look at how Donald Trump’s latest indictment is affecting, or not affecting, his bid to retake the White House in 2024.

This week on The Horse Race, a routine audit uncovers an accounting error that could cost the state billions. And we’ll take a closer look at the Massachusetts Lottery’s new “Billiion Dollar Extravaganza” with Commonwealth Magazine’s Michael Jonas.

This week on The Horse Race, the push to bring back happy hour gets another shot on Beacon Hill and plans for the machine gun range on Cape Cod draw fire from residents and the Environmental Protection Agency.

This week on The Horse Race, we've got two new MPG polls to discuss and two new MPG polling experts to introduce to our listening audience! Research Manager Zayna Basma tells us about a new statewide parent poll that highlights ongoing concerns for students' mental health and academic development. Then, MPG Research Director Olivia Wine dives into a new survey on parents' questions about the Covid vaccine.

This week on The Horse Race, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins calls it quits amid federal investigations into her conduct. We’re looking at it from every angle: the report, the background and what happens next.

This week on The Horse Race, we’ve got chaos in the council chambers and a new 56 billion dollar spending plan at the State House. All that, plus we’ll mark the end of the Covid public health emergency in Massachusetts with GBH News reporter Katie Lannan.

This week on The Horse Race, we’re looking at elections. They weren’t races so much, but they were elections as strictly defined. We'll also sift through a new survey of Boston Public School parents by MassINC Polling Group and The Shah Family Foundation. Some of the findings may surprise you. Finally, Jennifer Smith tells us about legislation that would allow undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities.

This week on The Horse Race, it’s buses and trains the whole way through! We’ve got transit on the brain and political shenanigans in New Hampshire on the menu. TransitMatters' Jarred Johnson stops by to talk all things MBTA, then we discuss the new RTA survey from MassINC Polling Group with MPG Senior Research Director Rich Parr.

This week on The Horse Race, it’s money money money season on Beacon Hill. We’ll look at the House’s new tax cut proposal and their fiscal year 2024 budget with State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski. Also, Steve Koczela delves into the new poll from UMassAmherst/WCVB.

This week on The Horse Race, the federal court case challenging the legality of Boston’s new voting map is underway, we’ll look at what both sides want with reporter Sean Phillip Cotter. And then, the MBTA needs to bolster its workforce but will more workers mean fewer problems for the Tee? MassLive's Chris Van Buskirk stops by to take a closer look at all things MBTA.

This week on The Horse Race, Elizabeth Warren makes it official; she’s running for a third term. Lisa Kashinsky and Steve Koczela look at what that means for the state’s restless bench of ambitious Democrats. Then, Governor Healey pushes for her proposed Secretary of Housing on Beacon Hill, SHNS reporter Sam Drysdale brings us an update.

This week on The Horse Race, what happened to #mapoli Twitter? Also, we dive into the state of polling, nationwide and here in Massachusetts. Then, the gig worker debate is picking up steam at the State House. Lisa Kashinsky and Jennifer Smith look at what both sides want.

This week on The Horse Race, what's the local impact of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in California and Signature Bank in New York? Then, we’ll have an in-depth conversation with State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, who recently announced a wide-ranging review of the Massachusetts House and Senate.

This week on The Horse Race, three major announcements from the state auditor’s office all within the past few days. The Supreme Judicial Court wrestles with wrongful death restrictions in cigarette suits, and we’ll look at the dilemma black business owners face after landing a big contract with Boston Globe Development Fellow, Julian Sorapuru.

This week on The Horse Race, it’s special election season. We’ll tell you who’s running, and who’s thinking about it. Governor Healey released her tax relief package this week, Lisa Kashinsky gives us the breakdown. Then, Boston Globe reporter Diti Kohli joins us to look at the city's resurgence after COVID and how some neighborhoods are coming back more quickly than others.

This week on The Horse Race, people are leaving Massachusetts in droves since the start of the pandemic. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? Also, Lisa Kashinsky gives us an update on the cash-strapped MassGOP. Then, we’ll take a closer look at Governor Healey’s early track record on transparency with Boston Globe political reporter Samantha Gross.

This week on The Horse Race, the chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party steps down, who’ll step up to take his place? Then, GBH's Saraya Wintersmith and The Boston Herald's Sean Phillip Cotter help us take a closer look at the Boston City Council’s complex relationship with Mayor Michelle Wu. And we'll highlight a new Galentine's Day tradition that kicked off this week, thanks to Senate President Karen Spilka.

This week on The Horse Race, Marty Walsh is shipping back to Boston to run the NHLPA. A new poll of Massachusetts voters from MassINC Polling Group shows some concerning numbers for top Democratic leaders. And a key lawmaker looks to end term limits for the state’s Senate President.

This week on The Horse Race, sports betting is now live in Massachusetts! Then, Lisa Kashinsky joins us to talk about the change in leadership at the top of the MassGOP. Finally, we’ll take a closer look at the MBTA Communities law with MassINC President and CEO, Joe Kriesberg.

This week on The Horse Race, municipal elections are coming and that means an interesting choice on mail-in ballots. Also, we have a new poll from MassINC Polling Group and Amplify Latinx on the challenges facing Latino residents in Massachusetts. Then Steve sits down with Amplify Latinx President and CEO Eneida Román to talk about the findings. And oh yeah, The Bachelor is back!

01/19/23-- This week on The Horse Race, we’ve got trains and transitions. We’re diving into a dysfunctional MBTA car factory in Springfield with Boston Globe reporter Taylor Dolven. But first, Lisa Kashinsky walks us through her recent conversation with newly sworn in Governor, Maura Healey.

This week on The Horse Race, we have a new state-wide poll about the challenges facing parents and students as they try to recover academically after COVID. The poll was conducted by MassINC Polling Group for EdTrust and The Barr Foundation. Then, we’ll preview the year ahead in Massachusetts politics with two local reporters; Mike Deehan from Axios Boston and Katie Lannan from GBH.

12/22/22-- This week on The Horse Race we're recapping the year in Massachusetts politics, policy and elections. Steve and Jenn run through the highs and lows, from a lack luster governor's race, to the passed ballot questions. Stay tuned until the end to see if you think the AI chatbots could be taking over our jobs soon! Have a happy holiday season and thanks for listening to The Horse Race in 2022.

12/15/22-- This week on The Horse Race, our hearts are warmed by the opening of the Green Line extension! Folks came out early to take a ride on the much anticipated train line. Steve also digs in to some new polling for the 2024 presidential race, and what those numbers could mean even this far out from the election. Lisa tunes in from Washington, D.C. to run us through the representation of women in the MA legislature. Then later, Sean Cotter of The Boston Herald, drops by the pod to talk about potential changes to residency requirements for Boston city employees.

12/8/22-- This week on The Horse Race we're talking crypto and BPS parents. The team does a rapid fire news update in the intro, following up on the rail strike, the opening of the Green Line extension, and Mayor Wu and Gov. Elect Healey's first sit-down. Later, Stephanie Murray. alum of The Horse Race, drops by the pod to give us a crypto lesson. She explains what happened with the collapse of FTX and walks us through the Massachusetts connections. Then, Poll Maestro Steve walks us through a new poll from the MassINC Polling Group that surveyed Boston Public School parents.

12/1/22-- This week on The Horse Race the royals are in town! Lisa delivers a special report after seeing the Prince and Princess of Wales at an event Wednesday. Then Jenn and Steve dive into the news around a potential rail strike.Later, the team digs into what we can expect from Governor Elect Maura Healey's transition. Then Steph Solis of Axios, drops by the pod to chat about a recent article on a surge of migrants in the state.

11/24/22-- Happy Thanksgiving to our loyal fans and listeners! To express our gratitude, The Horse Race team is offering a behind the scenes look at our production. Please enjoy these bloopers as another side to your Thanksgiving Day feast.Thanks for listening, we'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming next week!

11/17/2022-- This week on The Horse Race, we start off the show with a rundown of the latest Thanksgiving trends before diving into your weekly dose of MA politics. Sean Philip Cotter of the Boston Herald joins the pod to run through Mayor Wu's first year in office. Then later the team discusses the future of the Mass GOP.

11/10/2022-- This week on The Horse Race, we have election results! After debriefing Lisa's late night pizza endeavors, the team walks through statewide results of the midterm elections. From a predictable yet historic win by Maura Healey for Governor, to down ballot races we’ve kept our eye on, MA delivered sweeping blue results.We also run through the latest on the results of the ballot questions and what polling looked like versus reality. Since recording, Question 1, or the Fair Share Amendment has officially passed.

11/3/22-- This week on The Horse Race, Lisa and Jenn are easing out of spooky season and into more T drama. Steve Poftak, current general manager of the MBTA, will be stepping down on January 3, only two days before a new governor will take office. Later in the show, the team sets the stage for election day with the help of Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner. From the top of the ticket, to down ballot races, we run through what to watch in the upcoming week. Then Chris Oates, founder of Legislata, drops by the pod to talk Twitter. He's done research into the purpose of the app in the political sphere and who uses #mapoli (and how it's pronounced).Don't forget to listen to our ballot question rundown episodes if you haven't voted yet!

10/27/2022-- This week The Horse Race goes spooky right in time for Halloween. The thick fog we've experienced in Boston this week has helped to set the tone. The team dives into a few down ballot sheriff's races at the top of the show as election day approaches.

Next, we're joined by Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service to run us through the latest happenings on Beacon Hill. From transportation woes to climate change, incoming elected officials will have a growing to-do list.

Later, Gintautas Dumcius of the Dorchester Reporter drops by the pod to run us through the latest updates from the city council redistricting process.

10/20/22-- This week on The Horse Race the team finishes up the ballot question round-up! Before that, Steve and Jenn run through a new MassINC Polling Group transportation poll that covers everything from statewide elections to the state of the T.

This week we take a deeper look at ballot question 4 on driver's license eligibility. The ballot measure would keep or repeal a law passed earlier this summer allowing all residents of the state regardless of immigration status to apply for driver’s licenses and learner’s permits if they meet all standard qualifications.

We're joined first by State Senator Lydia Edwards to present the supporting viewpoint. Then John Milligan, of Fair and Secure Massachusetts, drops by the pod to present the opposing campaign's point of view.

*We have re-recorded a segment of this podcast with the local opposition to ballot Question 4 after erroneously booking a representative of a national group with a similar name. We regret the error.

10/13/2022-- Today on The Horse Race, the team starts out with a quick Covid-19 update. Have you gotten your booster yet? Then Lisa runs through the latest with the migrant story we've been following in the past few weeks.

It's another ballot question episode this week. Today we're running through Question 2. If passed, this ballot question would introduce new regulations on dental insurance companies in the Commonwealth.

To offer the supporting argument, we're first joined by Brian Monteiro, director of governmental affairs and public relations at the Massachusetts Dental Society.

Later we're joined by Doug Rubin, a political consultant and former chief of staff to Governor Deval Patrick, to talk us through the other side of the question.

10/6/22-- This week Jenn and Lisa kick off the show with an update on last week's Martha's Vineyard story. Then we dive into ballot questions 1 and 3 as election day approaches.

Question 1, also known as the Fair Share Amendment or Millionaire’s tax, would impose an extra 4 percent tax on incomes over one million dollars, with the money designated for state education and transportation funding. On this episode we look at both sides of the question.

Andrew Farnitano, communications director for the Yes on Question 1 campaign drops by the pod to present the supporting argument for the ballot question. Then Dan Cence, of the Coalition to Stop the Tax Hike Amendment, presents the case for the opposition.

Afterwards, Jon Chesto of the Boston Globe joins Steve to talk about ballot Question 3 on expanded liquor licenses. Chesto recently wrote a piece for the Globe on why the question is supported by organizations you may not expect and why there also doesn't seem to be any strong opposition to the ballot measure.

9/29/2022-- The Horse Race is back after a two-week break! Steve, Lisa and Jenn have lots to catch up on. The seasons have changed, the Orange Line is back, but where are the debates? The team chats about the lack of debates this season and what the Republican party is up against in MA.

Earlier this month, Florida Governor Ron Desantis flew 48 asylum seekers from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard without notifying local officials and or residents. Migrants have been redirected to aid elsewhere on the coast after an outpouring of support from Vineyard residents. Sarah Betancourt of GBH News drops by the pod to fill us in on the latest legal developments of the story.

9/8/2022--- On this week's episode the team breaks down the results of the primaries in Massachusetts and who will be going head to head on the ballot in November.

Steve discusses the significance of name ID in getting elected and how polling comes into play during primaries. Jenn also runs through the results of down ballot elections mentioned on previous episodes. Tune in for the full list of results and what these victories and losses could imply in the state.

9/1/22-- This week on The Horse Race there is just too much news! A report released this week by the Federal Transit Administration highlighted the failures of the MBTA when it comes to safety, staffing and system needs.

We're less than a week away from primary day and candidates have been pushing to garner support. The team discusses the departure of Quentin Palfrey from the race for AG and what his endorsement of Andrea Campbell means. Then we dig into the controversy around DA hopeful Ricardo Arroyo.

Later, The Horse Race goes back to school. Michael Jonas of Commonwealth Magazine drops by the pod to talk about recently raised MCAS testing requirements for high school graduation in the state.

8/25/22--- This week on The Horse Race Jenn and Steve are thrilled that it's cooled down. We then dive into Orange Line updates with Rowan Walrath of the Boston Business Journal. It's been nearly a week since the shutdown, but the full impact has not been quite felt as students have yet to return to school.

Later, we talk to Bera Dunau of the Daily Hampshire Gazette about the race to fill Lieutenant Governor hopeful Eric Lesser's seat. There's also a three-way run for sheriff in Hampden County.

Our BFF Katie Lannan of GBH News drops by the pod to run us through a recent story she wrote surrounding the history and current status of the Cambodian political community in Lowell.

On this week's episode, the team breaks down a new MassINC Polling Group poll. The poll looks at upcoming policy questions like the Fair Share Amendment, as well as what the numbers look like for the upcoming democratic primary.

Then Jenn talks to Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner, and Marco Cartolano of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette about the domino effect of elected officials running for new seats.

8/11/2022 -- On this episode of The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn start the show off with updates of the ongoing MBTA woes. Then Lisa tunes in from the beach to give us a rundown of the latest election season updates.

Later, Evan Allen of the Boston Globe, joins the pod to walk us through her recent investigative reporting surrounding controversy at the Suffolk County DA's office. With an election coming up on Sept. 6, we discuss what this could mean for the race.

8/4/2022 -- This week on The Horse Race Steve and Lisa start the show off with a rundown of the recent democratic primary debates. Then we dive into the Wednesday announcement from the MBTA: The orange line will be down for 30 days! Lisa gives us the rundown on what this means for riders.

On Monday morning the legislative session ended after 23 long hours. During the marathon, lawmakers passed bills that legalized sports betting, expanded mental health support, reformed cannabis laws, and much more. Our own Lisa Kashinsky was there and we also have Katie Lannan of GBH News on to talk about the great all-nighter and clarify the opening time of Capitol Coffee House.

7/28/2022-- This week, a surprise amendment to the State Senate’s version of the economic development bill would give cities and towns the option of ending a decades-long ban on happy hour for their own municipalities. To talk about it more, Jenn and Steve are joined by the amendment's sponsor, Senator Julian Cyr.

Later, Jenn takes a closer look at the history behind the ban and the other attempts to revive happy hour in Massachusetts.

7/21/2022-- This week is a scorcher! Jenn and Steve start the show off chatting about this extreme heat. There's talk of water restrictions in the Commonwealth within the next few weeks. Ironically enough, President Biden is in Mass this week talking about climate change. It also doesn't look like T service will be improving anytime soon. A shortage of dispatchers will continue to be a hurdle.

State legislators passed a $52 billion budget to Governor Baker's desk on Sunday night. Once again Massachusetts is the only state left with a fiscal year that starts on July 1 where a budget has yet to be finalized. Mike Deehan, co-author at Axios Boston, joins the pod to break down the state budget. He also helps break down Taco Bell's brief roll-out of the Cheez-It Tostada.

Later, Boston Globe reporter, Catherine Carlock joins us to discuss what the Supreme Judicial Court concluded last week about Boston’s municipal harbor plan and what it could mean for the rest of the state.

7/14/22-- This week we divert from our regularly scheduled programming for the first ever musical episode of The Horse Race!

Jenn and Steve walk us through the seven official state songs one by one. Lenny Gomulka, writer and performer of "Say Hello to Someone From Massachusetts" joins the podcast to talk about the inspiration for the tune and how it came to be the official state polka.

Later Joyce Linehan, local punk rock enthusiast and former chief of policy and planning for Marty Walsh, stops by the pod. She helps unravel the saga of the unofficial state rock song, "Roadrunner" by the Modern Lovers. Will MA ever have an official state rock song?

Stay tuned until the end for a never before heard recording of the official state glee club song, "The Great State of Massachusetts" arranged and produced by Charlie Koczela and performed by Robert Goderich.

6/30/2022--This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve unpacking the whirlwind of a news week that just was. Before diving into national news, a statewide race changed drastically this week when state senator and gubernatorial candidate Sonia Chang-Diaz dropped out of the race. She told reporters there was no reasonable path to victory, and she'll instead turn her focus to supporting down-ballot candidates with similar progressive views. Chang-Diaz's withdrawal makes Maura Healey the sole standing Democratic candidate for Governor.

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, prompting Governor Baker to immediately sign an executive order protecting access to reproductive health care services in the state. The order would protect providers who perform these services for out-of-state patients seeking the procedures in Massachusetts. Planned Parenthood has already reported an uptick in demand for services here in Massachusetts from people coming out of state.

Finally, reporter Sam Gross of The Boston Globe stops by to talk to Steve about a law that will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers licenses in Massachusetts. The legislature passed it into law earlier this month, and then voted to override Gov. Baker’s veto. Now, opponents of the new law have formed a ballot question committee and are collecting signatures to try to put the issue before voters in the fall.

6/23/2022--This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Lisa share their opinions on a critical Massachusetts food service matchup -- Dunkin' Donuts and Market Basket. If the two were on the ballot, which is securing your vote?

Later, Rich Parr, Research Director at The MassINC Polling Group shares details on the newest MPG transportation poll. The statewide survey asked residents whether they support policies like free and discounted bus fares, and their feelings on the safety of transportation modes like highways and the T. The poll also asked about e-bike rebates, and to talk more about proposed legislation surrounding e-bikes, Galen Mook of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coaltion stops by. An Act relative to electric bicycle rebates would provide $500 rebates for general consumers and up to $750 for low to moderate income consumers.

6/16/2022--This week, Jenn and Lisa unpack a major development on the ballot question front -- the Supreme Judicial Court this week threw out a ballot question that would classify ride-share drivers as independent contractors. Jenn explains the court's reasoning behind the decision, and Lisa shares what it all means for the future of rides-hare drivers' fight to unionize.

Tori Bedford, reporter at GBH, stops by The Horse Race to discuss her recent coverage on America's Test Kitchen employees' moves to unionize. Willow Montana works as a shift manager at a Cleveland Circle Starbucks location that has recently moved to unionize -- they share what the process of forming a union has looked like so far, Starbucks' response to the unionization effort, and the benefits unionizing Starbucks workers are seeking.

6/9/22- This week, Jenn fills us in on this weekend’s Dot Day and Dorchfest festivities while eating leftover cake. Steve counters an argument made in a recent episode of The New York Times’ podcast The Daily, that “polling on gun control gets it wrong,” explaining the key difference between issues polling and ballot question polling, and why, as he’s seen in ballot question campaigns throughout Massachusetts history, it’s difficult for ballot questions to receive broad public support.

Next, Lisa gives us a rundown of what came out of the MassDems Convention. Who’s in and who’s out. Breaking news: the closest race is for state auditor.

This week we feature another Statehouse Round-up with BFFs of the pod Katie Lannan and Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service. We talk about the state budget, gas prices, murmurs about the aid in dying bill, Baker’s “revenge porn” bill, and whether the East-West Rail will come to fruition.

-- This episode of The Horse Race was brought to you by Benchmark Strategies [www.benchmark-strategies.com] Benchmark is setting a new standard as Boston's fastest-growing public affairs consulting firm. To know more, connect with Benchmark on Twitter @benchmarkBoston.

6/2/2022--This week, Jenn is gearing up for an exciting weekend Dorchester Day activities, and wants to see you all there. Meanwhile Lisa is keeping an eye on all the intraparty drama happening in the leadup to the 2022 MassDems Convention this weekend. Steve, Jenn, and Lisa discuss the upcoming convention as well as the recent MassGOP convention, and what we can possibly expect come the September primary.

Later, MassINC Education Equity Fellow Simone Ngongi-Lukula stops by the virtual bunker to discuss her recent op-ed in the Boston Globe, "Massachusetts’ failure to forestall growing segregation." She talks about the well-documented benefits of magnet schools that draw students from varying racial, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds, and how Massachusetts' move to stop funding magnet schools in the nineties has set them back in terms of integration in schools. And that is despite a vast majority of Massachusetts parents wanting more integration in schools.

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“This episode of The Horse Race was brought to you by Benchmark Strategies [https://www.benchmark-strategies.com/]. Benchmark is setting a new standard as Boston's fastest-growing public affairs consulting firm. To know more, connect with Benchmark on Twitter @benchmarkBoston.

5/25/22-- This week on The Horse Race, Steve, Jennifer, and Lisa begin on the somber note brought about by yet another shooting tragedy, this time in Uvalde Texas, where 19 children and 2 teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School. This comes soon after 11 people were shot and killed in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket. Congressional delegates from Massachusetts expressed sadness and called for action, including disbanding the NRA (Rep. Jake Auchincloss) and abolishing the filibuster and passing gun safety legislation (Sen. Ed Markey).

A Massachusetts Senate survey conducted in 2019 found what the Boston Globe called an environment of harassment among Senate employees. The report was never publicly released, but the Boston Globe obtained the report and shared the findings this week. Samantha Gross, who covered it, drops by The Horse Race to discuss what Senate staffers expressed, and how the lack of action surrounding instances of harassment contributed to a recent push to unionize.

According to a 2020 study conducted by The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, more than a quarter of 4-year college students experienced food insecurity nationwide. Proposed legislation would take aim at that problem here in Massachusetts. Gina Plata-Nino, an attorney with Mass. Law Reform Institute and one of the co-chairs of the Hunger Free Campus Coalition, shares details on the bill and explains why food insecurity is such a persistent problem on Massachusetts college campuses.

5/19/2022-- This week, Jenn and Lisa begin discuss what’s happening in the race for State Auditor – current Auditor Suzanne Bump endorsed candidate Chris Dempsey as her successor, calling him a “true progressive.” She had previously refuted some of the claims made by Diana DiZoglio, another candidate, about the purview of the auditor’s office.

Our first guest this week is Caroline Vanasse, Project Manager for the MBTA Bus Network Redesign. She shares details of the redesign, explaining the MBTA’s plans for more reliable and expansive bus service.

Finally, Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases and chief of medicine at South Shore Health in Weymouth joins the show to share what he knows about the worrying new Omicron subvariant that is dominating Massachusetts, BA.2.12.1.

5/5/2022-- Today on The Horse Race, Steve and Lisa begin the episode by running through the newest fundraising numbers of the candidates running for statewide office. Plus, Lisa breaks down the results of the special election for the District 1 Boston City Council seat.

The MassINC Polling Group is out with new data on how parents feel about their children's academics and wellbeing in school. Compared to the last wave of education polling, Steve explains, this time around parents aren't quite as optimistic. In the fall, parents were largely confident their children would catch up and get back on track academically given the new all in-person school format. So far, reality has not quite lived up to those expectations. Read more about the poll at massincpolling.com.

Finally, the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves throughout the country. Today's guest, Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of Reproductive Equity Now, joins the hosts to explain what the implications would be in Massachusetts if and when the landmark decision falls away.

This episode of The Horse Race was brought to you by Benchmark Strategies. Benchmark is setting a new standard as Boston's fastest-growing public affairs consulting firm. To know more, connect with Benchmark on Twitter @benchmarkBoston.

Full transcription found here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-212-scotus-shockwaves-could-shake-mass

4/28/22--This week, Steve and Lisa discuss the state of COVID rates in Massachusetts, and what we might be missing when we talk about numbers of positive cases.

New data from The MassINC Polling Group shows there are disparities between the households that use at-home tests to test for COVID and those that get tested at a testing site. That means we may be undercounting cases in specific places and groups. Wealthier people are more likely to have been testing themselves at home, where positives would not be reported. Schools and lower-income areas are perhaps overrepresented since they would potentially be caught in official reporting channels.

Later on in the show, Steve is joined by Manny Cruz, Director of Advocacy in Massachusetts for Latinos for Education, and Ralph Saint-Louis, a Policy Fellow at Teach Plus Massachusetts and a science teacher at Lowell High School, to discuss the Educator Diversity Act, which, if passed by the legislature, would seek to make Massachusetts educators a more diverse workforce. As of now, 42% of all students in Massachusetts identify as students of color, but only 10% of all teachers in the state identify as Black, Latino or API.

4/21/22-- Today, The Horse Race is breaking down two state-focused polls out this week. The first is a poll conducted by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion, which asked likely Democratic primary voters about their choices in the 2022 races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and state auditor. The poll shows gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey with a strong lead over opponent Sonia Chang-Diaz, which grew since The MassINC Polling Group's poll on the candidates from January.

A second poll released this week was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group and its research director/guest co-host for this week's episode, Rich Parr. The MPG/Boston Globe poll surveyed Massachusetts residents about their opinions on climate change. This poll is one of a series of statewide climate surveys, and it found that residents consider climate change to be less of a concern than in 2019, when the last wave was conducted. However, that's not to say residents don't feel climate change is a serious threat. Majorities say that climate impacts, including heat waves (58%), coastal flooding (60%), and more powerful storms (62%), are already or very likely to hit the state in the next 5 years.

The poll included additional responses from Black, Latino, and Asian residents, to enable a closer look at opinion between and within each group. Consistent with national polling, Black and Latino residents are more likely to say climate change is a “very serious” problem for the state. This poll also echoes national polling in showing a large partisan gap in concern about climate, with 62% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents calling it a very serious problem, compared to just 22% of Republicans and Republican leaners. Click here to read more about the poll: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/poll-massachusetts-residents-see-climate-change-as-a-serious-problem-for-state

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A statement from a spokesperson for the state Cannabis Control Commission in regard to a prior episode of The Horse Race:

"On March 14, the Boston Globe reported that Creative Services, Inc. (CSI) was exposed to a data breach that compromised the information of 164,000 individuals, including 1,982 individuals who are associated with Massachusetts cannabis licenses or license applications, as well as 75 Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) staff. In an interview during the March 31 episode of The Horse Race, the guest falsely stated that the Commission had been exposed to a data breach. The Commission does require all individuals listed on an initial license application to have a background check performed, via the Commission, with CSI. However, it is important to clarify that the Commission does not require, nor recommend, any particular company to perform background checks on the employees and/or agents they hire. Please note: as of the Commission’s April public meeting, there were 19,358 active agent registrations in Massachusetts’ adult-use cannabis industry, and 9,117 active agent registrations in the medical use industry.

The guest being interviewed also suggested that, because of this event, the Commission should be audited. Regarding any comments as to whether the Commission has been audited, there is currently an audit by Auditor Bump’s office underway and has been for some time."

4/14/2022-- The Masachusetts House of Representatives released their FY 2023 budget proposal this week, and friends of the pod as well as State House News Service reporters Katie Lannan and Chris Lisinski are here to break down the line items as well as the differences in budget priorities between Governor Baker and the House and Senate.

Chris and Katie also dive into the news of a union in the works among Senate staffers who say they are seeking pay equity and a culture change in their workplace. Plus, a new study finds an uptick in the number of reporters covering state houses across the country.

4/7/2022--This week on The Horse Race, we bring you another of the Internet's Finest: a list from anytimeestimate.com ranking Boston as the fourth-best "pizza city" in the U.S. In case you were wondering, it ranks above both New York City and Chicago. Steve and Jenn dissect the list's confusing criteria for assembling such a list. Please do let us know your thoughts on this -- does Boston deserve its place on the list? Tweet at us @The_HorseRace.

For our first segment, Steve and Jenn discuss the new developments in statewide races this week. Progressive Massachusetts released more endorsements this week, lending their support to Quentin Palfrey for attorney general, Chris Dempsey for state auditor, and Tanisha Sullivan for secretary of the commonwealth. The group has already endorsed Sonia Chang-Díaz for governor and Rep. Tammy Gouveia for lieutenant governor. The hosts also discuss the financial status of each of the campaigns in the races for attorney general and governor.

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johston issued a joint statement last year agreeing to share best practices on regional economic regeneration. That’s exactly what’s been happening since October of last year here in Massachusetts. The UK Consulate of Boston has visited five Gateway Cities in Massachusetts, learning how these communities grow prosperity and sharing the UK’s approach to regional economic growth. Peter Abbott, the British consul general to Boston, drew up the findings and joins Jenn and Steve on The Horse Race to share those findings.

3/31/22--It shouldn't be too difficult to sit back, relax and enjoy this week's episode of The Horse Race because, according to a WalletHub study (https://wallethub.com/edu/most-stressful-states/32218), the state of Massachusetts ranks among the least stressed states in the nation. Jennifer, Lisa, and Steve have a lot to say about the accuracy of this study.

Later, in light of Governor Charlie Baker's HireNow program geared towards getting people back to work and meeting employers needs, we discuss why so many people across the country are leaving their jobs in the first place. MassINC Polling Group research associate and producer of the pod Libby Gormley talks through a Pew Research poll documenting U.S. workers' reasons for quitting jobs in 2021. (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-who-quit-a-job-in-2021-cite-low-pay-no-opportunities-for-advancement-feeling-disrespected/)

Finally, this week Governor Charlie handed out his first endorsement in a statewide race this year. It went to Republican candidate for state auditor, Anthony Amore. Amore joins us on the show to discuss his approach to the race as the sole Republican, his priorities if elected, and how his background as a federal agent, Homeland Security official, and museum security director has prepared him to take on the office.

3/24/2022--This week on The Horse Race, a new development in the Republican primary race for governor. Candidate Geoff Diehl announced his running mate, Leah Cole Allen. Allen served briefly as a state representative in YEAR before becoming a nurse. "She keeps Diehl's ticket firmly in conservative territory," Lisa explains. Allen is anti-abortion, anti-mask and vaccine mandates, isn't vaccinated herself, and and told reporters she thinks there’s “enough evidence” to support the possibility of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

The race for Secretary of the Commonwealth also saw some developments this week. Candidate Tanisha Sullivan enjoyed a suite of endorsements from state Reps. Russell Holmes, Nika Elugardo and Liz Miranda; and Boston City Councilors Julia Mejia, Ruthzee Louijeune, Ricardo Arroyo, Kendra Lara and Tania Fernandes Anderson.

Last month, Senate President Karen Spilka appointed a new Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation -- Brendan Crighton. Sen. Crighton drops by The Horse Race to talk about leading on transportation in a time when congestion on the roads is as bad as it ever was and T ridership is a fraction of pre-pandemic levels.

Finally, Lisa delivers a recap of Wednesday's virtual event hosted by State House News wherein House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka provided insight into the priorities for the rest of this legislative session. Also, in a surprising turn of events. Mariano disclosed his endorsement for the Massachusetts governor's race in candidate and current state Attorney General Maura Healey.

3/17/2022-- Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at The Horse Race! Steve and Jennifer discuss the return of the in-person St. Patrick's Day breakfast, happening this Sunday. It's an almost annual tradition of Massachusetts politicians gathering and making jokes at one another's expense for what Jennifer describes as "basically a big Irish roast."

Plus, big news coming out of the U.S. Senate-- a bill passed that would make Daylight Saving permanent, ending the ritual of turning the clocks forward and backward and gracing us all with an extra hour of daylight in the winter. The development has Sen. Ed Markey who proposed the bill "walkin' on sunshine."

The Census undercount also made headlines this week. So far the U.S. Census Bureau has only released the national numbers, but if the nationwide undercount scales down proportionately to the state level, what could that mean for Massachusetts? Boston Indicators' Luc Schuster drops by The Horse Race to answer that question and more. For one thing, Luc says, "It would mean we missed almost 47,000 Latinos living in Massachusetts."

Finally, Matt Murphy of the State House News Service explains the proposed changes to our liquor license laws, brought to lawmakers by the Massachusetts Package Stores Association. It would effectively double the number of allowable licenses any one retailer can hold to 18 by 2031, but also reduce the cap on licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages from nine to seven. But it faces severe opposition from many food industry groups.

3/10/11-- This week, while certain industries are seeing patrons come back in droves amid the bottoming out of COVID cases -- arts and culture venues, restaurants, gyms -- one space that has yet to see such an influx are corporate office. Steve wrote about the risk this phenomenon poses to downtowns like Boston in CommonWealth.

And later, it's caucus season in Massachusetts. Yawu Miller, reporter for The Bay State Banner covered the ins and outs of the 2022 Massachusetts season. He stops by to share his insights about the importance of Ward 18, drastic changes to the caucus landscape since the 90s and even the 2010s, and what it all means for the electorate writ large.

3/3/2022--This week on The Horse Race, Jennifer, Steve, and Lisa discuss the growing field of candidates in two major statewide races: attorney general and lieutenant governor. Republican Jay McMahon, who’s run for political office in Massachusetts before, stepped into the race for state attorney general. Anthony Amore, the 2018 secretary of state candidate is now running for state auditor. And former state rep Kate Campanele joined as Chris Doughty’s running mate, making her the first Republican to enter the race for lieutenant governor.

Later, state Senator Diana DiZoglio drops by The Horse Race to talk aout her bid for state auditor. She explains her goal of bringing more transparency and accountability to how taxpayer money is spent, shares the details of her social justice plan, and, as Republican Anthony Amore makes his entrance into the race, discusses whether there is a partisan angle to the office.

2/24/2022--This week, the hosts are off for February school vacation. Please enjoy the 2022 edition of Horse Race outtakes, and we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.

2/17/2022--Today on The Horse Race, we look ahead to next week’s reopening of the State House. After more than 700 days of closure due to COVID, doors open on Tuesday, and legislators will return to their offices.

In this week’s installment of State House Roundup, friends of the pod Katie Lannan and Chris Lisinski of State House News Service break down the ramifications of the in-person return and highlight the major policies being tackled on Beacon Hill now— namely, voting reform, a bill to create a pathway for undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses, and a drug pricing transparency bill.

This week also saw the exit of Harvard professor Danielle Allen from the governor’s race. Allen cites the caucus and nominating process as major barriers to nontraditional candidates’ access to the ballot. Her departure leaves two remaining candidates in the Democratic primary — Attorney General Maura Healey and state Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz.

Full transcript: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-202-state-house-roundup-back-to-beacon-hill

2/10/2022-- This week on The Horse Race, Lisa and Jenn discuss this week’s announcement out of the Governor’s office that the mask mandate for schools will end Feb. 28 and the reactions from the candidates running for Governor which, unsurprisingly, follow party lines.

In the first of a series of segments interviewing State Auditor candidates, Jenn, Steve, and Lisa speak with Chris Dempsey, who speaks about his plans to audit the State Police and create an Auditor's commission on environmental justice.

2/3/2022--- This week on the horse race, Jenn, Steve, and Lisa discuss their brushes with the 24- hour record-breaking blizzard that hit the northeast this past weekend.

Shifting to the many races of 2022, Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell announced her campaign for Attorney General. Lisa spoke with Campbell about how policing reform fits in to the Attorney General’s office.

Meanwhile, in the race for Massachusetts governor, GOP candidate Geoff Diehl made waves as he hired Corey Lewandowski as a campaign senior advisor. Trump’s old super PAC & South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem cut ties with Lewandowski last fall after allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances toward a Trump donor at an event.

Steve shares the results of a new statewide poll stacking up Democratic primary candidates. Many voters are undecided but as of now, Maura Healey has the biggest swath of likely Democratic primary voter support of all the announced candidates. The survey asked people their support of issues such as rent control and early college.

Today's guest is Tanisha Sullivan, NAACP Boston Branch President, visits The Horse Race to share why she is running for Secretary of the Commonwealth, and what she'll do to expand voting rights and increase transparency in the state government.

1/27/2022--This week brings a handful of new campaign announcements. Among them, Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin who confirmed he is seeking his eighth term in office, State Treasurer Deb Goldberg who is running for re-election, labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan who announced her bid for Attorney General, and Chris Doughty, a moderate Republican businessman from Wrentham and new entrant into the race for governor of Massachusetts.

Jenn, Steve, and Lisa discuss Governor Baker's final State of the Commonwealth address that included plans for a slew of tax breaks.

The special guest on today's show is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. After just over two months in office, she answers questions regarding her major policies thus far, and her plans for the future.

1/20/2022--This week on The Horse Race, two big campaign announcements hit the news. First, it's the one we've been waiting on for months. Attorney General Maura Healey is running for Governor. She enters the race after much anticipation and speculation with a rate of name recognition and funding that dwarfs that of her competitors.

Tanisha Sullivan, President of the Boston NAACP, announced her candidacy for Secretary of the Commonwealth. Bill Galvin, who has been in the position for almost three decades, has not yet announced whether he’ll run again.

Vaccine mandates for indoor businesses went into effect throughout Boston this past weekend. Jenn and Lisa talk about the Twitter conversations circulating among people who’ve experienced gaps in enforcement — some businesses don’t check for vaccine proof, others do.

Also recently implemented is the state’s vaccine passport system which Massachusetts residents can use to access digital proof of their vaccination status. Issues remain with that program as well, like incomplete information for veterans and residents who received jabs out of state.

Our guest this week is State House reporter for MassLive, Alison Kuznitz. She explains the state’s decision to move away from their current test-and-stay program that allows asymptomatic students to stay in school so long as they test negative for five straight days. The plan is to replace it with a program wherein students receive at-home rapid tests on a biweekly basis.

1/13/22--Today on The Horse Race, Jenn and Lisa discuss the biggest headlines of the week so far -- the continued issues around in-person schooling during a surge in COVID-19 cases, the newest entrant in the race for Lieutenant Governor (Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll), and the Boston's self-imposed deadline to clear tents from the Mass & Cass area wherein 140-plus people currently reside.

Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Michael Bobbitt provides a glimpse into the arts and culture communities throughout Massachusetts--how are they navigating the ever-changing landscape that COVID-19 creates? As arts venues go from gearing up for reopening to welcoming back patrons to shutting down performances due to omicron infections, Bobbitt explains how arts consumption is changing, and people's expectations for art is evolving.

Finally, new data out today from The MassINC Polling Group finds Massachusetts voters are amenable to shifting the cost of public transportation away from riders and toward high-income taxpayers. Friend of the pod and MPG Research Director Rich Parr explains the majority support for what's known as the "millionaire's tax" bodes well for its performance on the November ballot. The poll also asked about registered voters perceptions on transportation's climate preparedness, low-income fare discounts, fare-free modes of transportation, and what kind of condition they find the state's transportation system.

This episode of The Horse Race is sponsored by Benchmark Strategies. Benchmark is setting a new standard as Boston's fastest-growing public affairs consulting firm. To know more, connect with Benchmark on Twitter @BenchmarkBoston.”

Full transcript here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-197-the-long-intermission

1/6/2022-- After ringing in the first Horse Race episode 2022, Steve, Jenn, and Lisa discuss poll results just out from The MassINC Polling Group. The statewide poll on Massachusetts residents found just around a quarter of them feel as though the situation around the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts is better than it was this time last year. The poll also found that unvaccinated people feel the safest doing activities like going to a movie and dining indoors, while people who are the most protected (the vaccinated) feel the least safe doing the same activities.

Steve also shares the favorables of each candidate in the race for Massachusetts Governor, showing Attorney General Maura Healey with the highest rate of name recognition, although Healey has yet to officially announce whether she's running.

Later, CommonWealth reporter Shira Schoenberg shares the details of her recent article detailing Massachusetts schools' struggles with staffing amidst a devastating COVID surge as schools came back in session this week. Remote schooling is not an option, as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ordered last year, so schools are left to either scramble to fill in the staffing gaps or close school down and make up the days in the spring.

Full transcript here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-196-new-year-same-covid

This episode of The Horse Race was brought to you by Benchmark Strategies. Benchmark is setting a new standard as Boston's fastest-growing public affairs consulting firm. To know more, connect with Benchmark on Twitter @benchmarkBoston.

12/23/21--On the last episode of 2021, Steve and Lisa discuss their holiday plans that have largely been rearranged thanks to the brutal arrival of the Omicron variant. It's a reality confronting people across Massachusetts, and as folks plan to safely convene with friends and family, the lack of available COVID testing is making that near impossible.

With case numbers rising across the country and here in Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu this week announced an indoor mask mandate. Meanwhile, Governor Charlie Baker unveiled a mask advisory, a move that, through the eyes of several public health advocates and political figures in the state, falls short.

Joining Lisa to talk about the escalating public health crisis at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard (or Mass. and Cass.) are two reporters who have been following the situation for a while now. Tori Bedford is a reporter for GBH News, Sean Cotter for the Boston Herald. They explain the genesis of the tent city and open air drug market, which all began after the shutdown of the Long Island Bridge in 2014.

Now, as the substance abuse, homelessness, and violence increase, and as the months get colder, the demand for adequate housing and resources becomes more dire. In the span of a little over a year, three Boston mayors have tried to adequately rectify the situation-- former Mayor Marty Walsh, acting Mayor Kim Janey, and current Mayor Michelle Wu. Tori and Sean break down each leader's approach and impact, and look ahead to Mayor Wu's plan not just for the immediate future, but for the long-term health and safety of the people who live there.

12/16/21--Newsrooms across the country are pushing to unionize. And those in Massachusetts are no exception. Today on The Horse Race, Jenn sits down with three guests who can speak to newsroom union negotiations from experience.

State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa is one of the columnists taking part in the strike at the Daily Hampshire Gazette in support of the paper’s union. The columnists have told Newspapers of New England, which owns the Gazette, that they will not be writing any more columns until the company agrees to a contract with its employees.

Reporters Ally Jarmanning of WBUR and Kevin Slane of The Boston Globe and Boston.com talk about their experience with contract negotiations — WBUR employees having gone through both establishing a union as well as well as negotiating contracts, and Globe employees undergoing a three-year-long process of contract negotiations.

Full transcript here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-194-the-push-to-unionize-newsrooms

12/9/21--Today on The Horse Race, a roundup on what's happening on Beacon Hill. Reporters Katie Lannan of State House News Service and Shira Schoenberg of CommonWealth stop by to break down what is inside the $4 billion ARPA spending bill headed for Charlie Baker's desk (and why it took so long to reach this point).

Plus, Lisa provides the scoop on the down-ballot races heating up across the state.

12/1/21 --After two terms, Governor Charlie Baker has announced he will not be running for re-election in 2022. The statement led to a frenzy of reactions and speculations throughout the Massachusetts political scene, and many names were bandied about of who might throw their hat in the ring.

Co-host Lisa Kashinsky has been on the ground watching it all unfold. She provides analysis on what Baker's (and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito's)decision will mean for the race and the Massachusetts political landscape at large.

Later, the hosts are joined by Massachusetts state representative serving the 9th Suffolk district and Boston Medical Center emergency room doctor Jon Santiago -- he explains the concern behind the omicron variant of coronavirus, what Massachusetts is doing to prepare for its arrival, and what the future might hold for a vaccine passport system in the state.

11/18/21--This week, a solo Jenn speaks with MassINC Polling Group Research Director Maeve Duggan about the latest survey on Massachusetts parents of K-12 students. While parents are largely optimistic about the rest of the in-person school year and their children's success, inequitable access to resources remains.

Plus, a deep dive in what is likely to be the most expensive ballot question of 2022. If passed, it would establish that platform based drivers would be considered independent contractors and set certain required benefits specifically for those workers while exempting the companies from providing benefits required by state law for employees. We hear from the "Yes" campaign, represented by Conor Yunits, senior VP at Solomon McCown & Cence and spokesperson for the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work, as well as the "No" campaign, represented by labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan,

11/11/21-- This week, Steve and Lisa are back in the virtual bunker to celebrate a birthday, rejoice in vaccinations for children, and discuss the latest in the #mapoli scene.

A new mental health bill unveiled by the state Senate would revolutionize treatment. Co-chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery Sen. Julian Cyr stopped by to explain the mechanics, the goal for mental and phyiscal health parity, and what the pandemic meant for the genesis of the bill.

Later, Lisa rehashes what went down on Beacon Hill during the drawing of congressional districts. A heated debate broke out regarding the 9th and 4th districts--Lisa explains why the final decision could determine who ends up with more federal aid and political aid.

11/4/21-- This week on The Horse Race, Steve, Jenn, and Lisa review the elections that took place all over the state. They break down all the highlights of the mayoral election, plus results of the at-large and city council elections and ballot questions.

Later, Rich Parr, research director at The MassINC Polling Group joins in to talk about the notable elections that took place in cities throughout Western Massachusetts.

10/28/21--Happy Halloween from The (Headless) Horse Race! This week, Jenn, Steve, and Lisa discuss the final Boston mayoral debate before the election, the makeup of the House of Representatives's spending plan for the states remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds, plus, of course, Halloween.

Later, state Senator Sonia-Chang Diaz drops by to break down the racial equity scorecard used to assess how the House's ARPA spending plan tackles issues of racial injustice.

10/21/21--This week, a poll from Public Policy Polling finds Governor Baker's approval ratings have dipped quite a bit among likely 2022 Republican primary voters. Lisa says this reinforces what anecdotal evidence has suggested for a while, that he's more popular among Democrats and Independents than those in his own party. In a hypothetical matchup with Geoff Diehl, Baker trails 50 to 29.

Jenn, Steve, and Lisa rehash the major takeaways from Tuesday night's second Boston mayoral debate between Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi-George, noting that this was the first significant moment in which frontrunner Wu was in the hot seat--faced with tough questions from both moderators and Essaibi-George.

Later, Deanna Moran of the Conservation Law foundation describes what is in store for Boston and the rest of Massachusetts as the effects of climate change begin to manifest. Sooner than we are perhaps prepared for, we will be faced with weather events that threaten our critical infrastructure. Moran says, there's so much more the state needs to do to become more climate resilient.

10/13/21--This week, Steve shares findings from the latest poll on the Boston mayoral race. He spells out just how strong Michelle Wu's lead is so far over Annissa Essaibi-George, and how likely voters' priorities for the city differ based on who they plan to vote for.

Later, Lisa and Steve are joined by state Rep. and member of the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, Andy Vargas. Rep. Vargas explains the redistricting process, what the goals for redistricting are, and the challenges that the redistricting committee has faced so far.

The Texas abortion law instated in early September is one of the strictest measures in the nation, banning abortion at six weeks -- when many women don't even yet know they are pregnant. Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director at NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts explains what it means that this law made it on the books, and what the implications are for the future of Roe v. Wade.

10/7/21--The MBTA is prone to some bad press, but things have been especially bleak in the past couple of weeks. Candidates in the gubernatorial and Boston mayoral races alike have pointed to the T as a problem area they vow to work on fixing. Some have clung to the idea of a free MBTA. But how exactly would that work? Today's guests walk us through what it would take to get such a project started. Lizzi Weyant is the Director of Government Affairs at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and Marie-Frances Rivera is the President of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

9/30/21--This week on the podcast, Jenn and Lisa are joined by two longtime friends of the pod, Katie Lannan and Chris Lisinski of State House News Service. They explain all the headline bills being worked on, what's going on with the T after numerous disasters, and when the State House itself might be opening up for members and the public alike.

9/23/21--Eleven cities across Massachusetts held preliminary mayoral elections this week. On The Horse Race this week, we're joined by three guests, each of whom have in-depth knowledge on particular races throughout the state.

Matt Szafranski, Editor-in-Chief of the Western Mass Politics and Insight blog has been covering the Holyoke race; Juana Matias is the COO of MassINC, a former state representative of Massachusetts' 16th Essex district, and a current resident of Lawrence and follower of the race there; and Greta Jochem is a reporter at the Berkshire Eagle, who's been keeping a close eye on the action in North Adams.

9/16/21--The Horse Race rides again! We are back in the saddle after being put out to pasture for a summer, producing Mass Reboot (listen right here in this feed if you haven't yet!). In our first episode back we are joined by brand-new co-host, Lisa Kashinsky! Lisa is the author of the Politico Massachusetts Playbook, formerly of The Boston Herald, and a decorated veteran of Horse Race guesthood.

This week, Steve, Jenn, and Lisa unpack the results of the Boston mayoral preliminary election. They discuss the reasons behind the painstaking wait for the tallies to come in, what voter turnout looked like this year compared to elections past, and what the shakeout of this historic preliminary election says about Boston.

Intro and outro music credit: Charlie Koczela and Sound of Picture.

8/19/21--On the finale episode of Mass Reboot, we examine the early days of the pandemic when elected officials' jobs quickly got even more complicated and important. State Senator Adam Hinds, State Representative and Boston Medical emergency room physician Jon Santiago, and State House News Service Reporter and president of the Massachusetts State House Press Association Katie Lannan discussed what legislating was like back in those days.

Now, as we look forward to a slightly more open, but still worrisome future, we have to ask, how will our leaders learn from what came before? What is informing their decisions? What can we expect to change, and stay the same?

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Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

8/12/21--When the pandemic hit, just about every aspect of our lives changed. And that includes our relationships-- with family, friends, and partners. Whether you were single, dating, married, or divorced during the pandemic, chances are, dynamics changed at least slightly. Today, we hear from two sets up couples -- Honey Goodenough and Kenneth Dyer, and Eden Heller and Dan Hopkins -- about their experiences together during the pandemic, as well as the Boston Globe Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein about the patterns she saw emerge among people navigating love and dating before, during the height of the pandemic, and now.

Next week: Government.

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Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

8/5/21-- School administrators, teachers, parents, and students were all thrown for a loop when COVID shut down school buildings and demanded immediate innovation. Some schools, and some students, were better off than others. So much depended on available resources like technology, Internet, and childcare. Families that lacked any one of these struggled with remote school and hybrid school. Learning loss was certainly a symptom of the COVID school year, but the voices on today’s podcast emphasize that it should not be the sole focus as we look towards recovery--that addressing students’ grief; relationships; and physical, social, and emotional well-being takes precedence over reaching a certain benchmark in reading or math.

Takeru Nagayoshi of New Bedford High School, Tracy O’Connell Novick of the Worcester School Committee, Tanya Nixon-Sillberg of Little Uprisings, and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education Jason Lewis reflect on the past year and a half of school plagued by COVID interruptions and provide insight on what the next academic year could and should provide for teachers, students, and their families.

Next week: Love.

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Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored in part by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

Episode 3 is also sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, an employer-driven member organization comprised of CEOs and Senior Executives from large employers. Through the Roundtable, business leaders engage with the public and private sectors to advance policies that support the state’s competitiveness and long-term economic prosperity.

7/28/21--Each episode of Mass Reboot thus far has touched on one thing over and over again-- a particular, consuming aspect of our lives: work. Restaurant workers lost jobs due to the pandemic. So did artists. Work has, for the most part, dictated where we live, and how and where we travel day to day.

If any one event had the ability to upend work as a grounding force in our lives, it was the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, people lost that root--either they were laid off or lost wages. Or, they kept their jobs but took their work from the office to the home. Others still who remained in in-person jobs had to face the looming threat of COVID when they went to work.

When the distribution of vaccines began, many workers and their bosses looked forward to a hybrid work format that would offer the best of both worlds: the ability to collaborate in person with colleagues some days, but enjoy the comfort of working from home other days. Now, however, with COVID cases rising in all states, that future is up in the air. Yajaira Toribio of Dreams Nail Lounge, Segun Idowu of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Maeghan Welford of the MITRE Corporation, JD Chesloff of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable discuss their perspectives on how our ideas of work changed during the pandemic, and what work looks like in the coming months and years.

Next week: Love.

Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored in part by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

This week on Mass Reboot, the pandemic’s impacts fell heavily on restaurants. What did industry professionals do to survive the pandemic, and how are they bouncing back as eager diners return in droves as the state reopens? Find out on Episode 4, Food.

Bob Luz, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, describes what it was like reckoning with an entire sector of the economy screeching to a halt almost overnight, and what it took to keep restaurants afloat during that time.

Former Lawrence mayor Dan Rivera remembers the quick mobilization of a local coalition when COVID hit-- to both support restaurants and provide food assistance to those who needed it.

Restaurant employees Ashley, Caroline, and Bruno anticipate a return to full restaurants and bars, but wonder whether Boston will remain the thriving hub of lunch spots and after-work drink hangouts if remote and hybrid work continues to be as popular as it has been.

Next week: Work.

Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored in part by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

7/8/21--Welcome to the third episode of Mass Reboot, a summer podcast series about restarting Massachusetts after COVID-19 and what we lost along the way. Each week, we’ll dive into a sector of life in the commonwealth, exploring how the pandemic hit it, how it adapted, and how the people inside it envision a new normal.

This week: Transportation.

The pandemic swiftly brought the traffic crisis well-known to Bay Staters to a halt. But that didn't last long. As businesses, office, and schools reopen, traffic is back with a vengeance. Meanwhile, the public transit system is only getting a fraction of the ridership it received before the pandemic.

State Representative William Straus describes a need for better connectivity throughout the state. He represents parts of the South Coast, where drivers to Boston spend about 5 hours round-trip on the road.

Monica Tibbits-Nutt, executive director of the 128 Business Council, sees public-private partnership is a key to closing transit gaps, and incentivizing commuters out of their cars and onto public transportation options.

Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored in part by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

Episode 3 is also sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, an employer-driven member organization comprised of CEOs and Senior Executives from large employers. Through the Roundtable, business leaders engage with the public and private sectors to advance policies that support the state’s competitiveness and long-term economic prosperity.

6/30/21--Welcome to the second episode of Mass Reboot, a summer podcast series about restarting Massachusetts after COVID-19 and what we lost along the way. Each week, we’ll dive into a sector of life in the commonwealth, exploring how the pandemic hit it, how it adapted, and how the people inside it envision a new normal.

This week: Home.

In a state where housing costs were already sky-high, what did the pandemic mean for people who lost jobs and wages? Did the shifting of populations and economic upheaval budge the housing or rental markets? And how did our ideas of home change when it became our only safe space for 15 months?

These are the questions hosts Libby Gormley, Steve Koczela, and Jennifer Smith seek to answer this week. Guests Denise Matthews-Turner of City Life / Vida Urbana, Jessie Partridge Guerrero of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and Symone Crawford of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance weigh in on what they witnessed during the pandemic and what they predict the future holds for Massachusetts.

Next week: Transportation.

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Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

A big thank you to our sponsor this week, Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

6/23/21--Welcome to the first episode of Mass Reboot, a summer podcast series about restarting Massachusetts after COVID-19 and what we lost along the way. Each week, we’ll dive into a sector of life in the Commonwealth, exploring how the pandemic hit it, how it adapted, and how the people inside it envision a new normal.

This week: Art.

Hosts Libby Gormley, Steve Koczela, and Jennifer Smith of The Horse Race are spending time in Boston’s Theater District and Dorchester, then taking a wide view of the Massachusetts arts world over the past year.

Joe Spaulding, CEO and President of the Boch Center, describes the shock of a silent Wang Theatre and the long and unsteady road back to a vibrant performance space. Emma Leavitt, of the Dorchester Art Project and Brain Arts, recounts the struggles of the local arts program to continue supporting and reaching its diverse arts community.

As for impacts across the state, and the long-term inequities that still exist in the arts space, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Michael Bobbitt breaks down the scale of creative losses and the need to rethink arts sector power structures.

Next week: Home.

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Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

A big thank you to our sponsor this week, Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

What happens when you reboot a whole state? Yesterday, after one year, three months, and five days, the COVID-19 state of emergency ended in Massachusetts. With millions vaccinated across the state and with summer on its way, the gears are beginning to turn again. Things that stopped are starting. Things that were closed are re-opening. That leaves a big question.

What does a post-pandemic Massachusetts look like?

The team behind The Horse Race, Massachusetts’ favorite political podcast is back with a new summer podcast. Mass Reboot is a 10-episode series on restarting Massachusetts after COVID-19 and what we’ve lost along the way. Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and longtime Horse Race producer Libby Gormley will share hosting duties, telling the stories of Massachusetts residents as we emerge from the pandemic. Each week, they will explore a new area of Massachusetts society - from housing and government to sports and food.

The first episode, “Art” will post June 23rd. New episodes of Mass Reboot will post weekly on Wednesdays and will be available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Horse Race and The Codcast will find the podcast in their feed.

Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group and CommonWealth Magazine and is sponsored by Rasky Partners.

5/12/21--Listeners, The Horse Race is taking a step back for a few weeks as we prepare to bring you a brand-new series this summer! So be sure to stay on the lookout for that, and in the meantime, we leave you with this last episode where Steve and Jenn are joined by the founding members of The Horse Race -- original cohost Lauren Dezenski and original producer Hannah Chanatry. The four reminisce on the nearly four years since the podcast began and the many guests, segments, live shows, and horse puns that came along with it. Enjoy, and we'll be back in your ears soon!

5/5/21-- It's a bittersweet day here in the virtual bunker because it is Stephanie Murray's last appearance as co-host of The Horse Race! She is taking a new role at Politico as author of The Morning Score, a national weekly newsletter.

Stick around to the end of the episode to hear how Stephanie has scene the political landscape change in her years on the #mapoli beat. But to begin, we're talking about a persistent debate among Massachusetts officials about whether to make vaccines mandatory for public workers. Many Democratic officials and public figures say yes. Governor Baker's stance is a hard no.

Later in the show we're joined by Miles Howard, a freelance journalist who recently published a column in the Boston Globe posing the idea of turning empty office space into desperately needed affordable housing in Boston. He explains how it might work, what's standing in the way, and whether we can predict a return to offices or the continuation of widespread remote work.

Finally, Jenn and Steve grill Stephanie on her time covering Massachusetts politics and engage in a #mapoli lightning round digging up her favorite moments as a reporter and, more importantly, a proud Bay Stater.

4/28/21--This week on The Horse Race, we bring you some bittersweet news. Our very own, extremely talented, reporter and co-host extraordinaire, Stephanie Murray, will be joining us for just one more episode of The Horse Race! She has been promoted to a national position for Politico, so keep an eye out for her as the new author of The Morning Score.

In other big #mapoli news, Massachusetts is making big reopening moves. New reopening guidelines include, effective May 29th,(dependent on public health and vaccination data) gathering limits will increase to 200 people indoors and 250 people outdoors; May 10th will bring the opening of amusement parks and water parks at 50% capacity; and on August 1st other industries will be permitted to open such as nightclubs, saunas, and ball pits (?).

Jenn has been closely following the Boston mayoral race and analyzes the newest development, or lack thereof. State senator Nick Collins announced he will not be running for mayor of Boston. Many had speculated he might jump into the race, but his official decision not to run means in all likelihood, the race for Boston mayor will for the first time in history not include a white man.

Steve sounds off on Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin's deflection on the question of whether he'll run for re-election. Galvin has been in office since 1995, and his response to the State House News Service that he "enjoy[s]" his job indicates he might run for an eighth term.

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New data from the 2020 Census is out this week. Some states’ Congressional seats will change as a result, but Massachusetts will keep its same nine. Stephanie Murray explains what the data tells us about our districts and provides national context as well.

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In the wake of devastating mass shootings this year, a Massachusetts reporter looked into why the commonwealth's rates of gun deaths are the lowest in the country. Sarah Betancourt's Guardian article details the work of John Rosenthal, co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence, an organization that is in part responsible for the low gun death rates. She stopped by The Horse Race to tell us what gun restrictions contribute to our state's performance and explains in what other ways Massachusetts is in fact contributing to the gun violence epidemic.

4/21/21--This week, there's good news surrounding the vaccine in Massachusetts. Saturday marked a happy milestone in that the state surpassed 2 million residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

In national news, all eyes were on Minneapolis Tuesday night when a verdict came down on the Derek Chauvin trial. Chauvin was convicted on all charges in the death of George Floyd. Massachusetts political figures have since been responding to the decision, including the six Boston mayoral candidates during a forum Tuesday night.

Jenn and Stephanie parse the candidates' responses during the forum to issues including racism, police accountability, the Boston Planning and Development Agency, affordable housing, and education.

Later, the hosts are joined by Boston Globe reporter Matt Stout, who wrote about a puzzling development upon an election that occurred more than a year ago. He explains why a former write-in candidate for the Republican state committeewoman is suing the Secretary of State's office.

4/14/21-- This week, there is a lot of #bospoli news to discuss, and it begins with the Boston Police Department. Acting Mayor Kim Janey on Tuesday named the executive director of Boston’s first Office of Police Accountability and Transparency. This comes as the department is reeling from two major scandals. Jenn and Stephanie discuss where things stand now, and what the future may hold the BPD.

Next, Steve Koczela has new data from a poll conducted by The MassINC Polling Group and sponsored by WBUR and The Dorchester Reporter. The poll asked Boston residents who they're voting for in the mayoral election, what issues are most important to them, and what they'd like to be done about the lack of affordable housing in the city.

Finally, we are joined by Nicole Calabrese, the leader of a ballot committee urging Wakefield residents to vote "no" on the question of whether to keep Wakefield Public Schools' current logo. The logo, which depicts an Indigenous person, has drawn debate for years. And recently, the rhetoric surrounding it has gotten so vitriolic as to polarize the town. Calabrese explains how things got so bad and what will happen next.

Full transcript here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-177-mayorals-for-spring-groundbreaking

4/7/21-- This week, Steve, Jennifer, and Stephanie discuss the #bospoli news that Acting Mayor of Boston Kim Janey is in fact running for full-term mayor. She made the announcement Tuesday morning, alongside the release of a campaign ad that speaks to Boston's long history of white male leaders as well as her promises to address issues such as housing and income inequality. She will have been mayor for eight months by the time the election rolls around, giving her a significant incumbency advantage over her peers also running for the office.

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And speaking of running for office, former state senator and once-co-host of The Horse Race Ben Downing stopped by the virtual bunker to discuss his officially campaign for Governor. The Democrat also recently released his climate plan that he says goes further than the recently passed legislation under the Baker administration.

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Finally, Stephanie asks pollster Steve and law scholar Jennifer about the recent Supreme Court decision that allows the use of auto-dialers to cell phones. The move significantly shifts the polling landscape and is a resolution that has come after a decade of litigation and millions of dollars spent.

Full transcript here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-176-born-to-be-dialed

3/31/21--After weeks of COVID cases on the decline in Massachusetts, data show that they are on the uptick. Not just here in the Bay State, but in states across the nation. This week CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said she felt a sense of "impending doom" and stressed the necessity for people to "hold on a little while longer."

In #mapoli news, state Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz has said she's "seriously considering" a run for governor in 2022, which brings Steve to take a look at the most recent approval ratings for Governor Baker out from Suffolk University and the Boston Globe. He explains the context behind the governor's high ratings.

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We're joined this week by two guests. Ally Jarmanning, senior reporter for WBUR, covered the recently published report out of Suffolk County that found not prosecuting low-level crimes led to less crime overall.

Then, State Director at Climate XChange for Massachusetts Tim Cronin stops by to break down the landmark climate bill that was just passed into law late last week.

3/24/21-- It's a momentous day in Boston as the city swore in its first non-white non-male mayor in Kim Janey. Stephanie Murray says it's "hard to overstate" just how historic the moment is, as Janey takes on the new role in a ceremony including Ayanna Pressley and Kimberly Budd who are Massachusetts history-makers as well.

Later, Stephanie and Steve are joined by outgoing mayor of Lynn, Tom McGee. McGee is one of eight Massachusetts mayors who won't be seeking re-election this year. The news comes as we enter the second year of the pandemic. McGee says the past three years have felt like 25. While he has no plans for the future, he's certain that stepping away from the mayor's office will not mean discontinuing his passion -- working to make change for the better of his community.

Full transcript here: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-174-mayor-may-not

Full transcript: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/episode-173-orange-you-glad-we-didnt-say-red-line

3/17/21-- Happy St. Paddy's Day, listeners! All three co-hosts are back in the virtual bunker, and there's a whole lot to discuss. The Baker administration announced Wednesday the timeline for all remaining groups to receive the vaccine. In not so pleasant news, the Orange Line derailed. Steve brings up the grim award the MBTA carries for ranking high on a list of transit systems with the most derailments.

We're joined this week by Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor who has announced she is exploring a run for Governor. She explains what she sees as the divided nature of the commonwealth and discusses her views on transit, the economy, and education.

Later, MassINC Polling Group Research Director Maeve Duggan stops by to break down the results of the latest MPG poll of parents of K-12 students in Massachusetts. According to the data, parents are split over whether the state should focus on getting all kids back into school full-time or work on improving remote school.

3/10/21--This week, Jenn and Stephanie discuss the Baker administration's announcement of a new vaccine preregistration system. The centralized tool allows people to preregister for a vaccine appointment in any of the state's seven mass vaccination sites.

Jenn is also keeping an eye on the continued tensions in state leadership, where, after a year of Governor Baker operating under a state of emergency, she describes an "active effort by a few state legislators to hem in Baker’s emergency power."

We're joined this International Women's Week by two excellent reporters. The first is CommonWealth Magazine's Sarah Betancourt, who broke a story surrounding a 2017 provision designed to increase women's access to birth control by allowing them to receive a 12-month supply all at once. Sarah discovered that very few people knew this provision existed, and when some women had tried to take advantage of it, they were often met with obstacles.

Later, Melissa Hanson of MassLIVE has been covering schools' reactions the announcement that Massachusetts elementary schools are to return to in-person learning on April 5. She details the Worcester Public School district's attempt to get a waiver to delay the full-time in-person transition.

3/3/21--Stephanie and Jenn regroup in the virtual pod bunker, starting the episode with a quick recap of a special election. Jeff Turco pulled off a victory in the 19th Suffolk district Democratic primary to replace Bob DeLeo. Stephanie breaks down the contributing factors to Turco's win, including the fallout from allegations of sexual misconduct aimed at then-candidate Tino Capobianco.

Later, the hosts are joined by a pair of student journalists who covered the COVID outbreak and breakdown at UMass Amherst at the beginning of the spring semester. Cassie McGrath and Will Katcher describe a scene in which thousands of students were welcomed back to campus without preparations in place prevent and/or treat a massive spike in COVID-19 cases. The fallout has left many students with a bad taste in their mouths and the university with an image to clean up.

2/24/21-- A year ago this week marks one of the last weeks before a state of emergency was declared in Massachusetts and self-isolation began. In that time, schools throughout the state have implemented remote learning for at least a portion, if not most of that time when the school year was in session. Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeff Riley on Tuesday called for elementary school students to return to in-person learning five days a week in April. Jenn and Stephanie discuss the implications for both students and teachers, who, as a category are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The hosts also discuss the new entry to the Boston mayoral race: state Senator and Boston Medical Center emergency room doctor Jon Santiago.

Finally, guests Tori Bedford of GBH and Lisa Kashinsky of the Boston Herald stop by the virtual bunker to share their coverage of the race to replace former House Speaker Bob DeLeo in the 19th Suffolk District. Allegations of sexual misconduct were made against candidate Valentino Capobianco on Tuesday, as reported by Tori. She and Lisa break down the ramifications of these allegations and the future of the race.

2/17/21-- The vaccine rollout continues here in Massachusetts, and while this week bring some good news -- the state now ranks 10th in the country in vaccinations per capita. Still, officials across the state are criticizing Charlie Baker's administration for its vaccine rollout thus far for a few reasons. It got off to a notoriously sluggish start, and the disparities in vaccination rates between racial groups indicate massive inequity in distribution, to name just two. Jennifer and Stephanie dig into the details of these issues and break down which officials had what to say about the Baker administration's rollout thus far.

Later, Sean Cotter of the Boston Herald drops by to discuss U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling stepping down from his post to make way for a Democratic appointee now that the Biden administration has begun. Cotter discusses what kind of legacy Lelling leaves behind, and what Massachusetts residents can expect to see change with the installation of a new top prosecutor.

2/10/20-- This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Stephanie bring you something a little different than the usual programming.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh sat through a Senate confirmation hearing last week as President Biden’s pick for Labor Secretary. It looks very likely that he will be confirmed. If that happens and the mayor leaves office before March 5, normally the rules say we would have to have a special election. But given that we are still in the middle of a pandemic and a mayoral election year already, the Boston City Council discussed a proposal to scrap the special election.

They sent a home rule petition cancelling the potential special up to the mayor, and so far it has not yet been filed in the legislature. The terms say that Council President Kim Janey would be acting mayor until the winner of the regularly scheduled November election is sworn in immediately after certification of the votes. Joining Jenn and Stephanie to talk about the city charter more broadly, special elections, the history of the home rule petition, and the run-up to the Boston municipal election is a panel of Boston experts-- City Councillor Lydia Edwards, Jon Hillman of Rivera Consulting, and Bill Forry, editor and publisher of the Dorchester Reporter.

2/3/21-- Steve, Jennifer, and Stephanie are back in the virtual bunker, each with a different opinion on this week's snowfall.

Vaccine rollout rolls on throughout the country, but unfortunately, Massachusetts doesn’t rank too highly in terms of distribution. Steve points to a comparison conducted by NPR which finds the Bay State ranking 37th for efficiency (proportion of doses administered to doses received) and 39th for percent of overall population that’s gotten at least one dose. There are also big disparities in terms of who’s getting the vaccine.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley called the distribution so far “vaccine redlining,” according to the Boston Herald, which pulled a statistic from the state Department of Public Health last week that found "Black people account for less than 3% of those who have received at least one vaccine dose in Massachusetts, while Hispanics were at 3.3%”

Steve also relays reporting from the Boston Globe that found many of the people who showed up and were first in line at a vaccination site in a Roxbury were white. Roxbury is a predominantly Black neighborhood. This is happening across the country, Steve points out. “The share of people who are getting vaccinations does not correspond with the racial makeup of that area’s population.”

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Later, state Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and Beth Huang of the Massachusetts Voter Table stop by to discuss this year's redistricting effort. Beth is a member of the Drawing Democracy Coalition which has asked the Massachusetts Senate President and House Speaker to appoint a Joint Committee on Redistricting that is racially and geographically representative.

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A new poll out from Gallup asked Massachusetts high schoolers about their experience learning during the pandemic. Unsurprisingly to Steve, who has conducted surveys on Massachusetts parents of K-12 students, remote and hybrid learning has had the worst impacts on students. Kids partaking in these models of learning are far less likely to say they learn a lot every day, as compared to kids learning in person full time. Social and emotional health has also declined among students learning at least part-time remote.

1/27/21-- It's a new week back in The Horse Race virtual bunker, but Jenn's laser focus on Boston matters has not wavered one bit. Be sure to tune in a couple weeks from now for a special episode covering the Boston City Charter, including a look at this year's special election debacle after Mayor Walsh left his post to join the Biden administration, leaving it open before his term ends.

This week, the Massachusetts vaccine rollout continues to receive criticism from various groups. Teachers pushed back on the Baker administration's decision to bump teachers back in the vaccine queue. Meanwhile, people trying to register newly eligible adults 75 and older for a vaccine appointment are reporting long wait times, difficulty navigating the website, and not enough vaccination location options.

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Boston Globe Senior Opinion writer Kimberly Atkins stops by to break down what she expects to see from the Massachusetts delegation under the new Biden administration. She anticipates seeing representatives and senators from the Bay State "being the forward face of a lot of policy and politics in the year ahead."

She discusses the possibility of filibuster elimination, but says, ultimately, "What most people in Massachusetts and beyond are concerned about is, can Congress get stuff done? They don’t need to eliminate the filibuster to do their jobs.”

1/21/2021-- This week, we bring you an all-transit episode of The Horse Race.

This is also the first episode under the new Biden administration, and we plan to publish an episode exploring what the new administration means for Massachusetts in the very near future.

For now, we jump into the news that state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack is departing to serve on the Federal Highway Administration. The development drew responses of praise and criticism on Pollack's job performance. Our guest and Executive Director of TransitMatters Jarred Johnson struck a balance between the two. On Thursday morning when the news broke, he tweeted that Pollack is, "one of the smartest and most talented transportation advocates this Commonwealth has ever seen," but also said, "You cannot change things from the inside when the inside is run by people who fundamentally disagree with your line of thinking."

He stops by The Horse Race to provide his take on the legacy Pollack leaves behind, beginning with the hope transportation advocates had when "one of their own" stepped into executive office, and the disappointment they ultimately felt when the transformative actions they sought didn't happen.

Later, MassINC Polling Group Research Director comes back on the pod to share new data on Gateway City transportation habits. The survey Rich conducted shows the biggest obstacle to transit ridership is, no surprise, fear of contracting COVID-19.

But as more and more people get vaccinated, presumably more people will start feeling more comfortable riding public transportation. And even though ridership is down now, a majority of Gateway City residents support major changes to public transit. Once the severity of the pandemic has subsided, such proposed changes could help make public transit options more attractive than driving. A majority of respondents said driving is their primary mode of transportation, citing reasons of safety, efficiency, reliability, and convenience.

1/13/21--The U.S. House Representatives moves to impeach President Donald Trump today. This comes after last week’s insurrection on the Capitol by rioters who were incited by Trump who has for months been spreading false claims of voter fraud during the presidential election that he lost.

State governments are preparing for the potential of more violent acts upon state capitols as we ramp up to Inauguration Day for President-elect Joe Biden. For Massachusetts’ part, Governor Baker has said there are currently no known threats with respect to any public buildings in the state.

One Massachusetts native headed to join up with Biden’s administration is Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. The announcement ends speculation on whether he would run for another mayoral term and cracks the race wide open.

Stephanie says she’s heard of at least a dozen potential candidates. Thats in addition to the two who’ve already announced their bid - City Councillors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell.

One of those on Stephanie’s shortlist of potential contenders is today’s guest, State Rep. and Boston Medical Center emergency room doctor Jon Santiago. The 9th Suffolk district lawmaker was recently vaccinated against COVID-19. He says he’s excited about the potential of the vaccine, and he aims to raise awareness to the public about the safety of the vaccine, especially among communities of color.

He describes the nationwide rollout of the vaccine thus far as “overpromised and underdelivered.”

“We have to get to herd immunity of 70-85 percent. We’re nowhere near that.” He says taking innovative approaches to getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible “is the only way we’re going to get out of this thing.”

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New data out today from The MassINC Polling Group illustrates how Massachusetts voters think about state budget priorities and state revenue sources. Steve coordinated the poll and sheds light on its major highlights, perhaps the major one being that voters have a long list of budget priorities for the state legislature.

Voters support funding of emergency services related to COVID, especially testing and vaccinations. This option got the most support with 63% saying they strongly supported it. Emergency paid sick time also received broad support, as did housing assistance, and funding to preserve public transportation.

A striking division splits the priorities of white voters from those of Black and Latino voters in some areas. For example, Black and Latino voters more often placed high priority on increasing opportunities for homeownership for low-income residents, providing aid to cities and towns, access to affordable childcare, and increasing state contracts with women- and minority-owned businesses.

But there are also major areas of agreement. Lowering the cost of healthcare is a priority for both white and non-white voters, as is K-12 education and increasing healthcare access.

1/7/21-- Steve, Jenn, and Stephanie are back in The Horse Race bunker, this time to rehash the unsettling events that took place Wednesday in D.C. when pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the Capitol building during a process to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory.

This comes after months of President Trump spouting false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election in which he lost. Rioters were propelled to mob the capitol after a Trump rally that day during which he egged on his crowd.

Stephanie called it “a stunning end to the Trump presidency,” but she also pointed out that a resounding sentiment circulating yesterday was that this attack wasn’t exactly surprising to anyone paying attention to what's been spoken about in partisan media and on social media.

She spoke with members of the Massachusetts delegation of Congress, all of whom had strong words for the attackers on the capitol and for Trump himself. All members have since called for impeachment or the invocation of the 25th Amendment to strip Trump of his presidential power.

Jenn and Steve weigh in on the health of our democracy at this point in time as well as the glaring difference between the mild police treatment of the largely white compared to that of Black Lives Matter protesters this summer that was markedly more aggressive.

Later in the show, we play an interview with State House News Service Reporter Katie Lannan that was recorded Wednesday before the insurrection played out in earnest. Katie explains what got accomplished on the last night of the Massachusetts legislative session Tuesday, and what is yet to be decided.

12/30/20-- Farewell, 2020! Can't say we'll miss you, but as you can tell from this week's episode, there were some fun moments after all. Please enjoy this end-of-year blooper reel, and we'll be back with new episodes on Massachusetts politics, policy, and elections in 2021!

12/23/20-- Happy Holidays, Horse Racers! We are guilty of claiming last week was our last episode of 2020, but as soon as we hit 'publish,' there was a major development in the Massachusetts legislature, so, we're back.

Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Bob DeLeo officially filed a disclosure Friday saying he's in talks with Northeastern University about a job there, meaning he could be leaving the post he's held for a record-breaking 12 years.

In looking ahead to who may fill DeLeo's position if he does in fact step down, many eyes are turning toward Quincy Rep. Ron Mariano, the house majority leader. Mariano says he has the votes to take DeLeo's seat if the moment comes. Stephanie says based on the conversations she's had with lawmakers and others on Beacon Hill, Mariano's takeover "feels like basically a done deal," and for many, it's felt like that for much longer than just the past two weeks.

Stephanie says a House of Representatives under Mariano's helm probably wouldn't function all too much differently than when DeLeo was in charge, given Mariano is DeLeo's top debuty. Rep. Russell Holmes of Mattapan by contrast has long taken issue with DeLeo's style of leadership, and announced his run for the speakership Friday.

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To wrap up the year and to gear up for holiday sessions, Jenn and Stephanie take a look at the most popular holiday foods eaten across the U.S. (and judge them accordingly). The fare is all over the map (literally) - from tamales to lasagna to non-fish seafood.

With that, we leave you to enjoy your holiday season. We'll be bringing you much more Horse Race content come 2021!

12/16/20-- This week, we are both celebrating a new development that is the first COVID-19 vaccinations making their way to U.S. citizens, as well as passing a grim milestone that is 300,000 deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19.

Here in Massachusetts, rates of community spread are still worryingly high, and several municipal leaders have decided to roll back reopening in their own cities further than what Gov. Charlie Baker's administration laid out. Some mayors are also calling for a relief aid package that would soften the blow of rolling back reopening on business owners and employees. Mayor Paul Brodeur of Melrose was one of several co-authors to write an op-ed in CommonWealth Magazine last week emphasizing the importance of restrictions and state and federal aid. He stopped by The Horse Race to talk through some of those points.

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It's never too early to look ahead to 2022, and this week saw the first announcement of someone considering a run for Charlie Baker's seat. Danielle Allen, a Harvard Professor, announced she's launched an exploratory committee to run as a Democrat. Baker may even have a primary challenger if former Republican state Senator Geoff Diehl runs, which, according to Stephanie, is a possibility.

12/9/20-- In keeping with baseless election fraud lawsuits happening around the country, Massachusetts political hopefuls have decided to join in the fun. A handful of unsuccessful GOP candidates for Congress and state office in Massachusetts are asking that a federal court overturn the 2020 election results in the state. The claim is that mail-in voting is unconstitutional, but the plaintiffs are not likely to be successful. Suits like these have already been shut down elsewhere in the country, and, Jenn points out, "The biggest hurdle they’re facing right now might just be that they they filed so late. They filed in December so the judge is very very unlikely to suddenly rule that we should throw out an election that happened in November.”

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This week brings sad and exciting news for Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the rates of COVID-19 infections are peaking, with wastewater data showing more community infections than we had in April. And while this week Gov. Charlie Baker announced rollbacks to the reopening plan, bringing the state to Phase 3, Step 1, the details of that plan have public health experts in the state pushing back on Baker. Dr. Ashish Jha, once a supporter of Baker's handling of the crisis, published a series of tweets condemning the governor's lack of more drastic action.

In brighter news, though, the governor did also roll out the plan for vaccine dissemination. The plan estimates the vaccine to be available to the general public in April to May.

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A new poll out from the Museum of Science and The MassINC Polling Group finds a vast majority of Massachusetts residents will take the vaccine, which is good news from a public health standpoint. There are, however, differences among demographic groups when it comes to skepticism around the vaccine and when they will be willing to take it. It is often wealthy, white groups who are the most likely to take the vaccine immediately after it becomes available to them. President of the Museum of Science Tim Ritchie stops by The Horse Race to talk about the implications of these breakdowns and what can be done to build up public trust in the scientific community.

12/3/20-- Steve and Jenn are back in the bunker after an atypical (but very 2020) Thanksgiving celebration. After a quick excoriation of the cast of characters on The Bachelorette, the hosts transition to a development on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Kimberly Budd was sworn in Monday as chief justice of the SJC, succeeding the late chief justice Ralph Gants. This makes her the first Black woman to lead the high court. Justice Dalila Wendlandt was confirmed as the first Latina justice on the Supreme Judicial Court. The composition of the state’s highest court looks to be historically diverse, with three jurists of color on the bench for the first time in its 328-year history.

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Other state developments include the movement of a police reform bill. After months of negotiation, the Massachusetts House and Senate sent a compromise bill to Governor Baker's desk for revision this week. MassLive reporter stopped by The Horse Race this week to walk through the many elements of the bill she describes as "massive." Central tenets include a ban on no-knock warrants when children and people 65 years old and older are home, a ban on facial recognition for government officials and agencies excluding the RMV, and the creation of a Police Officer Standards and Training system and database on officers, among others.

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The MassINC Polling Group released the results of a poll Wednesday that asked Massachusetts residents about proposed MBTA service cuts. In short, residents largely don't approve of the proposed cuts. About two-thirds of them oppose system-wide service cuts, and a roughly similar proportion would rather the State Legislature give the transit agency more funding to close its budget gap. President of The MassINC Polling Group and Horse Race host-turned-guest Tenacious Titan of Transportation Tracking, Steve Koczela runs through the numbers.

11/25/20-- Happy Thanksgiving Horse Race listeners! Get ready to talk turkey (and Jell-O?), but first, some #mapoli news.

Former Secretary of State and Senator from Massachusetts John Kerry was tapped to serve as a special presidential envoy for climate for the Biden administration.

“I’ve been kind of surprised at how little arguing there’s been about the Biden cabinet so far,” Stephanie Murray says. “His choices aren’t big leaders on the progressive side of the party, but progressives have expressed support for them.”

Steve points out this is a very traditional selection of cabinet picks, contrasting from the current makeup of the Trump administration, as Jenn describes, “a totally bonkers array of picks for people to be in charge of anything.”

Later, MassINC Polling Group Research Director Rich Parr stops by the virtual bunker this week to share some interesting trends he noticed in comparing statewide voting data from 2016 and 2020. While most of the state went deeper blue in 2020, and Biden received more votes than Hillary Clinton, there were a few places where this wasn't the case, and where Trump still lost, but where he got a higher percentage of the vote than in 2016.

Those places are cities: Boston, Fall River, New Bedford, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Worcester, Springfield and Holyoke, cities that have a significant Latino population, Rich says. "That tracks with something that people have been seeing in the county results nationally."

And to end on a festive note without excluding Steve's favorite topic (polling), the hosts talk turkey. The first comes from Dynata and looks at who plans to gather and with how many other people for Thanksgiving. Jenn points out that the Cape is expecting lots of people to gather together for the holiday, and the region is also experiencing relatively high infection rates.

Broken down by political party, the people most likely to eat Thanksgiving dinner with people outside their household are members of the Libertarian party, followed by Green Party members, Republicans, Independents, and Democrats.

As far as what Americans eat on Thanksgiving, the meals vary region to region. While New Englanders eat a surprising amount of fruit salad, the Midwest criminally consume, among other things, chicken and Jell-O on Thanksgiving. Our Midwestern representative Steve Koczela had no comment on the matter.

11/19/20-- With just a couple months until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, several #MApoli members are being eyed as potential cabinet members of his administration.

Stephanie has been cataloging them for the Politico Massachusetts Playbook, and she's got her eye particularly trained on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who is being pushed for Labor Secretary by the president of the AFL-CIO. Other potential Massachusetts-based picks include Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Attorney General Maura Healey, Gov. Charlie Baker, and Congressman Stephen Lynch.

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A new survey out from The MassINC Polling Group finds parents of K-12 students in Massachusetts anticipate negative impacts on their children due to a tumultuous start of the school year.

One of the first questions Steve wanted the poll to answer was simply, how are students being taught? It turns out, there's an even split between all remote and hybrid learning (46% each), while just 11% of students are attending school in person all the time.

There are significant demographic breakdowns in each of those categories, Steve explains. Black, Latino, and lower-income parents are far more likely to report fully remote school. Meanwhile, Catholic, private school, and high-income parents are more likely to have children attending school in-person.

Overall, around half (52%) of parents say the current school year is having a negative impact on their child in terms of academics. Similar numbers say the same of mental / emotional health as well as social / behavioral skills (both 49% negative).

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A report from the Massachusetts division of the U.S. Department of Justice alleges that conditions at the Massachusetts Department of Correction are unconstitutional. As Jenn explains, the MDOC could be in violation of the 8th Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, if there was "deliberate indifference” to the known risk of self harm and suicide by inmates.

The DOJ argues that a combination of the housing conditions and issues with those who are supposed to be tasked with monitoring and safekeeping prisoners with serious mental health issues created an extremely unsafe situation. The report recommends the DOC improve their monitoring of prisoners on mental health watch.

The DOC has less than 50 days to act. Otherwise, the DOJ can sue the state.

11/11/20--The hosts are off this week so please enjoy a BONUS episode of The Horse Race. It is an exploration of the rise in young adults battling mental health impacts of COVID-19, with a #MAPoli angle, of course.

11/4/20-- What was meant to be a post-election podcast this week is in fact not. As we release this on Wednesday evening, there are still ballots left to count and states that are too early to call. It's not yet clear who our president will be, nor which party will control the Senate.

As states scramble to count ballots, The Trump administration said it has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan to halt the counting of ballots there.

As Jenn explains, “Depending on the arguments [the Trump administration is] trying to make, they might be trying to argue for ballot counting in some states and no ballot counting in other states, so judges are probably going to be confused about this."

Still, she says, it might end up getting kicked all the way up to the Supreme Court anyway, where now 6 conservative justices now sit. Recall that just weeks ago, Amy Coney Barrett declined to commit to recusing herself in this very instance of disputed election results.

Stephanie chimes in, noting that. “Counting votes and access to voting, a democratic issue, has become really partisan.”

Steve takes it one step further. The GOP's attempts to stymie the momentum of mail-in ballots, which tend to skew democratic, like trying to slow the mail down, preventing counting until Election Day, and now straight-up not counting ballots that came in is “utterly outrageous, anti-democratic, and un-American," he says.

Here in Massachusetts, the general election for the U.S. Senate seat was not a close one. Incumbent Ed Markey bested GOP challenger Kevin O’Connor with 67% of the vote compared to O'Connor's 33% with two thirds of precincts reporting, according to the AP.

Jake Auchincloss defeated his Republican challenger Julie Hall to fill the District 4 U.S. House of Reps seat vacated by Joe Kennedy III. All the remaining members of the Massachusetts delegation kept their spots.

And on Beacon Hill, Democrats maintain their supermajority in the legislature.

Massachusetts voters decided on two ballot questions this election. Question 1, a "Right to Repair" law passed easily by a 3-to-1 margin. Unofficial results showed voters backing that measure 75 percent to 25 percent with about 83 percent of precincts reporting. With a roughly $50 million price tag, this is the most expensive ballot question campaign in MA history.

A majority of Massachusetts voters chose ‘no’ on Question 2, meaning ranked-choice voting will not appear in elections in 2022. Stephanie says this loss was frustrating to progressive democrats, especially since the Yes on 2 campaign was much more active than the No on 2 campaign, who Steve describes as “basically an OCPF filing and a Twitter account.”

Pollsters are getting beaten up on Twitter this election season much like 2016. Steve points out that while a lot is still unknown to determine polls' accuracy, "At some point, we pollsters have to acknowledge this is a problem. People are using things that we’re saying that aren’t correct and taking action based on that, so it’s having consequences.”

10/28/20-- In the run-up to the 2020 election, the drama of U.S. congressional races pretty much ended with the primaries. But, there's still news to be made this week, and Gov. Charlie Baker brought all eyes to Ballot Question 2 Tuesday when he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito issued a joint statement coming out against ranked-choice voting.

"At a time when we need to be promoting turnout and making it easier for voters to cast their ballots, we worry that question two will add an additional layer of complication for both voters and election officials, while potentially delaying results and increasing the cost of elections," the statement read.

The timing of the statement is interesting, Stephanie says, because it comes after roughly 1.7 million voters already cast their ballots in Massachusetts.

This is an instance where the issue has clearly become a partisan one in the weeks before the election. GOP candidate for Senate Kevin O'Connor came out against ranked-choice voting, as did the MassGOP, and now Baker and Politio. On the other side, Massachusetts Democrats Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Attorney General Maura Healey have all come out in favor of ranked-choice.

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Joining the hosts to discuss the national angle is friend of the pod Vicki McGrane, reporter from the Boston Globe. She recently wrote about the Democrats' chances of turning the Senate blue in 2020. Compared to January of this year, the common thinking around this probability has changed drastically. Back then, it was largely assumed Republicans had a slight edge over Democrat to hold on to their power. Now, McGrane says, there's been "an incredible shift." Democrats are now widely believed to take over the Senate majority thanks in large part to recent events.

"The president, and the pandemic, and everything that’s happened in this crazy year, George Floyd, has conspired to help Democrats really expand the map and be competitive in places like Kansas, Alaska, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina... it just goes on and on.”

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A new survey out from UMass Amherst and WCVB asked Massachusetts voters about their confidence in elections as well as their feelings about the potential for violence after the election. The results were troubling.

Seventy-nine percent of voters are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility of violence associated with the 2020 presidential election. Fifty-six percent of voters are at least somewhat confident that votes will be counted as voters intend this election.

10/22/20--With the 2020 election just days away, Jenn, Steve, and Stephanie have a lot to discuss. And that starts with a much needed recap of this week's cringe-inducing episode of The Bachelorette.

In even more unsettling news, the Trump administration has been administering an onslaught of attacks upon Dr. Fauci, the CDC, and the media. "It just doesn't make any sense, does it?" Steve asks.

Jenn thinks that while it doesn’t make sense to undermine health authorities’ guidance during a pandemic, the rhetoric makes sense for this administration whose stance has been consistent since the pandemic began, and the newest statements are “sadly predictable.” The administration attempting to discredit health experts is especially worrying now, as we are already experiencing national surges in cases, and the upcoming fall and winter might bring the highest number of cases yet.

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A statewide ban on evictions and foreclosures came to an end this Saturday, the fallout of which Jennifer Smith has been keeping a close eye on. As housing courts open up, Jenn says what government officials have been trying to remind everyone of is that the end of the moratorium "does not mean people can immediately kick you out of the house."

Still, it's an open question whether housing courts will be able to handle eviction cases if in fact a swell of them begins to appear, and “whether measures gov will put in place will be enough to stem that tide," Jenn says.

“We just don’t know how bad it’s going to be right now.”

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Early voting is in full swing in states across the country including Massachusetts. And MassINC Polling Group Research Director Rich Parr has been following data on early voting as it comes in from around the state. His first impressions are that, first of all, a lot of people are voting early. As of Tuesday, over a million people have returned their ballots and thus officially voted early for this election.

“If you compare it to 2016, overall it’s almost 30% of all the ballots cast in the 2016 election have already been cast in 2020.” Much like Rich’s findings in early voting data for the primary election this year, early voting is strongly concentrated in “a lot of the wealthier suburbs, kind of in the metro west part of the Boston area.” Rich names Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Sudbury, Natick and Wellesley, for example, or “well-off” towns with high levels of education as measured by the percentage of people who have a bachelor’s degree in the town.

With weeks to go before Election Day, Jenn points out, “People who are voting multiple weeks before election day are kind of voting on a slightly different race, theoretically.” Rich notes that while late-breaking news stories shifted polling percentages around quite a bit in the weeks leading up to Election Day in 2016, 2020 has been a different story. Biden’s maintained a rough average of an 8 to 10-point national lead over Trump for a while. “The character of this race has been much more stable than what we saw in 2016," he says.

10/14/20-- While Stephanie Murray could not make it on The Horse Race this week, she did not fail to bring us the content that really matters. By this of course we mean her Bachelorette recap complete with a #MApoli connection. The bachelor Stephanie had her eye on was, "Certified Harvard Guy" Bennet Jordan. She ran his name through the FEC database and nothing came up, but because he’s 36 - 37 years old, it means he likely crossed paths with a number of familiar #MApoli faces who were at Harvard University the same time as him. Can you figure out who they were?

And in actual #MApoli news, state budget season is a few months late this year due to COVID-19. Governor Charlie Baker submitted his annual budget in which he pulled from the emergency fund to cover the anticipated loss of revenue for this year. Jenn Smith notes, “There might be some interesting implications / kind of agonizing, frustrating implications if you start thinking a year out. What do you do if we have another year of this kind of loss in revenue?” Of course, Baker's proposal has yet to undergo a probably lengthy process of workshopping by the legislature before it is finalized.

Also happening this week are Senate hearings of Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett. So far, Jenn says, the process has been "interesting but predictable." Senate Democrats are pushing Barrett for answers on how she might rule on Roe v. Wade, the Affordable Care Act, and whether she'll recuse herself in the event of an election result dispute. Barrett has mostly refused to come down one way or another on any of these topics, taking the conventional route of vowing not to enter the Supreme Court with an agenda, and rather stick to the rule of law and decide cases as they come.

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A new Suffolk University / Boston Globe poll shows Joe Biden with a 10-point lead on Donald Trump in New Hampshire. This is notable for a couple reasons, one of which brings us back to 2016. During that election season, a conspiracy theory claiming hordes of Massachusetts voters illegally cast votes in New Hampshire for Hillary Clinton gained an outsize amount of attention. The theory was perpetuated by the president who claimed he would've secured the popular vote if not for the "voter fraud" in New Hampshire. The theory was unsurprisingly debunked, but, as Steve points out, with a much wider margin being shown so far in 2020, such conspiracy theories likely won't be given as much weight. Instead, Steve says, they'll be called out for what they are -- "quackery."

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GBH News Reporter Paul Singer stops by The Horse Race to discuss his recent coverage of Boston's failure to comply with ordinances on hiring diversity. As of 2017, most large public and private construction projects in the city are mandated to employ 51% Boston residents, 40% people of color and 12% women. Time and again, however, builders have not met these standards.

Singer explains that some subcontractors have shown "terrible performance" on hiring residents, people of color, and women. But, he says, "None of them ever get punished for it, and they still get rehired for the next job, so there’s no real consequence for blowing it off.”

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New measures to improve police accountability and transparency are in the works in Boston. Mayor Marty Walsh and Police Commissioner William Gross said Tuesday they plan to implement all recommendations from the city’s police reform task force that includes replacing the city’s community oversight panel with an independent office with expanded powers.

Sarah Betancourt of CommonWealth Magazine reported on this and joins The Horse Race hosts to talk about it. Along with the new independent oversight office, Walsh and Gross committed to adopting an expansion of the body cam program, greater enforcement of use of force policies, improving data collection, a new diversity unit, and better access for anyone who wants to get body cam footage.

10/8/20--Only a week has passed since Steve, Jenn, and Stephanie gathered in the virtual pod studio, but so much has changed.

Of course, President Trump's positive COVID-19 test rocked the country and world, and the administration's ever-changing reports on the timeline of Trump's infection have left Americans wondering when he was officially infected and who else (besides the at least 34 staffers who've been identified as COVID-positive) might have the contagion.

This fate is not entirely surprising, as Trump and his administration have repeatedly flouted guidance put forth by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the CDC, and the WHO, often refusing to wear masks and social distance. As Steve puts it, "It comes down to the contempt that they showed for the science behind it, contempt for truth, contempt for verifiable, scientific facts, the things that we all know about how to avoid the virus.”

It seems to Steve that the White House mentality has almost become "an article of faith," that the thinking goes something like, "'We have to pretend that this thing isn’t happening. We have to pretend that it doesn’t exist. And, what’s more, if you think it does and you’re going to wear a mask and act responsibly, then there’s something defective about you.’”

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate stops by The Horse Race to talk about why he's running against incumbent Ed Markey. He says he is "concerned about the tone of our politics," and feels that Markey is more focused on "polarization and posturing than getting things done for the American people."

In a state made up of voters who, for the most part, oppose Donald Trump, O'Connor says he wants to remain upfront about who he's voting for, and that's Trump. “I’m not wearing a MAGA hat, but I’m voting for the president," for reasons that he describes as economics, community safety, and foreign policy.

"The economic growth that we’ve experienced as of the end of 2019 was great. It was historic in that it extended to the bottom 20% of earners for the first time in about 40 years," O'Connor says.

O'Connor also believes that if Amy Coney-Barrett is approved as a Supreme Court justice, the Senate should move ahead with her confirmation. "I don't like what happened with Merrick Garland," he says, referring to 2016 when Republican senators in February blocked the Obama-nominated Garland from being confirmed before the 2016 election in November. O'Connor would like to set up a mandatory retirement age for justices to prevent unforeseen events that can't be planned for.

Finally, we look ahead to 2022 with news of an upcoming challenge to Gus Bickford, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. BIckford, a white man, will be contending with Bob Massie who has officially announced his candidacy, and likely with Mike Lake, who has not yet officially announced. Unless another candidate jumps in, the race will consist of three white men. Steve points to data collected exclusively at The Horse Race Data Analytics Headquarters showing that if either challenger were to win, they would be the second Michael or second Robert to hold this position.

“The leader at the top of the party doesn’t exactly reflect the changing makeup of the Democratic party," Stephanie says. Recent wins for the Democratic party in Massachusetts have largely been made by women and people of color.

10/1/20-- After the most chaotic and uncomfortable presidential debate the country has ever seen, Jennifer, Steve, and Stephanie gather in the virtual bunker to share their thoughts and reflect on the reactions of #mapoli members.

Jennifer said, “The president gave a lot of troubling answers on a lot of topics that are extremely consequential and dodged a lot of important questions.” Perhaps the most egregious was his refusal to openly condemn white supremacy.

Trump launched into “an uninterrupted rambling attack on the integrity of mail-in voting.” But, like Jenn says, it didn’t end there. “He wasn’t just attacking mail-in voting but one thing that a lot of people, I think reasonably, read into his comments about asking his supporters to watch people at the polls for fraud is that that also seems like an effort to get people to intimidate voters.”

Stephanie wasn’t surprised by this performance, saying, “If you’ve paid attention to his style over the past four years, a lot of this was pretty predictable.” The tone of the debate did not match the gravity of the situation we’re living in.

“It was frustrating to me that the organization in the debate was just these three men all interrupting each other and laughing nervously when things are just going so wrong.”

As the Commission on Presidential Debates announced they would put in place stronger regulations for the next Presidential debate to limit candidates running away with their responses and ignoring set guidelines, Steve wonders, what actually can be done? Well, hopefully something. Anything. “Yesterday was shameful all around, and it should not happen again,” Steve said.

Journalist Bill Shaner, author of the Worcester Sucks and I Love It blog stopped by The Horse Race to give the lowdown on what's happening in Central Massachusetts. An organization called Defund WPD is asking the Worcester City Council and and the Worcester City Manage to create a public database of police conduct records.

Bill explains, the group initially formed to put pressure on Worcester to lower the police department's budget. "They lost that battle really hard," he says. "Worcester City Council and City Manager sort of callously dismissed them.” Now, the group is still putting on pressure on the police department and the city.

New polling out of UMass Lowell shows how voters in three swing states are leaning five weeks before the presidential election. In New Hampshire, Biden's got a comfortable lead over Trump, while the candidates are locked in a dead heat in North Carolina, and Trump is ahead of Biden in Texas by a three-point margin.

9/24/20-- This month has proven to be a sad one for the courts both here in Massachusetts and nationally, with the passing of Justice Ralph Gants, and more recently, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Jenn, Steve, and Stephanie discuss the commonality between Governor Charlie Baker and President Donald Trump -- appointing a significant number of justices.

In Boston news, city councilor Andrea Campbell put an end to speculation today when she made the announcement that she is in fact running for mayor. That makes two female candidates running for the position. Mayor Marty Walsh has not yet declared whether he'll run for re-election. Dorchester expert Jenn Smith gives her take on how Campbell will likely position herself in the race if Walsh is to seek re-election.

As Americans wonder what will happen to the vacant Supreme Court Justice seat, many are concerned if a conservative justice is confirmed before the election, reproductive rights may be in jeopardy. Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of NARAL Pro Choice Massachusetts joins the show to talk about what's at stake for Massachusetts if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and she explains the renewed push by pro-choice activists around passing the ROE Act.

9/17/20-- This week brought news that Ralph Gants, the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court died suddenly at the age of 65. Gants was an advocate for racial justice, whose call for Harvard to explore racial inequities in the Massachusetts criminal justice system resulted in the publication of a report just last week.

As Stephanie and Jenn note, Governor Baker will appoint two justices to the bench this year, as Justice Barbara Lenk plans to retire in December. Once the appointments have been made, Baker will have been responsible for putting up every justice on the Supreme Court bench. The Boston Globe reports that the only other governor to have appointed an entire slate of justices was John Hancock, the first and third governor of Massachusetts.

In municipal news, Michelle Wu has officially announced her run for Boston Mayor, and Steve is armed with polling numbers illustrating Wu's favorability stacked against sitting Mayor Marty Walsh. Wu's popularity is lower than Walsh's, but Steve predicts younger voters could be extremely influential in this election, and their role could take shape in a similar fashion that unfolded in Ayanna Pressley's 2018 bid for Congress against incumbent Mike Capuano. Steve explains, younger people learned about Ayanna Pressley, became likely voters, and ultimately became her supporters.

Meanwhile on Beacon Hill, the legislative session continues beyond its traditional July 31st end date after legislators moved to extend it through the end of 2020. Even with extra time dedicated passing major legislation on health care, transportation, housing and more, lawmakers have yet to make notable progress just yet. BFF of the pod and State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan stops by the show and explains that even though major developments haven't been made yet, because the legislative session continues, "the hope is still alive" on several of these big-name bills.

Over in Western Massachusetts, Springfield City Councilors are making moves to the State House. Councilors Orlando Ramos and Adam Gomez are headed to the State House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, after winning their Democratic primary elections. Matt Szafranski, editor-in-chief of the Western Massachusetts Politics and Insight blog, says Springfield City Council is "now a viable political launchpad." Plus, Matt provides insight into the 2nd Hampden-Hampshire district, where a rematch is underway between sitting state Senator John Velis and challenger Republican John Cain.

9/9/20--The primary election is over in Massachusetts, and that usually means most of the drama has come to a close, as the most competitive races are done. But on Monday, an announcement from an unlikely source arose regarding a certain 2021 competition.

The Boston Globe reported Boston Mayor Marty Walsh saying City Councilor Michelle Wu called him to let him know she would be running for Mayor in the 2021 election. Wu herself has not yet confirmed, but Boston may very well be in for a busy election season. When Stephanie Murray spoke to City Councilor Julia Mejia about the news, Mejia predicted 5-6 mayoral candidates and 20 at-large candidates.

While we're still waiting on confirmation from Wu, Jennifer Smith points to her past two runs for City Council wherein she came out in the top two--indicating strong support from Boston voters. On the other hand, it's been more than 70 years since a mayor of Boston was ousted. As with Wu's run, there hasn't been confirmation that Mayor Walsh will run for re-election, the battle for Wu will be uphill.

And speaking of uphill battles, the MassGOP has its sights set on a few Congressional Districts in Massachusetts that they think may be vulnerable to swing Republican in the upcoming general election. Stephanie Murray says the MassGOP is eyeing the Massachusetts 4th and 9th districts, hoping the Democratic nominee Jake Auchincloss will fall to Julie Hall. Hall is attempting to paint Auchincloss as a socialist, though that message may have limited sticking power as Auchincloss was the moderate option among his progressive opponents for MA04. The Massachusetts 9th, which has a reputation of leaning the farthest right of all the state's congressional districts, will feature Republican Helen Brady facing off against incumbent Bill Keating.

9/3/20-- Tuesday was primary election day in Massachusetts, and history was made as more than 1.5 million ballots were cast, making this the busiest state primary election in 30 years, in terms of raw votes. The U.S. Senate race was itself historic, in that challenger Joe Kennedy III was defeated by incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, making JKIII the first Kennedy in the political dynasty to lose an election in Massachusetts. The outcome of the race aligned well with what recent polling suggested. Markey performed well in areas populated by white, affluent voters with high levels of education. Kennedy scored big in areas of low-income and minority voters. In fact, Jennifer Smith took a look at the results within majority Black communities in Boston, and found Markey “got pretty overwhelmed.” “On cursory examination, I couldn’t find a precinct of mostly Black residents that Markey actually won in Boston,” Jenn said. Steve, Jenn, and Stephanie run through the remaining Congressional District races. MA01 elected another incumbent, Rep. Richard Neal, who bested challenger Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse by 18 percentage points. In MA02, Rep. Jim McGovern (special guest on today’s episode) remained unchallenged by a fellow Democrat. In the third Congressional District, Rep. Lori Trahan also went unopposed, quite differently from MA04, where a crowded field of candidates narrowed down to two front-runners—Jesse Mermell and Jake Auchincloss—but the race is still too close to call. Rep. Katherine Clark ran unopposed in the Massachusetts 5th, and In MA06, incumbent Rep. Seth Moulton claimed victory over challengers Jamie Zahlaway Belsito and Angus McQuilken. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Bill Keating both ran unopposed in the 7th and 9th districts respectively, and challenger Robbie Goldstein was defeated by incumbent Rep. Stephen Lynch in the Massachusetts 8th. U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern stopped by The Horse Race to discuss his reactions to the primary results. His initial thoughts on the U.S. Senate race was that it was “fascinating,” and that Markey and Kennedy were “two really quality candidates.” McGovern said that primary challenges “are not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of us were uncomfortable with the Markey/Kennedy race because we liked them both, but Joe Kennedy felt he had a case to make.” Though Massachusetts did not share the bleak fate of New York in suffering weekslong delays in determining primary results, McGovern urges voters to have a plan for voting in the general election to limit mishaps as the USPS is sure to receive unprecedented numbers of mail-in ballots. “I never thought that was going to be a concern until Donald trump and his Postmaster General Mr. [Louis] DeJoy decided to screw around with the postal service.” As news of foreign interference in the 2020 election comes to the forefront, McGovern is unsurprised, calling Trump “corrupt” and emulating authoritarian leaders. The congressman would like to see more oversight on the executive branch, and while he said there are measures Congress can put in place to enforce oversight, voters can make a difference too. “There’s no substitute for electing people who have a spine.”

8/27/20--It's the final episode before the Sept. 1 primary election here in Massachusetts, and Steve, Stephanie, Jenn, and a special guest have a lot to talk about.

They begin with the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate. Horse Race co-host and Politico Massachusetts Playbook author Stephanie Murray has been covering it exhaustively. What stuck out to her in her coverage is that this race does not fall in line with the stereotypical narratives you tend to hear about primary races involving a long-time incumbent and younger challenger.

“In the most basic sense, Joe Kennedy is the insurgent outsider," Murray says. But, it's the sitting incumbent, Ed Markey, who's gotten outspoken support from younger, progressive voters. Plus, Kennedy's has establishment support (read: Speaker Pelosi endorsement), and, Murray says, "he's an expert at raising money," a description usually attributed to the incumbent.

The same could be said about the Republicans vying for the Senate seat, Steve Koczela says. The contest between Shiva Ayyadurai and Kevin O'Connor does not mirror the tension of the MassGOP, which is split between Trump loyalism and a more moderate Republicanism that Governor Charlie Baker represents. Both these contestants fall into the Trump brand of Republicanism, Steve explains. Where they differ is in their tone and rhetoric.

Jennifer Smith runs through the interesting state legislative primaries happening in the hub that could pave a new future of Boston politics, and MassINC Polling Group Research Director and The Horse Race's Western Mass Bureau Chief Rich Parr provides insight into the 5th Hampden District primary where three candidates vie for the seat vacated by House Rep. Aaron Vega.

8/20/20--It's the final day of the all-virtual Democratic National Convention. Joe Biden is officially the Democratic nominee for President, and guests this week join us to discuss the highs and lows.

First though, co-host and Politico Massachusetts Playbook author Stephanie Murray gives us the rundown on the U.S. congressional races heating up here in Massachusetts. In the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District where Congressman Richard Neal and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse debated publicly for the first time this week. Stephanie provides an overview of the accusations swirling around Morse and the College Democrats of Massachusetts. Challenger Robbie Goldstein faces off against incumbent Rep. Stephen Lynch in the 8th, and Congressman Seth Moulton is looking to defend his seat in the 6th district against Jamie Zahlaway Belsito and Angus McQuilken.

Wilnelia Rivera, President of Rivera Consulting, Katherine Adam, Vice President of Denterlein, and Alex Goldstein, CEO of Ninety West stopped by The Horse Race to offer their takes on the DNC as well as Democrats' response to the coronavirus crisis and its fallout on individuals' health and finances.

Rivera, who co-authored a chapter of the new book "TURNOUT! Mobilizing Voters in an Emergency" with Adam, said Democrats' strategy of targeting centrist voters is a flawed one. "If you actually look at what’s been happening since 2016 is that the partisan divide in this country has expanded and what that has done is actually shrunk that middle of independent voters."

Goldstein, who is behind the Faces of COVID Twitter account, sharing the stories of those who lost their lives to COVID-19, says it's important candidates show empathy and an understanding of the moment we're living in.

"Putting all the specific policy issues aside, 175,000 people are dead in this country because of a mismanaged public policy response to a pandemic."

8/13/20-- After much anticipation, Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden has officially announced his 2020 running mate: California Senator Kamala Harris. This is a historic selection in a number of ways. Harris is the first Black woman to be on a major party’s presidential ticket. And because Biden has said if he is elected in 2020 he would not run for a second term, Harris would be well-placed for a 2024 presidential run if events run that course. And, because there’s ALWAYS a Massachusetts connection, the announcement puts an end to speculation over who might fill Elizabeth Warren’s Senate seat if she were to become the Vice President. (Still much speculation to come if she’s selected for a cabinet position, though.)

Across the commonwealth, schools are deciding how to start the academic year. Different districts are choosing different plans. Some are beginning with all-remote learning, some with all in-person, and others with a hybrid approach.

Steve mentions one thing to keep an eye on is the economic impact of school reopenings. One sentiment he's been hearing is, "I will not be able to keep my job if I’m also expected to be home and if I’m expected to be supervising [my kids'] learning.”

As the primary election approaches and anxieties remain around voting in-person, a new survey from The MassINC Polling Group finds about 4 in 10 Massachusetts voters plan to vote by mail. Among those voters choosing the mail-in option, a stunning 85% of them plan to vote for Biden, with just 9% of them planning to vote for Trump. Election night this year is going to look different from every other election night in recent history, with tallies coming in later than we've come to expect. In Massachusetts, given this data split, we could see Biden's votes racking up much more slowly than Trump's come election night.

Sports teams are facing a hurdle as Major League Baseball is postponing scheduled games in response to the latest COVID-19 outbreak among its players. Meanwhile, basketball and hockey are happening, but in bubbles. MassINC Polling Group Research Director and Vice Admiral of Horse Race sports correspondents Maeve Duggan stops by to give her take on the future of sports in the age of coronavirus.

Maeve points to polling done by Seton Hall earlier this spring that found, for the most part, sports fans are not comfortable attending games in person until a vaccine is available. Plus, a series of Harris polls released this summer found a majority of Americans (58%) don't even think the MLB should be playing right now.

Maeve directs us to Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle, who said, “Sports are like the reward of a functioning society." To that, Maeve says, "Do we have a functioning society right now? I think many would argue no."

8/6/20-- It’s another week back in the virtual bunker for Jennifer, Stephanie, and Steve, and unfortunately this week Massachusetts reported an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases. On Tuesday, new cases rose by 438, which is the highest one-day increase since June 6.

This comes as schools continue to strategize their reopening plans, and some release them. Somerville Public Schools, for example, has announced its school year will begin with all-remote learning.

In Senate news, a Louisiana-based firm released a poll last week measuring support in the Ed Markey and Joe Kennedy III matchup. The data showed 44% of likely Democratic primary voters for Markey, 41% for Kennedy, and 16% undecided. This is a shift, as polling done early on showed Kennedy with a sizable lead. Steve says the margin between them plus the rate undecided voters means this is still anybody’s race.

The data show that Markey leads among voters under the age of 55, while Kennedy has more support from older voters. Among voters with at least a college degree, Markey leads, while Kennedy is supported by more voters with some or no college.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that this poll was light on non-college voters. 69% of those polled had at least a college degree. If that rate were lower, Markey’s lead might be as wide or even exist.

When it comes to results, Steve says, the turnout demographics are going to be key. “If turnout is very high among people with high levels of education and among younger people, that benefits Markey and vice versa would benefit Kennedy.”

In the crowded Massachusetts 4th congressional race to fill Congressman Kennedy’s empty seat, Ben Sigel decided to run because, he says, he was “sick and tired of seeing the divisions in our country.”

He was the seventh of nine candidates to enter the race and did so because he said none of the other candidates talked about coming together to solve big issues.

“We need to get back to the times of the Orrin Hatch, John McCain and Kennedy days where people knew that 80% on policy they disagreed with, but on the 20% that they agreed with, that’s what they worked on to make real change.”

He says one of the first things he wants to do upon entering congress is pass paid family and medical leave legislation, which, he says is a bipartisan issue.

Given the recent bumps in positive COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, Sigel calls for caution in continuing to reopen the state’s economy. He says decisions should be based on science. “[We] should probably slow things down and see how the next few days go, if we need to reverse the course that we’re at.” He also recommends schools begin the year with all-remote learning.

7/30/20--As election season bears down upon us all, applications for mail-in ballots should now have officially arrived at the residences of all registered Massachusetts voters. Biden said he will make his VP selection next week. Elizabeth Warren’s name has been bandied about as a potential pick, and if that ends up being the case, look out for what could be a very interesting special election.

A coalition of Black state legislative staffers are calling out the racist behavior they’ve witnessed in their workplaces and demanding reform. The staffers with the Beacon BLOC group on Wednesday wrote a letter to Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Spilka, and Secretary of State Bill Galvin outlining their demands.

As special guest co-host and State House News Service Reporter Katie Lannan describes, the group would like to see leadership "take steps that they say would make the State House a place that values and supports Black staffers.” As policy proposals aimed at systemic racism circulate through the chambers, the group addresses the idea that, as Katie puts it, “if you’re going to be talking about this stuff from a policy angle, you want to get there from a human resources angle as well.”

Strange happenings abound this week, beginning with an unusually early endorsement coming from The Boston Globe. The Globe endorsed incumbent Senator Ed Markey for re-election Tuesday. Markey’s up against U.S. Congressman Joe Kennedy III, whose team said the endorsement served as an effort to uphold the status quo for the paper’s “disproportionately white, well-off, well-educated readers.”

Politico Massachusetts Playbook author Stephanie Murray covered the development, and switches from her usual post as co-host to guest to weigh in. She says the campaign’s method of response backfired. “By choosing to respond to it in this way, it actually stretched coverage and conversation about the endorsement into another day.”

Speaking of endorsements, neither Kennedy nor Markey during this week’s debate were willing to endorse or disavow Governor Baker for re-election in 2022. Stephanie says, “To knock the popular governor right before the voters of Massachusetts are going to decide on you is kind of a tough spot to be in.” And popular he certainly is. The MassINC Polling Group finds 77% of Massachusetts voters hold a favorable view of Baker.

All is topsy turvy on Beacon Hill as the House votes to extend the legislative session beyond its July 31st deadline through the end of the year. Good thing The Horse Race is joined by state legislature expert and veteran State House News Reporter Katie Lannan to explain what this means for the high-priority policy proposals that have yet to be passed.

The purpose of the deadline itself, Katie explains, "is pretty much to insulate lawmaking from the campaign season, so you’re not campaigning by policy.”

“It serves as kind of the stopping point in election years in the second year of the session for major bills, things still get done after that point, but the controversial things are wrapped up before that point often at midnight on July 31st.”

The deadline has not been moved yet. So far, Senate has not voted on the measure. As to what the next five months will look like if the extension does go into effect, that’s unclear.

“This is really uncharted territory here,” Katie says. There have been suspensions allowing for more time for formal session in the past, but only in November in the first year of the term. To be doing it in July during a “weird and hectic campaign season” is new.

Major legislation that has yet to be decided, spanning topics from police accountability and racial justice to economic development to climate change to transportation. New MassINC Polling Group data finds voters are keen to see changes in transportation, and largely support new funds for that. Though political will for major transportation changes appears strong, exactly when legislation will pass remains a mystery.

7/23/20--While co-host Stephanie Murray is off for a much-deserved vacation this week, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith have plenty to talk about both in national and statewide politics and policy.

President Trump signed a memo on Wednesday instructing the Commerce Department to leave out unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. from the census report that determines distribution of Congressional seats. As Jenn points out, this is not the first time the Trump administration has attempted to tangle in the census process of counting all persons. Back in pre-COVID times, the Trump administration tried to put a question on the census asking about citizenship status.

We at The Horse Race have spent a lot of time covering COVID-era housing issues, because it's a basic human need that, as evidenced by data from The MassINC Polling Group, has become incredibly difficult for some Massachusetts residents to hold onto during this crisis. The statewide eviction and foreclosure moratorium was set to expire mid-August, and polling conducted in June found many renters and homeowners did not feel confident they could catch up on housing payments by that point. Governor Baker announced Tuesday that moratorium will be extended until October 17, protecting renters and homeowners from foreclosure and eviction at least until then.

Businesses across the state are hurting, regardless of their size. But new polling from The MassINC Polling finds that some factors make businesses much more vulnerable to hardship brought on by the pandemic, whether that's revenue loss or accessibility to aid. Very small businesses, for example, have not applied for PPP as often or received the full amount they applied for as larger businesses.

The industry in which the business resides also has a lot to do with if and to what capacity they're operating. Those that deal in a lot of in-person interactions like education and beauty businesses as well as bars and restaurants are more likely to be closed and less likely to be open completely.

Many small businesses are also women- and/or minority-owned. More than half of businesses owned by women and women of color reported revenue drops of half or more in the first half of 2020.

While Congress turns its attention to a second stimulus package, Boston Indicators is proposing a more permanent form of financial security in the shape of a guaranteed minimum income for lower-income Massachusetts families. This would be executed via reforms to the pre-existing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In the research report, Boston Indicators Director Luc Schuster, points to the systemic income inequities in Massachusetts, and says that given Massachusetts wealth as a state, it has the resources at its disposal to ultimately eliminate poverty. With the EITC as a foundation, Luc says, “It would be pretty easy to just build on top of that to make more categories of households eligible and increase the benefit.”

7/16/20-- This week in #mapoli coverage begins with a national news item with a Massachusetts connection. The Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a proposal to bar current international students from studying in the US if all their classes are taught online. They would have been asked to either transfer to institutions with at least one in person class or self-deport. This happened during a federal hearing of a lawsuit initiated by Harvard and MIT.

And speaking of lawsuits, the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office told news outlets that applications for mail-in ballots for registered primary voters in Massachusetts are being sent out. This comes after voting rights organizations sued Secretary Bill Galvin, saying he needed to mail the applications by July 15 regardless of the funding issues he had pointed to as reason for delay.

The Massachusetts Senate passed a police reform bill Tuesday that would ban chokeholds, limit the use of tear gas, and train law enforcement officers in the history of racism. The bill, if passed, would limit qualified immunity that protects officers from civil lawsuits. This aspect was the only notable point of contention in the Senate and has also upset police union leaders in Massachusetts.

Stephanie Murray provides an update on the news landscape here in Massachusetts that, like everywhere, was already suffering disinvestment before COVID hit, but the pandemic has only exacerbated conditions. News outlets across the state are suffering, and reporters are enduring furloughs and layoffs, leaving a smaller and smaller group of people to cover the fallout from a global crisis.

Steve Koczela presents snapshots of public opinion on one aspect of such fallout--how families are thinking about higher education int he midst of the pandemic. It turns out that while most (roughly three-quarters) of Massachusetts parents of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders say that their children's college plans have not changed, that leaves one-quarter of parents whose kids' plans have changed. Those who say their child will delay entry tend to be those who have been the most disadvantaged throughout the shutdown--families who lack sufficient devices and Internet connection, families who speak languages other than English at home, and families with lower incomes.

On a lighter note, Steve, Jennifer, and Stephanie, upon hearing of the city of Chicago's recently established Census Cowboy, decided Massachusetts could use a similar vigilante. They asked the good people of Twitter who would make a good Census Cowboy for the Bay State and were flooded with dozens of ingenious responses. The winner: a photoshopped Bill Weld, eating a turkey leg atop a horse, wearing a cowboy hat. We at The Horse Race believe we need that now more than ever.

7/8/20-- This week brings more news out of the Supreme Court where two decisions were made in favor of religious interests. Our in-house legal analyst Jennifer Smith breaks them both down.

Also this week, Governor Charlie Baker announced free, on-demand COVID-19 testing would become available to residents of 8 communities that have been hit especially hard by the disease.

Jon Hillman and Wilnelia Rivera of the Democratic consulting firm Rivera Consulting dropped by The Horse Race virtual bunker to talk vote by mail an dispel their predictions for the changing 2020 political landscape.

On the recently passed early voting and vote by mail legislation to be implemented here in Massachusetts, both Hillman and Rivera are bracing for impact, both doubtful that our state is adequately equipped for the change.

Hillman, a Senior Consultant and Researcher at the firm says of vote by mail, "There’s a lot of states that have been doing this for decades that it’s part of their political infrastructure, and to an extent they’re ready for this influx. In a state like Massachusetts, we don’t have a culture like that."

Rivera and Hillman stressed that vote by mail is overdue.

"We need to redistribute power on Beacon Hill, and vote by mail is a way to do that," Rivera says.

On the national front, Rivera sees Joe Biden's vice presidential pick as an important step in igniting an enthusiastic voting base. "We have to give the American electorate-- particularly the Black electorate-- the candidate that they're asking for. And that's a black woman."

The right vice presidential pick will be essential in building a movement, she says. Meanwhile, Biden "represents a tradition and stability of what the Democratic party has been, but [he] doesn't represent its future."

7/2/20--It’s almost the 4th of July, though if we’re going by the amount of fireworks set off, it’s been 4th of July for several weeks now.

There’s also reason for celebration because it’s Poll Release Day. Steve Koczela & co. at The MassINC Polling Group have new data on Massachusetts parents of K-12 students and their experiences with remote learning.

But first up, we bring you the latest headlines. Voting reform legislation is on the move after the Massachusetts House and Senate struck a deal this week. After the bill is expected to be voted through by both houses, it will go to the governor’s desk, where, if signed, the Secretary of State’s office would send all Massachusetts voters applications to request mail-in ballots. Voters would receive applications by July 15 for primary ballots and in September for general ballots.

As Stephanie Murray reported yesterday, Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders filed a bill to end qualified immunity. Qualified immunity is a judicial doctrine that bars police officers from being sued in their personal capacity when they violate someone’s constitutional rights. A version of the bill has been filed in the house by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Congressman Justin Amash.

Stephanie also notes Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders have been teaming up a lot lately, and she wonders if Sanders might endorse Markey some time during his re-election campaign.

In the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District, the field of candidates vying for Joe Kennedy’s vacant seat is busy. We spoke with yet another candidate in the race yesterday afternoon. Dave Cavell served in Governor Deval Patrick’s administration as well as President Obama’s, and he told the Horse Race hosts he’s running because….. “I thought we needed to bring real leadership and experience and integrity and professionalism to this work and to the federal government at a moment of real crisis for the country.” “This is the time for somebody who can not just vote the right way, but lead the right way.”

The District 4 race is still wide open. Polling shows 60% voters in the district are undecided. Cavell says winning is not determined by who raises the most money. He points to lessons he’s learned from his previous “bosses,” (Maura Healey, Deval Patrick, the Obamas). “Go everywhere and you meet everyone,” Cavell said. “And that’s the way that you win these races.”

Thanks to last week’s special guest, MassINC Polling Group Research Director, Maeve Duggan, we got a glimpse into data on Massachusetts parents of K-12 students, who were largely divided over school reopening plans.

This week, Steve Koczela brings us more findings on that polling, namely, parents’ experiences in terms of how their kids interacted with school was not at all homogeneous. Whether parents were asked how frequently their child participated in an online class, received personalized feedback, or had a one-on-one check in with a teacher, responses were all over the map. Check out the full slides at https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/2020/7/1/new-poll-of-k-12-parents-finds-remote-learning-has-taken-academic-emotional-toll

6/24/20--A state report was released today on the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home that was the site of a deadly coronavirus outbreak. 76 people, more than a third of the veterans residing at the home, died of COVID-19-related causes.

The report found that leadership at the state-run home made “substantial errors” that “likely contributed” to the death toll. Investigations from the Massachusetts Department of Justice and Attorney General Maura Healey will follow, and Governor Charlie Baker obtained an outside firm to do an independent review.

The report’s release prompted a resignation from the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services, Francisco Urena. This is one of several high-profile resignations from state organizations in recent years, following scandals at the state police, the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

As Stephanie Murray puts it, “this does seem to be some sort of trend where administration officials end up resigning amid really serious issues, but Charlie Baker’s popularity stays really high.”

A web-based initiative to model coronavirus data in the U.S., Covid Act Now, found that only 4 states are on track to contain the coronavirus: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Governors of three of those states — all but Charlie Baker — announced a travel advisory starting Thursday that “all individuals traveling from states with significant community spread” of the coronavirus into one of these states must quarantine for 14 days. anyone who doesn’t follow the advisory could be punished by way of a fine. Baker said MA would not be installing such a requirement, calling such an action “unconstitutional.”

Co-host and resident legal analyst Jennifer Smith calls this a weird and kind of thorny issue of constitutional law regarding the essential right to travel between states.” We want to hear from you listeners, should we delve into this further with a constitutional law segment next week?

Kentucky voters both hit the polls and mailed in ballots yesterday in a Democratic primary contest for Senate that’s garnered national attention. Amy McGrath leads Charles Booker in in-person vote totals, but mailed ballots are still being counted. Officials estimate a winner might not be announced until next week, when all votes are officially tallied. This trend might continue as vote by mail gains popularity, and we might not know who wins future primary and general elections, even the presidential election, on designated election days.

In #Veepstakes news, Sen. Amy Klobuchar this week withdraws her name from consideration as a potential VP pick, urging BIden to pick a woman of color. Variety floated Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley as an option.

New data from The MassINC Polling Group shows parents of school-age children are divided over plans for school reopenings. MPG Research Director Maeve Duggan shares the data with The Horse Race hosts. The biggest takeaway? “There’s no clear mandate from parents over what they would prefer, and a sizable portion of them are not confident that schools can reopen safely.”

Within that, there are divides by race, income, and geography “that we have come to expect when it comes to anything to do with impacts of the coronavirus.”

Maeve says the findings in this data support the narrative found in previous work done by MPG and other outlets, that "those who are less confident [about schools reopening], are the same groups that have borne both the health and the economic brunt of the coronavirus crisis."

6/19/20--As we near the official start of summer, Massachusetts continues with Phase 2 of its reopening plan, with malls and hotels open for business, as well as restaurants for outdoor dining and drinking.

No sign yet that Massachusetts will need to backtrack on the reopening, as state officials confirm downward trends continue on each of the four key coronavirus metrics they're tracking.

In Supreme Court news, three significant developments were made this week. LGBTQ workers were granted a historic victory when the Supreme Court ruled Monday that the federal law that bars sex discrimination in employment does apply to LGBTQ employees. In a decision that impacts Massachusetts gun laws in particular, justices turned down petitions from 10 challenges to state laws established to limit the availability and accessibility of some firearms and when they can be carried in public. Lastly, on Thursday, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's attempt to end DACA, finding this move unlawful. This decision keeps 640,000 people safe from deportation.

State Representative Liz Miranda stops by The Horse Race to discuss legislation she filed alongside Senator Cynthia Creem, An Act to Save Black Lives.

The bill, Miranda says, is designed "to really look at use of force guidelines, creating a duty to intervene."

It also bans dangerous police tactics such as chokeholds and the use of rubber bullets and tear gas. Independent oversight is called for in the bill, with Miranda naming the attorney general's office as a potential arbiter, saying that while some people turn to civilian review boards when police misconduct is committed, "I looked at the duty of the attorney general and said that there's a real opportunity here to have oversight come from that."

6/10/20-- New data from The MassINC Polling Group show that many Massachusetts renters and homeowners are struggling to make housing payments due to the financial burdens of the coronavirus crisis. MPG President Steve Koczela points to the key finding that people under the most economic strain during the pandemic are also much more likely to be in a household with COVID-19 themselves. Huge disparities exist between demographic groups in likelihood of missing a housing payment, and there is broad support among Massachusetts residents for housing policy proposals.

Juana Matias, COO of MassINC and former state Representative for the 16th Essex District of Massachusetts, shares data on race parity in our elected leadership as well as her experience running for the state House of Reps as well as U.S. Congress as a woman of color.

6/3/20--This week we're bringing you a slightly different version of The Horse Race, a one-on-one conversation between our host and former Dorchester Reporter news editor Jennifer Smith, and Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell.

Jenn and Councilor Campbell discuss the protests against systemic racism and police brutality that have broken out in cities all over the world, including Boston, in response to the death of George Floyd by the hands of law enforcement officers.

Campbell emphasizes the importance of civil disobedience -- "We know we wouldn't be where we are if folks didn't get out and march," -- but also the necessity to protect police officers -- "Police are people, too."

Campbell describes witnessing the many killings of black people by police, "tragic," but also sees this uprising of outrage as "an opportunity to finally implement all the ideas, the solutions that folks in communities of color have been pushing for decades."

Some of those ideas Campbell mentioned include diversifying public safety agencies, getting body cameras in every police unit, and making Boston's COOP board a civilian review board.

5/28/20--As Massachusetts businesses begin to reopen, how are residents thinking about their transportation options? New data from The MassINC Polling Group shows that residents are leery about utilizing transit options that involve proximity with others, such as buses and trains. Bay Staters are more amenable to the idea of using solo transportation modes -- walking, bicycling, and driving their own cars. With traffic congestion pre-pandemic already at a breaking point, could the next year bring forth a "carapocolypse" worse than anything we've seen before? Time will tell.

CommonWealth reporter Sarah Betancourt stops by The Horse Race to share her recent coverage on the state's unemployment insurance website. For months, the only two languages available on the website were English and Spanish, making it difficult if not impossible for non-English and Spanish speakers to navigate the site and file unemployment claims. This week, multiple new languages were added, weeks after the Governor's office had promised them.

5/21/20-- The coronavirus is leaving nothing untouched these days, and that includes our beloved horse racing. We mean that literally, as it was announced the Belmont Stakes, rescheduled and shortened for June 20, will serve as first leg of Triple Crown. No spectators allowed, for obvious reasons.

In #MAPoli news, Governor Baker released details this week about Massachusetts' reopening, leaving our hosts wondering how to maintain social distancing etiquette as more outings, albeit with restrictions, become available.

Horse Race co-host and Politico MA Playbook author Stephanie Murray has been keeping a close eye on the #Veepstakes, and runs us through the names that have been circulated as Joe Biden's potential running mate. That list includes Bay State Senator Elizabeth Warren. What could she uniquely contribute that other potential noms could not?

Finally, Tuesday's state Senate special elections resulted in 2 more districts turning from red to blue, putting Democrats in control of 90% of the Senate. MassGOP party chairman Jim Lyons said the party's strategy for November's state elections involves zeroing in on districts where Republicans have historically done well, State House News Service reported. Ultra-blue districts considered to be lost causes, meanwhile, will be largely ignored.

5/13/2020--We're back with another live edition of The Horse Race Happy Hour Livestream which you can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/massincpolling/live

We begin with Governor Baker's 4-phase reopening plan that illustrates a very basic roadmap of how businesses will begin to open up shop once again. Baker's plan, which he announced on Monday, is short on details and leaves business owners wondering what exactly is in store for them. No guidance has yet been provided in regard to non-business related social distancing measures among individuals.

The NBA was one of the first major sports organizations to suspend its season when the coronavirus pandemic became a serious threat in the United States, and while diehard sports fans are eager to see their teams play again, and the organization tries to navigate a path forward, one player is calling for patience and ensuring safety comes first.

Enes Kanter, center for the Boston Celtics, joined The Horse Race Livestream, sharing that he's one of those people who's used the extra time quarantine has granted all of us to actually engage in self-improvement. He's taken up cooking, reads often, watches documentaries, and plays piano, though, he admits, "My fingers are too big. I’m pushing the wrong buttons all the time."

While he's itching to get back out on the court, he emphasizes, "There’s something way bigger happening than basketball. There’s so many people out there losing their lives, losing their loved ones, losing their homes and businesses, so I feel like, let’s just focus on that right now. And then, I feel like, basketball will come later.”

Last week, WBUR released poll findings on Massachusetts nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle. Our own Steve Koczela of the MassINC Polling Group orchestrated the poll and shared some of the most notable findings. Despite roughly half of the nurses surveyed reporting their workplaces don't have sufficient personal protective equipment, a majority cited levels of morale as somewhat or very high. In looking at leadership during the crisis, an overwhelming majority of nurses approve of the job Governor Baker is doing. This rings true with the general population's approval of Baker as well.

5/7/20--On today's episode we're joined by special guest Irene Li, co-founder and owner of Mei Mei in Boston. She talks about the response to the coronavirus pandemic in the restaurant industry at large, and how things look for her eatery in particular. “We know that we are going to weather this thing, even though we don’t know what the other side will look like.”

Mei Mei is one of many Boston restaurants now selling groceries after the city made it legal two weeks ago. Consumers can pick up a variety of items that might be out of stock at grocery stores. Li says, “Sometimes somebody will come in just for dumplings and 4 rolls of toilet paper. Other times they’ll buy a $45 grocery box that has eggs and butter and different veggies, flour and yeast.”

The social distancing orders have put a strain on restaurants' bottoms lines and have forced Li and other owners to get creative. “It’s all about thinking about new ways to connect with our guests.” Like making Mei Mei's in-person dumpling-making classes into virtual ones, about which she says, “We are selling those tickets out faster than we can put them up on our website."

In case you missed it, Wednesday, May 6 marked the first day that mask-wearing became mandatory in the state of Massachusetts. Governor Baker's order applies to anyone "who is in a place open to the public in the Commonwealth, whether indoor or outdoor, and is unable or does not maintain a distance of approximately six feet from every other person."

We're looking at an extremely crowded field vying for the Massachusetts 4th District congressional seat. A ruling put forth last month by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court cut in half the number of signatures required to get on the primary ballot. As a result, a whopping 10 Democrats and 1 Republican have qualified for the primary.

4/29/20-- When Governor Charlie Baker announced the statewide stay-at-home advisory and non-essential business closure, the expiration date was set for May 4 - this Friday. But on Tuesday, Baker announced the order would remain in place until May 18. That’s another three weeks of closed businesses, remote work, and for many, lost jobs and wages. Even after a 3 week period in which hopefully the number of cases will begin to decline, people are skeptical that a May 18th reopening will in fact take place. After all, this is now the third end date for the stay-at-home and business closure order (April 7, May 4, May 18). So, when can we expect Massachusetts to reopen? As Stephanie Murray explains, Governor Baker often talks about “facts on the ground.” He’ll be looking for downward trends in hospitalizations, deaths, and new cases before making significant moves in reopening.

In other news, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced Monday the launch of a new program to test residents for coronavirus antibodies. Gov. Baker is lukewarm on using the tests statewide given that their accuracy has not yet been verified.“I think a test that up to a third of the time is wrong is not very helpful.”

In an effort to avoid the outcome of Wisconsin’s presidential primary election, wherein roughly 400,000 people went in person to the polls which resulted in at least 36 new cases of coronavirus, Massachusetts is making plans. Secretary of State Bill Galvin said he will announce in early May his plan to expand early voting and voting by mail. State Senator Cynthia Creem has proposed vote by mail legislation, as has our special guest, State Senator Becca Rausch. She’s calling for universal vote by mail. “That means it’s universal to the greatest possible extent for everybody in the Commonwealth who votes, and also automatic to the greatest possible extent.”

Under the legislation, everyone registered to vote would receive a ballot in the mail for the November general election, and everyone enrolled in a party would receive a ballot in the mail for the September primary. Those who are unenrolled would apply for the ballot of their choice.

The bill also mandates that poll workers be supplied with personal protective equipment, and that election day become a paid holiday.

4/22/2020-- In case you missed our Facebook Live Happy Hour show, you can watch the full thing here!

This week brought forward a handful of notable moments. Namely, President Trump said Tuesday he’s going to temporarily suspend immigration to the U.S., a move that we still don’t know a lot about. Meanwhile in Massachusetts, Governor Baker announced schools will remain closed in Massachusetts for the rest of the school year.

State House News reporter and BFF of the pod Katie Lannan drops into the virtual hangout to fill in the hosts on how the wheels of state government continue (slowly) to turn. Much of the legislation on Beacon Hill now is understandably COVID-19-focused, such as the housing bill that was passed this week. The bill puts a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions, providing temporary relief to the many who've lost jobs and wages as a result of the crisis.

Next, Dan Cence, CEO and Managing Partner of Solomon McCown & Cence breaks down a buzzword that's no doubt been circulating throughout many corporate conversations these days: crisis communications. Leaders in the midst of a moment like this must decide what to do and what to say to the people they're leading. As we've seen, the crisis communications of different mayors, governors, and national leaders has run the gamut. Cence provides insight into what sets some leaders apart when it comes to effective crisis communication.

Watch the video version here! https://youtu.be/s7Y8_LaonQI

4/15/20-- Impacts from the COVID-19 outbreak continue to be felt, as it claims more and more lives, axes the economy, and leaves everyone feeling at least a little uncertain and unsafe. The Trump administration and governors throughout the country have, since the beginning of the virus' spread, disagreed on how to respond. For the most part, though, governors have implemented aggressive actions in their own states that were often more sweeping than what the president installed. However, on Monday, Trump claimed during a press briefing that it was ultimately up to the president to decide when and how to reopen states. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo responded to the notion of the president overriding governors' decisions about reopening state economies, saying such an act would cause a "constitutional crisis." Cuomo announced Monday that the governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Delaware would work together in planning the reopening of the states' economies.

Once state economies do reopen, though, it's not as if everything will go back to normal. One potentially lasting effect of the coronavirus may be public transportation ridership in Massachusetts. According to WBUR, subway ridership is down 92.7% as of April 9, and bus ridership is down 78% compared to the week of Feb. 24 - Feb. 28. The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed an $18 billion transportation bond bill in the first week of March. Will political will remain as strong when we come out of our respective bunkers and hit the streets again? Or will people's lingering distrust of public spaces and communal surfaces discourage them from taking the T and lead them to rely on driving more than ever?

Getting ballot questions in front of voters is a long, expensive tasks that requires many, many signatures. Acquiring those signatures has traditionally required a bunch of in-person contact. Now that such an interaction is pretty much forbidden, how will ballot questions stand a chance of advancing? As it stands now, if the legislature neither dismisses nor signs into law the 4 initiative petitions before them, ballot question organizers will be required to gather 13,000 signatures by July 1st for their questions to make it to the ballot. George Cronin, managing director for Rasky Partners' public affairs practice, drops by The Horse Race to provide his expert analysis.

Watch the video version here! https://youtu.be/p0FdkUhexBM

4/8/20--Almost a month has passed since Governor Charlie Baker announced a state of emergency, and state officials expect the coming days (April 10-April 20) to produce the peak of coronavirus cases in Massachusetts.

As of Wednesday, confirmed cases in Massachusetts are up to 16,790, according to The Boston Globe. But the toll of coronavirus isn't hitting all demographics equally. Reports from cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit show that African Americans are experiencing disproportionate impacts from coronavirus. According to NBC, Chicago reported 70% of people who died from COVID-19 were black, though just 30% of their population is black. Similar disparities are appearing in Boston as well. Areas like Hyde Park, Mattapan, Dorchester, and East Boston that are home to large communities of color are experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 than other neighborhoods in Boston. Rep. Ayanna Pressley is calling for demographic data on COVID-19 illnesses including racial data to address disparities in communities of color.

Meanwhile out in Western Massachusetts, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz has recovered from COVID-19. He pops into The Horse Race’s virtual session to talk about how his city is managing a response. He says that the federal response was sluggish, and state-level actions didn't quite meet the level of aggression he felt they ought to. As a result, Narkewicz says, localities are finding their own footing on how best to adapt.

Horse Race pollster extraordinaire Steve Koczela provides an update on how Massachusetts residents are feeling as the outbreaks impacts continue to charge ahead. According to new data from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and The MassINC Polling Group, the physical, emotional, and fiscal health of residents is taking a hit. People--especially lower-income, hourly, and part-time workers-- are losing jobs or wages, dealing with the constant onslaught of frightening headlines, and--particularly urban dwellers--are exercising and getting outdoors less frequently now. On the upside, people are connecting (virtually) with loved ones now more than before.

Watch the video version here! https://youtu.be/tWItbjbzu-Y

4/1/20-- It’s been 11 days since Governor Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory to the people of Massachusetts, and today, he extended it from April 7th to May 4th. Since then he’s also asked that out-of-state visitors self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival to Massachusetts, or just don’t come here at all.

Within the stay-at-home advisory is the mandate that schools and non-essential businesses remain closed until May 4th. These orders have brought up the question of, what defines an essential business? The state deemed recreational marijuana shops non-essential, but liquor stores essential, for example.

The coronavirus pandemic’s impacts on our democracy keep coming, and the most recent example of that for Massachusetts elections was the cancellation of the Democratic National Convention. The convention, scheduled for May 30th in Lowell, was cancelled by party chairman Gus Bickford, and the convention endorsement effectively handed to incumbent Senator Ed Markey, facing challenger Joe Kennedy. Stephanie Murray clears up some of the confusion surrounding this news.

The anxiety surrounding the future of our economy feels inescapable. And according to polling from The MassINC Polling Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the impacts are taking a different toll on the various groups that make up the workforce here in Massachusetts. Younger workers tend to bear more of the brunt of the economic toll, resident pollster Steve Koczela explains.

Thank you very much to our listeners for their creative responses to the question, what is one thing you don't have in your quarantine bunker that you wish you did? Now, for this week's question: what's a new hobby you've picked up or an old one you've returned to as result of the long, quiet days?

3/25/20--It's another week of podcasting from our respective bunkers, and another week of coronavirus developments coming at us at breakneck speed. The impacts of the outbreak are even dipping into our elections even, exhibited by the moves to push back the March 31 special elections.

Governor Charlie Baker administered a stay-at-home order, shuttering all non-essential businesses. Will Bay Staters listen to the Governor's call? According to the newest poll put out by The MassINC Polling Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the majority probably will, as most residents have already been tamping down their social interactions and non-essential errands already.

Becky Walker Grossman is a Newton City Councillor running for Congress in the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District, and she joins Steve and Stephanie remotely to talk about her run. She says the outbreak has brought new significance to the issues that were important before all of this -- namely universal health care and access to childcare.

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3/18/20-- The spread of coronavirus has continued to ramp up across the state and the nation at large, and lots of people are switching to remote work. That includes us over at Horse Race Global Media HQ, so bear with us as we transition away from the comfort of our cozy podcast studio and wrangle with the technology that allows us to conduct interviews from a distance.

Our first guest is Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, who updates us on how the Council operations have changed, and what it's like trying to connect with constituents in a time when connecting in person is medically inadvisable, but people are concerned and have many questions for local leaders.

Next, Representative Jon Santiago serves the 9th Suffolk District of Massachusetts as both a member of the House of Representatives as well as an emergency room doctor for Boston Medical Center. He gives us a sense of what people -- both patients and fellow physicians -- are concerned about, as well as what policy ideas are circulating on the state and federal level to ensure the needs of our most vulnerable populations are met.

3/11/20-- This week on The Horse Race, we're celebrating International Women's Day with an all-female cast. We begin with the scary news of the ever-growing novel coronavirus that has now been officially dubbed a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Here in Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker has declared a state of emergency, and as Politico reporter Stephanie Murray can attest, candidates campaigning for office are taking measures to limit human contact and reduce risk.

WBUR reporter Zeninjor Enwemeka drops by talk about her recent coverage on the individual and state-level responses to the virus outbreak. Stores are suffering wipeouts of necessities like canned goods and toilet paper as consumers stock up for potential quarantine. But, she mentions, people she's spoken to are not exhibiting an attitude of panic, but rather an eagerness to be prepared. Meanwhile, the MBTA announced it will be cleaning and disinfecting its vehicles every four hours to tamp down on the spread of the contagious illness.

Next up, Nina Liang, Quincy City Council President and executive director of Emerge Massachusetts makes a reappearance on The Horse Race, this time to talk about the national and state climate surrounding women in politics. Elizabeth Warren supporters were vocal about feeling dejected when the Massachusetts senator declared her withdrawal from the presidential race, and many of them pointed to the issue of sexism and the constant nagging buzz in Warren's ear that she didn't possess electability, a critique that's been widely branded as sexist on its face. Liang talks about the future of women in politics and what Emerge, an organization dedicated to aiding Democratic women who want to run for office, is doing about it.

Finally, BFF of the pod and newly elected President of the Massachusetts State House Press Association Katie Lannan brings us an update on the new role as well as how the organization and the state legislature is doing in terms of gender parity.

3/5/20-- Super Tuesday has come and gone, and The Horse Race team is breaking down how it all unfolded. This week on our very special live edition, however, the Horse Racers were not the sole hosts! Gina Christo and Wilnelia Rivera of the Deep Democracy podcast served as special guest co-hosts, bringing insight and no shortage of hot takes to the conversation.

Later, Will Rasky of Rasky Partners joins the discussion. He serves as an advisor to Unite The Country, an independent expenditure group supporting Joe Biden, and had a few things to say about the wild ride that has been Biden's ranking in the Democratic primary.

2/26/20-- Super Tuesday is now less than a week away, and once those results are in (which we will be breaking down at our live podcast the following Wednesday--register at thehorseracepodcast.com), we will likely have a much better understanding of what the path to the nomination may look like. Our home state of Massachusetts is of course one of the 14 states participating in Super Tuesday, and Bernie Sanders is gunning for the 91 delegates the state has to offer. The Sanders campaign is putting on a 4-day music and canvassing festival known as Berniepalooza in Worcester starting Friday. Plus, Sanders rallies are set to take place in Springfield Friday and Boston Saturday. If Sanders is successful and wins the majority of Massachusetts delegates, that will leave a mark on home state Senator Elizabeth Warren's campaign.

Joining as a guest on The Horse Race today is member of the Boston Democratic Socialists of America, Beth Huang. Boston DSA backs candidate Bernie Sanders, and Huang recently co-wrote an article on the subject of a potential contested convention--something Sanders has been vocal about opposing. Her tweet accompanying the article reads, "We will primary every superdelegate and take mass direct action if the DNC steals the nomination from Bernie Sanders."

2/19/20--We're coming at you today sandwiched between two debate nights. The first was yesterday's face-off between U.S. Senate candidates Congressman Joe Kennedy III and incumbent Ed Markey, and tonight's is, of course, the Democratic Primary Debate on the Las Vegas stage, where candidates Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.

First, Jennifer and Stephanie recap last night's U.S. Senate debate hosted by WGBH. The two Democrats share most of the progressive views, and as Jenn noted, neither candidate voiced a succinct and definitive reason as to why he stands out in this race.

"Both of these folks have been doing their, sort of, press tour about why Markey thinks he should keep the seat and why Kennedy thinks he should get it, but they didn't, either of them, really seem to have a short, quick, clean answer even after all of this time," Jenn said.

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Laws mandating that mental health be treated with the same level of seriousness and coverage as physical health have been on the books for 20 years now. But state lawmakers are now calling out a lack of regulation that has kept mental health on the back burner for decades, leaving many people with mental illness struggling. And last week, the Senate passed the Mental Health ABC Act. Steve sat down with Senators Julian Cyr and Cindy Friedman, two of the people responsible for the bill.

Friedman said of the mental health parity laws that were first established 20 years ago, "I believe that the way that we enforced it was very general, and I think that what we saw is that it was just a lot of self-reporting."

With the new legislation, Friedman says, "What we've done is say, 'Okay, we're really serious.'"

Under the new bill, carriers would be responsible for reporting that they comply, and, as Friedman explains, "They have to show us, for instance, what the process is for determining whether a medical surgical benefit is covered versus what the process was for a similar mental health benefit."

Cyr has had his fair share of mental health struggles and said that outpatient mental health therapy has been helpful in both managing his anxiety and "in helping me do things I never dreamed I could."

Cyr himself has not been able to get consistent insurance coverage for his mental health care.

"I'm probably one of the most savvy consumers you can imagine. I'm a 34-year-old State Senator. I know how to navigate bureaucracies and systems," Cyr said. "If I can't do this, imagine how many other people in the Commonwealth can't get the care they need and deserve."

2/12/20-- The day we've been talking about for months has come and gone: The New Hampshire Primary. It presented few surprises if you've been paying attention for the past couple of weeks. Pete Buttigieg won the Iowa Caucus, and Bernie Sanders has enjoyed first-place polling status in the state. Sanders came out on top with 25.7% of the vote with Buttigieg right behind at 24.4%. Amy Klobuchar pulled out a startling third-place finish with 19.8% and six delegates. Neither Elizabeth Warren (finishing fourth) nor Joe Biden (fifth) who've previously enjoyed instances of high popularity this campaign won a single New Hampshire delegate.

Last week, after the release of new data from The MassINC Polling Group on Massachusetts residents' opinions on climate change , we talked a lot about net-zero carbon emissions. The goal of net-zero by 2050 is one shared by the Massachusetts Senate, House, and Executive Office. And during MPG's poll release event, Secretary Katie Theoharides of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs emphasized the importance of this science-based target. But we didn't delve into what exactly net-zero emissions by 2050 means nor what steps we can expect will be taken to get us there. For that, Steve spoke with Eugenia Gibbons, Policy Director for the Green Energy Consumers Alliance.

"We have to reduce those emissions as quickly as possible," Gibbons said. "The first way you do that is to try to eliminate the amount of emissions you're putting into the air through your human activity, but then net-zero is achieved when you allow for other strategies to absorb the remaining carbon from the atmosphere so you can get to a place where there's zero."

Steve brought up the debate swirling about whether to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, we should rely on existing sources of energy like natural gas as an interim step to ultimately get us to completely clean renewable energy.

"The science tells us where we need to be. and we don't have anymore time to waste," Gibbons responded. "We do need to stop investing in fossil fuel infrastructure, and we do need to be looking at ways to accelerate adoption of clean alternatives. And the longer we take to do that, the harder it's going to be to get to where we need to be."

2/3/20-- Earth Day is not for another two months, but there's a lot of talk circling climate change in Massachusetts these days. Steve and Jenn break it down today with special guests, but first, an incident involving national horse race polling broke over the weekend that we at The Horse Race have a duty to address.

A Des Moines Register / CNN poll surveying likely Democratic Iowa Caucus-goers was pulled before it was set for release Saturday night. According to Politico, a call center interviewer enlarged the question's font on their monitor, potentially cutting off some candidates' names in a randomized list following a question. Lis Smith, a senior adviser to Pete Buttigieg's campaign, announced the campaign had heard from a survey participant telling them not every candidate running was named when the interviewer asked who the participant supported.

The incident prompted an empathetic response from Steve, our resident pollster here on the pod and president of The MassINC Polling Group who called the news "sad."

"Polling involves dozens or even hundreds of things that you have to make sure are right, and they're all small things, and they're almost always all right because they're cut and paste from previous polls and that sort of thing. But something can go wrong, and something did go wrong here."

The most recent poll conducted by The MassINC Polling Group avoided that fate, luckily. And it sheds new light on how Massachusetts residents think about climate change. First and foremost, the statewide poll of roughly 2,300 Massachusetts residents found that a majority of them see climate change as a serious challenge and are already feeling its impacts.

There's a notable shift happening now in public opinion on climate change, which Steve can attest is rare. "On so many public opinion issues, it's just stable," he said. "The most visible example is Donald Trump's approval rating. This wild storm of stuff happening in national politics, and... nothing changes."

On the issue of global warming, however, this poll finds 53% of Massachusetts residents say it is a high priority. That's a jump from 32% as recently as 2014.

"This is one which reminds me more--potentially more-- of marijuana legalization opinion or same-sex marriage opinion where just inexorably over a period of years, stuff goes from one reality to a completely different reality."

Find the detailed report at massincpolling.com/the-topline.

Turning now to Beacon Hill, Steve and Jenn make their way to the State House to speak with Senate President Karen Spilka and Senator Mike Barrett about the trio of climate bills passed by the state Senate last week.

They include, among other things, the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, which, Sen. Barrett describes as, "a very ambitious goal." He said, "It puts Massachusetts right where the United Nations body wants the world to be, and in that sense we are offering world leadership."

Senate President Spilka said of the legislation, "We recognize that people across the state are asking us to take action, so we strengthen our goals and our requirements for down the line."

Plus, Spilka provides a look ahead at the Senate's next big priority: mental health.

1/29/20--Believe it or not, we are less than a week away from the Iowa caucuses, and the podcast bunker is filled with anticipation. Especially because after Iowa comes New Hampshire, and after New Hampshire, Super Tuesday when we all get to exercise our right to vote and revel in the democratic experience.

In other news, the impeachment trial continues, and we turn to our very own pollster Steve Koczela to break down what voters think about whether Senators should call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify during the trial. This comes after revelations that a book manuscript written by Bolton contains evidence that would incriminate the President.

Stephanie Murray has just returned from New Hampshire, where she covered an Elizabeth Warren canvassing event and met campaign surrogates who connected with Warren after being victimized by the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. They shared their story with Stephanie.

Finally, we turn to the most vocal advocate for an east-west rail link, State Senator Eric Lesser, whose high hopes for the potential project include improving the congestion crisis in Eastern Massachusetts and stimulating the economy in Western Massachusetts.

1/23/20--On Tuesday night, Governor Charlie Baker delivered his annual State of the Commmonwealth address, promising aggressive action to address climate change, a partnership with vocational schools and, in a breakaway from his usual stance, additional funding for the MBTA to the tune of $135 million.

Stepping right into the chaos of Budget Day, Steve and Jenn drop by the State House to grill reporter and BFF of the pod Katie Lannan about what's inside the proposed state budget.

Later, Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, discusses the status of the ROE Act as well as the national threats to the landmark reproductive rights decision Roe v. Wade, which celebrates its 47th anniversary this week.

1/15/20--Tuesday's Democratic debate left Steve and Stephanie with little to discuss save a symbolic handshake snub that points to a breakdown of the Warren/Sanders alliance. The pact between the two Senators had previously established a no-attack zone. But news broke Monday that the Sanders campaign allegedly dispensed a canvassing script to staffers containing talking points that were negative toward Warren. She made a statement later that day claiming Sanders had said in a private meeting in 2018 he didn't think a woman could win the presidency. Two days later, tension was palpable between the two, not just during the debate, but afterward, as seen by an attempted handshake from Sanders to Warren, which she ignored. The gloves are off, and these ungloved hands are not shaking.

This week's Horse Race guests tackle the thing all of us (who are eligible) will be doing come November: voting! With just weeks until the New Hampshire primary, one Massachusetts-based group is focused on getting Independent voters in the Granite state to vote blue. The group, known as the Welcome Party, it partners with a local Democratic political incubator called the Blue Lab. Scott Ferson, founder of The Blue Lab, drops by The Horse Race. He says the purpose of the group is to engage Independent New Hampshire voters to vote in the primary, which he says, will make them more likely to vote in the general.

Next, Evan Falchuk of Voter Choice Massachusetts gives us his take on why Ranked-Choice Voting is the right choice for the Commonwealth. Come November, voters in the state will vote on a ballot question to determine whether to implement RCV. Falchuk argues that people winning elections without a majority, as is happening in our current system, isn't fair. He points to 2018's 3rd Congressional District election as an example, when the winner received 22 percent of the vote.

And finally, it's trivia time! Now that the new crop of city councilors and select board members are sworn in and active across the state, we have to ask. Who was the youngest person ever elected to the Boston City Council?

1/8/2020-- After a long winter's nap, The Horse Race is back up and running, starting the new year with a bang. The first guest of 2020 is former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Deval Patrick.

Patrick announced his candidacy this November, long after his fellow contenders, throwing his hat into the already crowded ring in a self-described 'long shot' of a campaign. He explained on the show he was ready to make this very announcement more than a year ago. Shortly before he intended to break the news, however, his wife Diane was diagnosed with cancer. Today, she is cancer-free, and Patrick spots a void among Democratic contenders that he thinks he can fill. He describes President Trump as divisive and says, "I am concerned that some of the Democratic candidates are offering a Democratic version of the same thing rather than seeing this as an opportunity to unite us around solutions to common challenges."

Turning to transportation in Massachusetts, Patrick's calls for new revenue echo those he made back during his own 2007-2015 administration. "The T has needed significant investment to be a 21st century T for a long time, and we've been making that point and have made it twice." He cites his attempts to generate new revenue, beginning with his 2009 proposal to raise the gas tax that was swiftly shot down by the legislature. Patrick then pushed for new revenue through means other than a gas tax, and finally in 2013, vetoed a transportation funding package because he thought the gas tax increase included in it was too low. This veto was overruled by a House vote, and the gas tax went into effect, but the law mandating automatic adjustments according to inflation was repealed by voters via a 2014 ballot measure. Had the law remained in place, this would have allowed for annual increases to the gas tax. Instead, it's remained at 24 cents per gallon since 2013.

"No amount of reorganization is going to deliver a 21st century T," Patrick said. "It is going to require significant new investment."

12/18/19-- The holidays are upon us here at The Horse Race (The Reindeer Race?), and we're wrapping up our last episode of the year, sticking on a bright, shiny bow, and presenting it to you. Thanks for listening in 2019!

We begin with the news of the day, and that of course, is the House vote on articles of impeachment. And, further from the limelight but relevant both to U.S. Congress and to us Bay Staters is news that the House Ethics Committee is conducting a further probe of Congresswoman Lori Trahan, whose compliance with campaign finance law came into question earlier this year upon discovery that her husband donated $300,000 to her 2018 campaign.

Looking to the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District, yet another candidate in the crowded field vying for this spot joins us on The Horse Race. Alan Khazei is an entrepreneur who co-founded the education non-profit City Year and ran for U.S. Senate twice (in 2010 and 2012). Now, he's in the midst of a campaign focused on issues of climate change, gun control, and national service.

Finally, Steve and Stephanie look ahead to 2020, predicting what may come to pass on both the national and state stages. From impeachment to transportation funding to housing choice legislation, there's a lot to watch unfold (or fall flat) next year. We hope you'll join us as we break it all down.

12/11/19--It's a big day for polls here at The Horse Race, and we begin the discussion with one that surveyed New Hampshire voters on the Democratic primary contenders. It finds Pete Buttigieg in the lead among registered voters in the state with 18% support. Meanwhile, Joe Biden sits at a close second place with 17%. As Steve points out, it's important to note how close this race remains. The top 4 contenders rank within 6 percentage points of each other in this early primary contest. Plus, there's still much to be determined as about 1 in 5 likely voters haven't yet made up their mind.

Turning now--as we are wont to do--to transportation, Boston Globe reporter Adam Vaccaro stops by to run through the safety report on the MBTA conducted by an independent panel of experts. Here's the major takeaway: things are bad. In the agency's efforts to expedite long-term capital improvements, a focus on keeping up with daily operations is falling by the wayside. And safety, as a result, is being sacrificed.

The MassINC Polling Group Research Director Rich Parr rounds out the show with a look at a regional poll focused on the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI). TCI is a collaborative effort between 12 states and the District of Columbia currently developing a policy to cap carbon pollution from transportation and invest in transportation improvements. The poll finds that the initiative enjoys broad support among registered voters in the seven largest states at the TCI table: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

12/4/2019--The first snowfall has officially landed in Boston, which means cozy sweaters, romantic tree lightings, and of course, more MBTA dysfunction.

In other news, the People's Pledge is making a reappearance after its first installation during the 2012 Elizabeth Warren/Scott Brown Senate race. The pact aims to limit outside spending. While Senate candidates Joe Kennedy and Shannon Liss-Riordan signed the pledge on Monday, incumbent Ed Markey proposed a pledge of his own that stipulates outside spending dedicated to "positive messages" should not be limited. He pointed to groups like climate activists and reproductive rights organizations who he thinks should be allowed to spend for a campaign.

Controversy is bubbling up in the wake of a scheduling decision regarding special elections. The date set for the special elections of four legislators (whose seats were vacated by now mayors) has been set for the same day as the presidential primary. Because the primary will inherently draw out droves of Democrats, the move to also schedule special elections on that date elicits the question of fairness.

Two candidates running for the Massachusetts 4th Congressional seat joined as guests on The Horse Race today. First is Jesse Mermell. She's the former president of Alliance for Business Leadership, worked as communications director during Deval Patrick's governorship and served as Vice President of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. She says she's running for Congress because, "The people and places that we love and the progress that's so vital to the future of this country are under attack, and I think that the people of the 4th Congressional district deserve a Congresswoman --a Congresswoman-- who won't just fight back against the hate and the backwards thinking that's coming out of the White House but will also fight for the future that we all deserve." When asked what makes her stand out in this crowded field of six candidates, Mermell says, "These aren't just policies that I hold as a Progressive, these aren't just values that I espouse to, it's work that I've done over 20 years."

Ihssane Leckey was the first to announce her candidacy for the MA4 seat, doing so even before Kennedy resigned, as a challenge to him. She's confident she brings a unique perspective to the field of candidates as a sex abuse survivor, immigrant, and former Wall Street regulator, and was motivated to run after Trump's election. She told The Horse Race, "Once Trump was elected, my identities have been attacked on so many different levels." She's also troubled by what she sees as irresponsibility by the Trump administration in an economic context. "So, when recessions happen what is going to happen now if these big banks were affected? Are they going to be able to bail themselves out? The answer right now, is probably not, because I saw how the Trump administration had started to take away any protection that I worked on putting in place for our people," Leckey says.

11/27/19--Happy Thanksgiving, #mapoli! In today's holiday bonus episode, Stephanie Murray calls in from Manchester, New Hampshire with a quick recap of Deval Patrick's appearance at Politics and Eggs. What questions did reporters have? Is he covering enough ground to make a name for himself in this race? Enjoy this small bite of political coverage while you enjoy many, many bites of turkey and stuffing. We'll be back next week with a new episode. See you then.

11/20/19-- If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times. Traffic in Boston is bad. As we've mentioned on the show before, it's so bad, it makes commuters consider quitting their jobs or moving elsewhere. This week, the Boston Globe's Spotlight team published the first two installments of its three-part series on traffic in Massachusetts. Regular host and this-time guest Steve Koczela joins Stephanie and Jennifer to talk about the Globe's findings. Notably, the team of writers and researchers surveyed all 206 state elected officials. A little over half responded, and only 5 reported having transit passes. Presumably, the rest of them are driving. Steve pointed out that in the MassINC Polling Group's years asking folks about transportation, the Globe series reflects what his team's been hearing from surveys and focus groups - sense of alarm and frustration. In MPG's most recent poll, participants were asked whether they believed improvements should be made to the agencies that manage transportation before money is spent, or money should be spent immediately to improve transportation. By a 25-point margin, people prioritize the latter - in Steve's words, "People are done waiting."

Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell's two-year term is coming to an end, and she makes an appearance on The Horse Race to reflect on how the Council has changed under her tenure, and what work still lies ahead. Campbell says the most exciting thing she's been able to do as City Council President was to bring the council as an institution through racial equity training. In recent years, she says, the body has proven it can get stuff done and should be taken seriously. "I think people are seeing that this body has incredible power, even if it doesn't formally on paper have a lot of defined power." City Council members have exhibited their powers through the use of ordinances, and currently, Campbell is working on creating an office of Inspector General for the City of Boston through an ordinance.

As we mentioned in last week's show, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick is running for President. The former executive director of Governor Patrick’s political committee, Alex Goldstein, says it'll be an uphill battle for the candidate, given the pre-existing narratives built by the rest of the field. But, Goldstein says, given the current tumultuous political landscape, "I think people are ready to feel good for like ten minutes and to feel like there’s a reason to be empathetic and care about your neighbors again. And I don’t think there’s anybody who I’ve seen in politics who does a better job of capturing that than Deval Patrick.”

11/13/19-- Massachusetts elected officials -- both current and former -- just can't seem to resist the pull of the Presidency. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is running for the Democratic nomination for president, sources tell CNN. He's scheduled to officially announce on Friday. That will bring the tally to 3 Bay Staters who've competed in the 2020 race.

Perhaps these candidates feel emboldened by their history governing in in what's perceived a progressive state, but when it comes to fair and accurate representation, Massachusetts is in desperate need of some progress. According to a new MassINC study, the demographic and partisan makeup of the Massachusetts state legislature vastly underrepresents its electorate. In order to achieve balance, the legislature would need an additional 31 members of color, 47 female members, and 16 Republican members.

Ben Forman, co-author of the report and research director at MassINC, stopped by the podcast to provide an in-depth look at what the report covers. One of the stumbling blocks preventing equal representation is Massachusetts' lack of electoral competition. In fact, it ranks as the least competitive of all fifty states. One solution the report proposes is public financing, which requires candidates or parties to accept public funding in exchange for a promise to limit how much they spend and receive in donations. This is a measure, Forman says, Massachusetts voters "like." "They passed it by a very large majority, and the legislature didn't want to do it. Well, 20 years later, I think there's more awareness that that has had a cost in terms of female representation and people of color."

Low voter turnout is another symptom of Massachusetts' current system, and the report calls for synchronizing state and local elections to reduce election overload. The current system that requires voters to hit the polls frequently was designed to suppress voices of color, says Forman. "We moved municipal elections to off years, I think, intentionally, to lower turnout because people were concerned about too many people of color coming out to vote and changing communities. That's the history that we should acknowledge and call out."

11/6/19-- Communities scattered throughout Massachusetts held elections on Tuesday. One of those communities was Boston, whose newly elected City Council makes history as its most diverse yet, with 7 people of color and 8 women making up the majority of the 13-person council. The fourth-highest vote-getter among the at-large candidates, Julia Mejia, won her seat by a margin of only 10 votes, prompting fifth-place finisher Alejandra St. Guillen to call for a recount. Stephanie Murray noted, “10 votes could be a couple of absentee ballots; it could be a broken voting machine; it could also be one of those ballots where you vote for too many candidates and then your ballot gets thrown out altogether.”

Last month, reports revealed a Super PAC with close ties to Governor Charlie Baker raising money for local candidates across the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Majority Super PAC raised $1 million, and funded candidates like Monica Medeiros for Mayor of Melrose and Jennifer Nassour for Boston City Council, both these and other candidates supported by the PAC were endorsed by Baker. Boston Business Journal digital editor Gintautus Dumcius reported on this PAC, telling The Horse Race that it really got going in May 2019, when the split between then-recently elected MassGOP chairman Jim Lyons and Baker began to widen. Speaking about the MassGOP, Dumcius said, “Now that there is a top Trump person in charge in Jim Lyons, we’ve seen that break grow and grow, and it seems like this super PAC is trying to fill the gaps.

The 2012 Right to Repair ballot question passed into law the following year, and now, the coalition that proposed it is returning with a potential ballot question for 2020 that would update the current law. WBUR reports the law would include a provision mandating that, beginning in model year 2022, manufacturers that sell cars in Massachusetts be outfit them with a “standardized and open access platform” that would make data about the car’s performance available to the car owner as well as dealerships and independent repair shops. Conor Yunits is a spokesman for the Coalition for Safe and Secure Data, and he says the proposed bill would make drivers vulnerable to breaches of privacy. Yunits told The Horse Race if the bill were to pass, “That really exposes information to hackers, criminals, bad actors, foreign companies, anyone that’s looking to get real-time location data and other information on people that are driving their vehicles.”

10/30/19-- Happy Halloween, #mapoli, and welcome to the Headless Horse Race. Steve and Stephanie are donning their witch hats and digging into the latest news in the Commonwealth. We begin with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's endorsement of the former head of the Massachusetts Alliance for Business Leadership Jesse Mermell in the District 4 House race. Pressley’s endorsements have been the subject of national headlines, Stephanie points out. It wasn’t so long ago that Pressley was the recipient of a mere fraction of the high-profile endorsements that went to her competitor Mike Capuano, whom she beat handily. Does Pressley herself, then, illustrate that endorsements aren’t all that powerful?

Legislators today heard from the business community on how they think transportation should be funded. CommonWealth reports, before a legislative debate on transportation commences tomorrow, Jim Rooney, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, presented support for additional revenues. That included increasing ride-share fees, launching a transportation climate initiative, and even raising the gas tax. Couple that with Transportation for Massachusetts’ discussion today on what they believe are the right funding methods, and it’s clear that movement on transportation funding is coming. We’ll be talking about it as it takes shape, so stay tuned.

And in local news, Stephanie’s been following an attempted progressive takeover of Boston’s Ward 18. The Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale group is recruiting progressive candidates to run together as a slate, with the goal of making Ward members more representative demographically. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu is voicing support for this, and if progressives were to take over Ward 18, it’d be a significant boon for a potential Wu mayoral campaign.

The first guest on the pod today is Newton City Councilor and District 4 congressional candidate Jake Auchincloss. His platform includes a focus on transportation, insisting that, "the next Congressman from the Massachusetts 4th needs to bring back federal funding for Massachusetts transportation," and build more collaboration between state and local agencies with the help of those dollars.

Friend of the pod and CommonWealth Magazine reporter Andy Metzger drops by the bunker next to dispel wisdom alongside horse puns. House Speaker Robert DeLeo is seeking another term, he announced this week. In the past, he led the way to end term limits, but later pushed to get them abolished so that he could continue his position. He's already the longest continually serving Speaker, but according to Andy, not all House members take issue with his long-held leadership. "I think that members who are kind of backbenchers have been tired of Speaker DeLeo's style of leadership for quite some time, but members who chair committees or hold leadership posts, at least, they say they're not."

10/23/19-- On today's episode of The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve tackle news on the local, state, and national stage. Beginning with local, Jenn provides updates on the Boston City Council forum that took place last night, noting that one of the biggest points of daylight among the candidates were their responses to Operation Clean Sweep that took place back in August.

Upon the release of a WBUR poll that the MassINC Polling Group conducted, Steve takes us through the most notable results. The poll surveyed registered Massachusetts voters on a variety of topics, and some of the biggest takeaways were Commonwealth citizens mirroring the country in terms of their feelings on impeachment. Elizabeth Warren has a significant lead over her competitors in the presidential primary among Bay State voters, but her proposal for Medicare for All is less popular among Democratic voters in the state than a plan that would include a public option.

Also sounding off on the topic of health care is our guest Colin Young, reporter for the State House News Service. Colin covered Governor Charlie Baker's proposed bill that would require providers to increase spending on addiction services, behavioral health, primary care, and geriatric services, and he joins the Horse Race hosts to break down what the new bill would mean for health care consumers.

10/16/19--Steve and Stephanie have returned to the bunker after last week's live show at WeWork in Back Bay. Our guests, Attorney General Maura Healey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III had a lot to talk about, and today the hosts go over what stuck out to them.

Then, Boston City Councillor At-Large Michelle Wu stops by to talk about her big ideas, the most recent being her call to abolish the BPDA. Is this the answer to Boston's housing crisis, climate battle, and transportation tension?

Finally, we hear from Allyson Perron from the American Heart Association. She explains that while the AHA applauds Governor Baker's 4-month ban on vaping products after a rash of related illnesses and even deaths countrywide, there needs to be a more comprehensive, more permanent solution.

10/11/2019 -- We're doing it live! Thanks to our lovely hosts, WeWork on 31 St. James Ave. in Back Bay, Steve, Jenn, and Stephanie got to run through the state (and national) headlines in person with the fine company of Horse Race listeners.

But it wouldn't be a Horse Race without a lineup of special guests. First up was state Attorney General Maura Healey. She spoke about her activist approach to litigation, her partnership with other state AGs, and of course, the ongoing drama between her cohort of attorneys general and the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma who make OxyContin.

Then, it's time for the three hosts to turn to the most pressing issue on our nation's collective mind: impeachment. Jennifer, our legal analyst, leads the discussion. Stephanie shares the local angle, pointing out the members of the Massachusetts delegation who were the first to call for impeachment, and who were the last. And Steve runs the polling numbers on voters' positions on impeachment. We know they've changed, but how and why?

Finally, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III joins the hosts to shed some light on his decision to run for Senate. He responds to the criticism some have made that his running diverts precious resources from other critical races across the country, and emphasizes a need for structural changes to filibuster and gerrymandering.

10/2/19-- With so much happening on the state and national level, Stephanie and Jenn tackle a little bit of everything on this week's show. An impeachment inquiry into President Trump has officially begun, and as Stephanie points out, there's a local angle there. Rep. Richard Neal from Massachusetts' 1st District came out in favor of impeachment , becoming one of the last members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation to do so.

After last week's results of the Boston City Council preliminary election were revealed, MassINC Polling Group Research Director took a look at the elections data and produced comprehensive maps showing the geographic strengths and weaknesses of the candidates. He breaks it all down and predicts how the candidates moving forward will fare in the general come November.

Next, the hosts are joined by Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commissioner Shaleen Title who, to put it mildly, has been having a busy month. Governor Baker put forth a four-month statewide ban on all vaping products after a concerning number of vaping-related illnesses and deaths broke out. Baker said the ban will provide time to investigate the root of these effects, which is currently unknown. While the ban was placed in the name of safety, Title argues that a hasty move like this is in itself harmful, as consumers are likely to seek out the products they want on the illicit market.

Finally, Boston Globe reporter Milton Valencia visits the bunker once again to lay out what exactly is going on at the Boston Zoning Board. With bribery scandals abound, Milton puts into perspective how serious this particular controversy is, in light of those that have hit the city of Boston in recent months.

9/25/19--Welcome, one and all, to the 100th Episode Jubilee! This week features old friends of the pod as well as a brand-new visitor to the bunker.

First, Jamie Belsito is a first-time visitor to The Horse Race, making her case for why she's right for the 6th District House seat. She argues Seth Moulton has been too busy running for president and gunning for Nancy Pelosi to show up for his district.

Then, BFF of the pod and State House News reporter Katie Lannan drops by to break down the contents of the recently unveiled education funding bill and contextualize its importance. After all, the state legislature has tried and failed for many years to put together a comprehensive overhaul of the education funding formula.

Last but most certainly not least, we hear from co-founder and former host of The Horse Race, Lauren Dezenski. She gives Steve the 4-11 on what she's up to now and what she misses most about the old days.

9/18/19-- Fresh off the Massachusetts Democratic Convention, Steve and Stephanie have much to discuss. Stephanie covered the convention in Springfield for Politico, and there were a few things in particular that stood out to her. Namely, as pundits in Massachusetts and nationwide speculate on the implications of the potential Markey-Kennedy Senate matchup, there's someone already calling out the sitting Senator. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Brookline labor attorney and official candidate running for Markey's seat is "doing the work for" Kennedy, Stephanie says. On stage at the convention, she called to get corporate money out of Washington, a not-so-subtle jab at Markey.

Back on Beacon Hill, there's news coming from the Secretary of State's office, after Bill Galvin came out in support of an initiative petition that would effectively overhaul our primary elections system. Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service drops by to explain the situation, pointing out that while the proposed ballot question fell short of the Attorney General's constitutional review, that doesn't necessarily signal the end. If the lead sponsor successfully challenges the AG's decision, Massachusetts voters will be choosing whether to get rid of partisan primaries as we know them and instead install a system wherein the top two candidates in a race advance regardless of party.

Finally, reporting from The Horse Race Western Mass bureau is Rich Parr, who's witnessed concerted effort from disparate communities throughout the region who've joined forces to advocate for better, more expansive transit. Sen. Eric Lesser spoke at a forum last week where he emphasized the connection between a lack of transportation and a lack of economic opportunity. Meanwhile, pilot programs spell potential for Western Mass's transit future. This is all while Boston-area transit has remained relatively untouched by state lawmakers after a summer of chaos.

9/11/19-- A new week brings new polls to discuss. Last week, Steve and Stephanie spoke to the Chief Growth Officer at Change Research, which had published a poll finding Joe Kennedy III with a 17-point lead ahead of Ed Markey in the Senate race. Since then a Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll found Kennedy up by 14 points, confirming the substance of a poll that many considered to be an outlier. Steve explains why Kennedy is showing strength early on. Plus, WBUR released a poll this morning, this one on what their audience would like to hear candidates discuss.

Jenn and Steve are then joined by Ben Forman, MassINC Research Director who co-authored a study on fare equity in Massachusetts. As Ben explains, the wealthiest people in Massachusetts end up paying the least amount of money in transit fares, thus exacerbating the income inequality problem that is so pervasive in Massachusetts.

Later, good friend of the pod State Sen. Becca Rausch sits down to explain her recently filed bill that would standardize immunizations requirements in Massachusetts.

9/4/19-- It's post-Labor Day in The Horse Race bunker, which means post-Labor Day Breakfast, which means the hosts have much to discuss. Namely, Stephanie pointed out, the breakfast featured 'Kennedy for Senate' banners posted directly across from 'Markey for Senate' banners, illustrating a race that's sure to be tight IF Congressman Joe Kennedy decides to officially throw his hat in the ring.

Meanwhile in legislation news, a hearing was held in the Statehouse today on a proposed bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. State Sen. Brendan Crighton and Rep. Christine Barber drop by to explain what the bill entails, and what stood out to them during testimony.

A poll published by a newer polling company called Change Research came out this week. It showed Congressman Joe Kennedy III with a 17-point lead against Senator Ed Markey and drew skepticism from other pollsters. Chief Growth Officer of Change Research Pat Reilly joined via telephone to shed some light on Change's methods.

8/28/19-- New polls out this week rank Democratic presidential hopefuls, but one in particular stood out. Monmouth University published a poll showing a three-way tie for first place between former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Results from other major polling outfits, meanwhile, showed Biden in first place, as has been the case since the former vice president announced his candidacy. This set off a conversation among pollsters as to when you publish outliers versus when you suppress publication. Host and pollster Steve Koczela sounds off on his own experience as well as best practices.

2020 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Democratic primaries in U.S. Congressional races in Massachusetts history, as numerous primary challenges have been made upon incumbents. One such challenger, facing off against Rep. Richard Neal in District 1 is Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. He joins our hosts on The Horse Race to talk about why now is the right moment for him to run and potentially unseat a powerful longtime incumbent.

Immigrants living in the United States seeking medical care were delivered a devastating blow by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. In a letter, immigrants taking part in medical deferred action were informed they had just over 30 days to leave the country or else face deportation. For some families, the care they receive in the U.S. is not available to them in their home countries, and deportation could result in worsening sickness, or even death. Steph Solis of MassLive joins to discuss the situation and its potential outcomes.

8/21/19--A new co-hosting combo hits the bunker this week -- it's Steve and Stephanie breaking down the latest in Massachusetts. First up is a rundown of the very busy Massachusetts primaries. With all the announced challengers to Congressional incumbents (and undoubtedly more to come), Steve and Stephanie address the question: is the era of "wait your turn" in politics over?

The hosts are next joined by Janelle Nanos, a Boston Globe reporter who recently covered the plastic bag ban breakdown on Beacon Hill. A draft of legislation instituting a statewide ban on plastic bags got derailed when a second draft emerged, effectively weakening existing legislation in Massachusetts cities and towns that ban plastic bags and charge fees on paper bags.

Last but not least, friend of the pod Ben Downing stops by to talk about his most recent op-ed for Commonwealth Magazine, wherein he urges Democrats not to criticize Baker as a Trump/Pence-clone (a characterization Downing says is untrue and unfair), but to look at Baker's past five years as governor and demand more drastic action on the most dramatic issues in the state.

8/14/19--A new co-host joins us in the bunker this week. That's right, folks, Steve's on vacation and the Politico Massachusetts Playbook composer Stephanie Murray is busting up the joint.

She broke the story on the puzzling, anonymous live caller poll circling around the commonwealth a few weeks ago, pitting Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a hypothetical Senate race that Kennedy never announced he would entertain. There's news on that front as a group has emerged pushing for Kennedy to do just that. They did not say that they conducted the poll, only that they were "inspired" by it.

Then, it's time to talk about the ever-tenuous relationship between Governor Baker and the MassGOP. Tensions reached a high point when a disagreement broke out over who gets access to donor data. This all culminated in a postponement of a fundraiser, wherein MassGOP chair Jim Lyons and Baker were set to raise funds side by side.

Today's first guest is Boston Globe reporter Milton Valencia, who breaks down the recent events that haven't been kind to Boston Mayor Martin Walsh's administration -- namely, the verdict convicting two of his aides for extorting a concert promoter into hiring union labor, and the backlash surrounding Operation Clean Sweep.

Next, joining the hosts remotely is Jeff Gross, formerly of the MIRA Coalition, to discuss a budget provision aimed at increasing the number of physicians able to provide care for underserved communities. To do this, the commission will look at the extremely difficult process that foreign-trained medical professionals must undergo to obtain a license to practice in the United States. The goal is to make that process less obstructive so that more doctors can be licensed to work here in the commonwealth, and serve those communities needing physicians.

8/7/19--Gather round, folks, for a very special announcement. As co-host and Empress of Equine Exuberance Jennifer Smith trains her sights on a law degree, she will move from full-time co-host to part-time, meaning we are thrilled to announce a third member of the pod squad. This intrepid reporter is a good friend of the pod and has contributed countless elections updates as the Massachusetts political field moves and shakes. Please join us in welcoming Politico reporter and author of the Politico Massachusetts Playbook Stephanie Murray to The Horse Race!

While Stephanie is currently hard at work in Nashville at the National Conference of State Legislatures, Steve and Jenn have some news to discuss.

First, in the wake of two back-to-back mass shootings, Brookline attorney and U.S. Senate candidate Shannon Liss-Riordan called for the repeal of the 2nd Amendment. Historically, the idea of taking this measure has not received broad support nationally, though less drastic tactics such as background checks and assault weapons bans have been well supported.

Steve and Jenn's first guest is George Cronin of Rasky Partners, joining them to discuss the initiative petitions that have been filed with the Attorney General's office. They chat not only about what's on the table this year, but also whether ballot questions are an efficient strategy to making policy.

Finally, Kasia Hart and Tim Reardon of the Massachusetts Area Planning Council stop by to walk through their recent report on parking in metro Boston. They tackle whether building more parking de-incentivizes using public transit, and if the city actually even needs more of it, given that 30% of the parking they surveyed goes unused.

7/31/19-- Today on the podcast, Jenn and Steve unpack a mysterious phone survey facing off Rep. Joe Kennedy III and Sen. Ed Markey. It's unclear who sponsored it, but it does raise questions about if or when Kennedy may run for Senate. And, brace yourselves, but it's come to the hosts' attention that the legislature has not reauthorized horse racing and simulcasting. If no action is taken by tomorrow, the sport will be deemed illegal.

We are officially three debates deep into the Democratic primary, and Steve and Jenn are champing at the bit to discuss it the most recent. Joining them is Alex Goldstein, an alumnus of Deval Patrick's gubernatorial campaign and more recently, Ayanna Pressley's congressional campaign. This Dean of Debates lays out his analysis of the verbal joust, pointing out who made smart moves and who...didn't.

Finally, the conversation takes a turn for the green as Steve and Jenn welcome the policy & partnerships manager at the Climate Action Business Association, Tim Cronin. Cronin breaks down what legislation is being put forth at the state level to address climate change and answers the question, are we doing enough, quickly enough? Will Massachusetts get its very own Green New Deal?

7/24/19--It's Mueller Day! Does that phrase sound familiar? Probably because it's been thrown around once or twice in The Horse Race bunker already. Steve and Jenn pontificate on today's testimony, and discuss Massachusetts elected officials' positions on impeachment.

Next, Steve and Jenn welcome back a familiar face. Stephanie Murray, author of the Politico Massachusetts Playbook, brings the hosts up to speed on the most recently announced primary challengers to U.S. Congressmen from Massachusetts. Business executive, author, and inspirational speaker Steve Pemberton announced his run for Senate, joining Shannon Liss-Riordan as a challenger to sitting Senator Ed Markey. And Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is running against Congressman Richard Neal.

Lizzi Weyent of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council stops by to join Steve in celebration of the Massachusetts state budget. They talk decisions on transportation and education funding and Lizzi explains what she'd like to see change in future budgets.

7/17/2019--On this episode of The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve grapple with the unavoidable subject of the president’s racist comments aimed at freshmen members of congress Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley. Jenn, who covers part of Ayanna Pressley’s district as news editor for the Dorchester Reporter, touches on what the comments might mean for residents of this majority-minority district.

Steve runs through some new polling coming out of New Hampshire and California, showing presidential hopefuls Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris right on the heels of frontrunner Joe Biden.

Then, the hosts talk about the recent slew of threats placed on immigrants trying to enter the country as well as immigrants already living here. Joining them to discuss that is federal policy director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), Sarang Sekhavat.

Friend of the pod and State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski also makes an appearance at the bunker to break down the RMV’s lack of communication with other states about drivers’ license suspensions.

Finally, it’s trivia time. Do you know which two Beacon Hill public opinion polling outfits are the pollsters for major national media outlets? Tweet us your answer @The_HorseRace

7/10/19--This week's episode of The Horse Race takes a Seinfeldian twist in celebration of the sitcom's 30th birthday. Jenn presents two babkas --one cinnamon, one chocolate, in reference to that infamous bakery scene-- for our judges to taste and rate.

The fine culinary judges joining Steve and Jenn in the bunker also happen to be reporters well-versed in Massachusetts politics, policy and elections-- topics that conveniently happen to have their place in this podcast as well.

State House News Service reporter and longtime friend of the pod Katie Lannan stops by to lament the state legislature's painstaking progress on producing a budget. 10 days late and a dollar short, Massachusetts is still without a finalized budget for the fiscal year, making this the TENTH consecutive year of the state missing the deadline. Steve and Jenn want to know, what are the consequences of legislators taking their sweet-as-babka time in producing a final product?

Politico reporter and prime minister of primaries Stephanie Murray chats with Steve and Jenn about the newly announced challengers making a run at Congressman Seth Moulton's seat. In addition to these official challengers, Jamie Zahlaway Belsito and Salem City Councilor Lisa Peterson, there are several Massachusetts figures who have stated publicly that they'd consider running for that seat, begging the question: if Moulton's run for president is unsuccessful, should he be worried about his place in Congress?

7/3/2019-- In celebration of the Fourth of July, Steve and Jenn are celebrating their freedom far, far away from the bunker. They'll be back next week to talk Massachusetts politics, policy and elections, and until then, enjoy this compilation of slip-ups, swears, and snickers from the most professional podcast hosts to ever grace your feed.

6/26/2019-- Steve and Jenn are back in The Last Remaining Signal Bungalow in Boston, and first on the discussion topic list: debates. This week, 2 groups of Democratic presidential candidates, each group on their own night, will square off in a verbal jousting match. Steve and Jenn discuss how polls can move in response to primary debates.

Later, Andy Metzger, AKA Duke of Derailments and Master of MBTA Coverage joins the hosts to share Governor Baker's most recent comments regarding the state of the MBTA and what's being done to make improvements to the transit system that is rife with derailments, delays, and in one case, flames on the tracks.

Finally, writer for The Springfield Republican and MassLive.com Shira Schoenberg, explains the complex debate on Beacon Hill surrounding drug pricing, and whether consumers can expect to see sky-high drug prices come down any time soon.

6/19/2019--Another week, another conversation about the Red Line. Jenn has given up any and all expectations of trains showing up on time (or at all). She and Steve discuss the various responses by public officials about whether the slated July 1st MBTA rate hike should happen before the Red Line service improves. Mayor Marty Walsh says no.

Steve, who's been keeping an eye on the citizenship question for the 2020 Census, provides some updates, and Jenn sits down with Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz to discuss education funding and the status of the PROMISE Act.

Finally, MassINC Polling Group and Western Mass Bureau Chief Rich Parr chats with Senator Jo Comerford about representation diversity, transportation that extends beyond the Hub, and the ROE Act.

Think you know the answer to this week's trivia question? Tweet us your answer @The_HorseRace or send an email to thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com.

6/14/2019--It's your lucky day, #MAPoli. Steve and Jenn are bringing you an extra episode this week.

Jenn is surprisingly alive to tell the tale of her hellish commute on the Red Line after its meltdown earlier this week. This being the second derailment in as many days, it's safe to say that commuters are getting fed up. Local leaders are speaking up as well, and the MBTA is responding with a full investigation into the derailments. It also let passengers know to expect slower train times until fixes can be made.

On a lighter note, The Horse Race Live at the Races was a roaring good time, and the guests were spectacular. On Wednesday, you heard from Shannon Liss-Riordan, and today's episodes features our other guests, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards talking about the state of housing in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth. Plus, Anthony Amore, security director at the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, gave Steve and Jenn the lowdown on the tie between Suffolk Downs and that infamous art heist.

6/12/2019--Steve and Jenn are back in the studio, fresh from a weekend at the race track...literally. Sunday, June 9 was full of big hats, exciting races, and scintillating political conversation during our live show at Suffolk Downs.

The first guest to speak was Shannon Liss-Riordan, a labor attorney and Senate candidate who's announced her bid for Senator Ed Markey's seat. She joined Jenn and Steve at the track to talk about why she's running for this position now, and how her focus will differ from that of Markey.

Speaking of the Senate, Steve and Jenn discuss the latest Boston Globe/Suffolk University Poll surveying Massachusetts voters, specifically Markey's numbers, that depict a lukewarm response from those surveyed. His name recognition is relatively low, but he still has a significant leg up on challengers Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton.

6/5/2019--Come one, come all to our live show at Suffolk Downs! Eat, drink, gamble and be merry amongst fellow #MAPoli-interested folks. Register here! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-horse-race-live-at-the-races-tickets-60936755476?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to discuss her new Power of Us PAC.

Then, Rich Parr drops in to chat about our country's feelings toward impeaching the 45th President of the United States.

Last but not least, Andy Metzger of Commonwealth Magazine explains a new organization called Take Back Our Republic, centered on diminishing the role of money in politics and on pushing back against partisan gerrymandering of districts.

5/29/2019-- While drama abounds in our nation's capital, Steve and Jenn are squarely focused on state-level issues.

But first, they discuss exit polls with MassINC Polling Group Research Director Maeve Duggan. Exit polls have traditionally been the basis for understanding what happens on election night. Now, exit polls are evolving in a big way.

Jenn and Steve are then joined by Commonwealth Magazine Associate Editor Michael Jonas, who breaks down legislation centered on education funding, as well as the current charter school debacle happening in New Bedford and its statewide implications.

Finally, Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner joins Jenn to discuss the numerous contenders for this year's Boston City Council seats, and whether the activity surrounding the race will lead to an uptick in municipal election turnout.

5/22/2019--Fresh off a weekend nerding out on polling at the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Conference, Steve is joined by a good friend of the pod to recount the insights they gained there.

Steve and Maeve Duggan, Research Director for the MassINC Polling Group, discuss how 2019 and 2020 elections polls will be conducted.

Later, Matt Murphy of the State House News Service drops by to discuss the ROE Act, introduced by Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler and House Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad, which would guarantee a right to abortion in state law, with some specific language around allowing abortions later in pregnancy in cases when the fetus is unlikely to survive after birth.

To close things out, Boston Globe reporter Vicki McGrane makes an appearance to discuss the recently announced challenge to Ed Markey's senate seat. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a high-profile labor rights attorney, announced in a campaign video on Monday that she is running against the 72-year-old Markey, who has served in office since 1976.

MAPoli friends, don't forget to register for our live event: The Horse Race Goes to the Races! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-horse-race-live-at-the-races-tickets-60936755476

And, as always, we want to hear from YOU! Send us your #MAPoli questions, frustrations and ruminations to thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com or on Twitter @The_HorseRace.

On this special bonus episode of The Horse Race, we explore the history of Suffolk Downs, what its final racing season means for its dedicated patrons, and what's in store for the 161-acre parcel once the racetrack shuts down.

Join us for a LIVE recording of The Horse Race podcast at the races! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-horse-race-live-at-the-races-tickets-60936755476

5/15/19--Steve and Jenn are back with a vengeance to discuss...you guessed it: transportation. US News Rankings published Massachusetts as the 44th worst state in the union in the category of overall infrastructure and 46th in commute time. This should come as no surprise to anyone who lives in Massachusetts and has commuted even once in the past 5 years.

They're joined by State Sen. Becca Rausch to discuss a bill that would allow childcare expenses to be included in campaign expenses. Right now, doing so is unlawful because of its consideration as a personal expense. Rausch says this precludes people from running who would be representative of larger communities.

Later, WBUR reporter Zeninjor Enwemeka stops by to discuss BRT, or bus rapid transit. She reported on the BRT system in Mexico City, which has improved congestion in the city and even led many residents to ditch their cars altogether. Boston business leaders are interested in the idea. If the city is to pursue an option like this, the biggest question becomes, how do we pay for it?

Last but certainly not least, Jenn and Steve voice the question that's been on all Bostonians' minds today: is the accent sexy?

Give us your take on this question, and tell us about YOUR regional accent. Or, send us your #mapoli questions, frustrations and ruminations to thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com.

5/8/2019--Derby Day has come and gone, but Steve and Jenn are back in the saddle. They're joined first by The Horse Race's one and only sports correspondent Maeve Duggan to discuss Red Sox manager Alex Cora's decision not to accept an invitation to visit the White House after last season's World Series win. She also shares some little-known facts about the connection between thoroughbred horse racing and one Bill Belichick.

Later, the hosts visit the State House to chat with Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues on all things Senate Budget. Finally Steve and Jenn close out the show with an in-depth discussion of official state stuff with a true expert: Katie Holahan, who will no doubt be invited back to dispense more of her unending wisdom about every official state item, from dessert (Boston cream pie) to reptile (garter snake).

In this special Kentucky Derby edition of The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn have lots of things to discuss. Chief among them, the event of the century: The Horse Race Goes to the Races. Join us June 9 at Suffolk Downs to enjoy an afternoon of food, drink, horse racing and political analysis.

Meanwhile, Steve and Jenn brace themselves for what has now officially been thrust upon us all: presidential polling season. As the hosts note, there are a lot of things that polling can tell us about how people feel about their politics and their politicians. Steve and Jenn promise to, when addressing presidential polls, move beyond merely who's winning and who's losing and talk about what voters think about candidates' policies, and what drives a candidate's favorability among certain demographics of voters.

After unpacking a recent Quinnipiac poll that published Joe Biden's standing after he (finally) announced his candidacy as well as voters' responses to policies laid out by Democratic candidates, Steve and Jenn are joined by two very good friends of the pod.

First, Katie Lannan of the State House News Service drops in to walk the hosts through state budget proceedings, some of which occur in Room 348 of the State House (cue Hamilton track: The Room Where It Happens), and much of which are out of public view.

Next, Commonwealth Magazine's Sarah Betancourt explains the recent lawsuit that hit the US District Court on Monday. Middlesex and Suffolk County district attorneys Marian Ryan and Rachel Rollins are seeking to block ICE agents from Massachusetts courthouse properties, claiming that the threat of their presence makes noncitizen witnesses unwilling to appear in court for fear of arrest or deportation.

Finally, Steve and Jenn open up the mailbag via the Pony Express. Send your #mapoli comments and questions to us using the Pony Express (aka tweet @The_HorseRace or email us at thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com).

4/24/2019-- Steve and Jenn are talking all things transportation on this week's edition of The Horse Race, but before they do, they've got to plug the upcoming live show at an ACTUAL horse race, AKA June 9 at Suffolk Downs. Come for the race, stay for the puns.

In other news, the partially redacted Mueller Report was released on Thursday, begging the question, to impeach or not impeach? Jenn and Steve touch on Elizabeth Warren's response to this. Plus, they talk about the newest slate of 2020 hopefuls including the recently announced Seth Moulton as well as the Trump administration’s attempts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The MassINC Polling Group released a poll last week on transportation for the Barr Foundation. It found that a majority of Massachusetts voters are feeling stressed or frustrated by their commutes. Two-thirds adjusted their schedules to leave earlier or later to avoid the worst travel times.

Steve and Jenn are joined by Jim Rooney, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Kathryn Carlson of A Better City to discuss the results of the poll as well as how the business community is tackling transit.

A Tribute to Lenny Gomulka: https://chicagopush.com/tribute-to-lenny-gomulka

4/17/2019-- Listeners, it's happening. The Horse Race is, in fact, going to the races. Mark your calendars for June 9 and join us for a live recording of The Horse Race at Suffolk Downs. Come eat, drink, gamble, watch some races and listen to some political conversation. Really, what more could you possibly want? Keep your eyes and ears open for details to come.

Meanwhile in the bunker, Steve and Jenn have much to discuss. About one week into the Stop & Shop strike that's been visited by Elizabeth Warren and will be soon by Joe Biden and Marty Walsh, Jenn and Steve turn to the polls to see how unions are perceived nationwide. Then, they touch on a subject they may have discussed once or twice before: Bill Weld. He's officially announced his bid for the presidency and subsequently participated in the obligatory diner-hopping extravaganza.

Later, Jenn and Steve celebrate Earth Day with a discussion of our our country's deeply problematic waste stream and environmentally focused state legislation with Janet Domenitz of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group. Plus, Tufts University professor Eitan Hersh stops by to offer some critiques of ranked choice voting.

To wrap up this week's episode, the hosts unpack responses to the Twitter poll question: What's the cardinal sin of MA place nicknames?

If you want to be on The Horse Race, send us your questions, comments, frustrations, hopes, dreams, ANYTHING #mapoli related to thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com

4/10/2019--Movie madness abounds this week on The Horse Race as Steve and Jenn collect responses from their Twitter question: "What's one essential Massachusetts movie?" This naturally spurred (pun intended) a conversation about the infamous 2004 romantic comedy Fever Pitch starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. Sides were taken. Impassioned arguments were put forth. Eye rolls and groans were emitted (mainly by Steve). MassINC Polling Group Research Director (and baseball-romantic-comedy-niche expert)Maeve Duggan makes her case for the film.

With all that aside, this episode of The Horse Race did in fact include conversation around Massachusetts politics and policy. POLITICO reporter Stephanie Murray took time out of her busy schedule covering all eight thousand presidential candidates to talk about them and their interactions with voters.

Boston Globe reporter Maddie Kilgannon updated Jenn and Steve to the most recent installments of the saga unfolding between District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Governor Charlie Baker, and Public Safety and Security Secretary Thomas Turco.

And Boston Magazine writer Spencer Buell stops in to explain what's going on with Boston beer gardens, why they receive so much backlash, and whether they're under threat of virtually disappearing.

4/3/2019--This week on the racetrack, Steve and Jenn begin with a familiar topic: the electoral college. Should it stay or should it go? The hosts review results of polling that asked the public this very question.

Later, they're joined by Allyson Perron of the American Heart Association to discuss recently proposed legislation that would impose an excise tax on sugary drinks. And, of course, they get her feedback on the announcement that former state Attorney General Martha Coakley will be joining the e-cigarette company Juul, a move that seemingly contradicts her 2013 call on federal regulators to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Juul has been widely criticized for marketing its products to minors.

Plus, longtime friend of the pod Sam Hammar joins to chat through the recent passage of a budget override in Melrose (its first one since 1992). She worked for the 'Yes' campaign and shares what she believed was essential in producing high voter turnout.

bugle sound Send us your mail via the Pony Express! thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com

3/27/2019--If you're at all interested in Massachusetts politics, chances are you've seen the hashtag 'mapoli' crop up on Twitter once or twice. Jenn and Steve are back in the bunker to answer the important questions, and top of their minds is this: How do you pronounce that hashtag that you see all the time but never say aloud (unless you're Jenn and Steve)?

After a pronunciation is agreed upon, they welcome Rep. Lori Ehrlich. She's introduced legislation that would form a commission to study and address the local news climate in our state--focusing specifically on whether news deserts exist here, and if so, how to go about resolving them.

Matt Szafranski, editor of Western Mass Politics & Insight, drops in to discuss some news coming out of the western neck of the woods, that State Senator Don Humason announced he is joining the race for Mayor of Westfield.

3/20/2019--With polls to discuss, candidates to watch, and bills to break down, Steve and Jenn are joined on this episode by research director at The MassINC Polling Group (and, more importantly, vice president of the political sports polling analysis department at Horse Race Global Media Headquarters) Maeve Duggan. She analyzes results of polling that asked people whether they felt Patriots players should attend the White House after their Super Bowl victory.

Next, Boston Globe reporter Vicki McGrane joins the hosts remotely to shed some light on a potential Ed Markey primary challenger, and Sarah Betancourt of Commonwealth Magazine talks with Steve and Jenn about a legislative effort announced by House Democrats to protect young immigrants and those with vulnerable residency statuses

3/13/2019-- Steve and Jenn are back on the racetrack. Right out of the gate, they're talking Fall River's shocking election, during which a majority of voters chose to recall Mayor Jasiel Correia. However, because Correia placed first among five contenders for office, he resumed his role as Mayor.

As debate swirls on the national stage about what's an appropriate age to vote, moves are being made on the state level. State Rep. Andy Vargas filed legislation alongside Sen. Harriette Chandler that would give municipalities the option to let 16-and 17-year-olds vote. He joins Jenn and Steve to discuss why he thinks this is a good idea.

MassLive reporter Jackie Tempera breaks down the Lori Trahan campaign finance debacle, and Chris Lisinski of State House News Service stops by to talk MBTA fare hikes.

We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts, complaints, fixations, anything and everything #mapoli-related to us via The Pony Express. Reach us via email at thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com or on Twitter @The_HorseRace.

3/6/2019-- Steve and Jenn are back in the saddle and boy, do they have a lot to discuss. First, who was that guy with local ties who mentioned running against Trump as a Republican? Oh, yeah. Bill Weld, who has not made a peep in recent weeks.

Next up, the hosts have a bone to pick with a certain Atlantic article that's been circulating, which maps levels of political intolerance throughout the country. They argue that while Suffolk County may in fact be extremely politically intolerant, this study does not prove that. Steve explains how the methods the researchers employed to come to their conclusions are flawed.

Joining the conversation is Paul McMorrow, director of communications and policy at Mass Housing. He breaks down the governor's newly filed legislation regarding housing. He addresses the housing supply problem in Massachusetts and how this legislation will go about executing Baker's promise of 135,000 new housing units by 2025.

Finally, Adam Vaccaro drops by to discuss yet another intrinsic Massachusetts problem... transportation. He talks fare hikes, the idea of a free MBTA and, of course, space savers.

Don't forget, listeners-- we want to hear from YOU! Send us your #mapoli musings via the Pony Express: hit us up on Twitter @The_HorseRace or email: thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com.

2/27/2019--Jenn and Steve are back in the bunker, and one of them has a spooky secret to share. Plus, they're eager to tear open their first-ever mailbag and read your #mapoli comments, questions and concerns in a segment they've dubbed--what else?--The Pony Express.

But first, it's time to talk polls. Steve and Jenn chat through the recent round of national and New Hampshire polls centered on the announced 2020 presidential candidates.

They're joined next by someone who supersedes the 'friend of the pod' title and instead carries 'BFF of the pod' status. State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan breaks down the Musical Chairs-esque shuffle that has been House and Senate committee assignments and reassignments.

Next, the hosts sit down with Cannabis Control Commissioner Shaleen Title, who lays out the Commission's goal of establishing equal opportunity for all who want to break into the marijuana dispensary business.

Don't forget to send us your #mapoli musings any way you'd like. Write us via email, Twitter, or send us a voice memo at thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com or @The_HorseRace

2/20/2019-- Steve and Jenn are in the bunker, together again, and back with a special announcement: they want to hear from you, dear listeners. So send in your #mapoli questions to us via the Pony Express, a.k.a. The Horse Race's version of a mailbag. Hit us up on Twitter @The_HorseRace, or email us at thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com.

In other news, Jenn and Steve sit down with Luc Schuster of the Boston Foundation to discuss the current state of the 2020 Census, how it works, and what's at stake for Massachusetts.

Michael Levenson of The Boston Globe has been covering Bill Weld before and since his recent presidential campaign announcement. Steve and Jenn have a multitude of questions for him about the Republican-turned Libertarian-turned back to Republican candidate.

The thought of sitting outside enjoying a cold beer is a distant one for most Bostonians today as the temperature hovers around 30 degrees. But Jenn and Steve demand to know why anyone might pose a threat to their beloved beer gardens. Senator Nick Collins explains why his recently filed legislation regarding licensing is not a direct attack on beer gardens.

2/13/2019-- As Steve continues sailing the seven seas, Jenn is joined by State House News Service reporter and opposing podcast host Katie Lannan. Jenn and Katie put their bitter rivalry aside to discuss the global issue of climate change and what state and local leaders and lawmakers are doing to address it.

First, Lou Antonellis of IBEW Local 103 joins the show. He explains why the labor union showed support for Ed Markey and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal and what he hopes from current and future elected officials.

The Springfield Republican reporter Shira Schoenberg drops by to discuss Charlie Baker's appearance in D.C. where he advocated for federally funded efforts toward climate change mitigation.

To talk about the recent re-introduction of the millionaire's tax (also known as the Fair Share Amendment) is State Sen. Jason Lewis. He and State Rep. Jim O'Day filed legislation to revive this constitutional amendment that would put a surtax on residents who make more than $1 million annually in order to generate revenue for the state's education and transportation systems.

2/6/2019-- Jenn returns unhappily to Boston after having spent a blissful week in the Utah mountains basking in the sun and snow and artistic films. Steve and co. are here to bring her back to reality.

Matt Murphy of the Statehouse News Service stops by to talk about Right to Repair, which determines who should be able to fix your car, and billionaire Tom Steyer's effort to impeach Trump as well as his recruitment of Rep. Richie Neal.

Jenn and Steve ask CommonWealth Magazine reporter Andy Metzger about the importance of Statehouse rules and whether the freshman class of lawmakers eager for transparency and change might actually achieve it.

Lastly, as the dust (or confetti, rather) settles from the Super Bowl victory parade, Steve and Jenn have some questions for sports lover and MassINC Polling Group research director Maeve Duggan. Namely, how does our largely anti-Trump commonwealth reckon with the Trump sympathizers who also happen to be pillars of the beloved New England Patriots?

1/30/2019-- With Jenn living it up at Sundance, Steve is joined by guest host, friend of the pod and #mapoli enthusiast Sam Hammar. The two sit down to talk about the future of Massachusetts politics, and who better to offer their thoughts and predictions than a trio of thinkers and insiders from across the political spectrum?

Ed Lyons, Massachusetts GOP insider, is hopeful but unconvinced that the GOP will see much success in 2020, especially given the election of ultra-conservative Jim Lyons as Chairman.

Jonathan Cohn of Progressive Massachusetts recounts the success of progressives in the midterm elections and looks ahead to the items topping the progressive agenda for this legislative session.

Nina Liang, Executive Director of Emerge Massachusetts explains how the organization equips women with the tools to run for office. Plus, she emphasizes the importance of this action when, right now, women make up only 29 percent of the Massachusetts governing body.

1/23/2019-- As the government shutdown rages on, Steve and Jenn lament the issues it's inflicting upon local employees of the federal government. With hope for a speedy resolution, they look ahead to bills coming up before the Massachusetts legislature.

One such bill has to do with sports betting. State Sen. Brendan Crighton drops by The Horse Race to discuss his proposed bill that would allow for Massachusetts casinos and online platforms to apply for licenses to operate sports books. But he's not the only one. Both State Rep. Dan Cullinane and Gov. Charlie Baker have proposed similar legislation, so Crighton explains what makes his different.

State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa joins the hosts to discuss the intrinsic problem of sexual harassment on Beacon Hill. In an effort to combat it, she and State Sen. Becca Rausch filed a bill that would require an independent committee to investigate instances of sexual harassment.

Last but by no means least, a Horse Race regular Adam Friedman makes the case for why ranked choice voting is the right choice for Massachusetts.

1/16/2019 -- Amidst the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith chat with Congresswoman Katherine Clark of Massachusetts' 5th congressional district, who is co-sponsoring a bill aimed at protecting federal workers from such hardships as eviction, foreclosure and loan default.

Politico reporter Stephanie Murray joins to discuss Elizabeth Warren's recent trip to New Hampshire and chats through how she stacks up against other recently announced candidates for the presidency.

January 9, 2019: We're LIVE from WeWork at 1 Beacon! While Massachusetts is sending two new members to the US Congress where Democrats control the House, the State Legislature will be gaveling in a new session after a tumultuous year, and Charlie Baker will be starting his second lap around the gubernatorial track. Oh, and the first group of presidential candidates are out of the gate and charging down the backstretch.

Steve Koczela, President of The MassINC Polling Group and Jennifer Smith, News Editor of the Dorchester Reporter, along with special guests set the scene for the year to come in Massachusetts and around the country.

Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka walks us through her vision for the State Senate in the new year in terms of policy and restoring stability to the body.

State Rep. Russell Holmes gives his view on what to expect from the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Lastly, a reporter who knows a whole lot about Elizabeth Warren, the Boston Globe’s Victoria McGrane, brings us up to speed on the state’s senior Senator’s Presidential campaign.

Thank you for joining us!

12/26/2018 -- Happiest of Holidays from The Horse Race! Joining Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith on this special holiday edition is Congresswoman-elect, Lori Trahan, of Massachusetts' 3rd congressional district. She takes us back through the highly contested race for the House and looks ahead at what we can expect from the new cohort of members.

We'll take a short break and see you all in the new year at our live recording of "The Starting Gate" from 6-8pm at WeWork One Beacon. Spots are limited so sign up today! https://thehorseracelivestartinggate.splashthat.com/

On this special episode of The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith continue their quest to speak with every MA member of the House of Representatives. Joining us this week is Congressman Jim McGovern from the state’s 2nd congressional district who is also the incoming chair for the House Rules Committee. With a new incoming class, whispers of presidential impeachment, and another election on the horizon, Congressman McGovern gives us an inside look at what we can expect from of D.C. in 2019.

Save the date! Our next Live event is Wednesday, January 9th from 6-8pm at WeWork at One Beacon St.

December 12, 2018: Just one more week until our 2018 #mapoli horse racing season comes to a close! Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela take a look at what work is already being done by new members of Congress, namely, the plan for Ocasio-Cortez's "Green New Deal" and which MA legislators are supporting it. Then, we check in with Katie Lannan of the State House News Service for a look ahead at potential MA elections. And finally we welcome Anthony Amore who challenged the now-reelected Bill Galvin for Secretary of State about the potential for successful Republican races.

December 5, 2018: Just as one election ends, another one begins! On this episode of the podcast, we discuss the art of political moderation in Massachusetts campaigns with Will Keyser and Eileen O’Connor of Keyser Public Strategies who have helped advise Governor Baker's campaign and newly elected Congresswoman Lori Trahan's campaign respectively. Then, we look to Elizabeth Warren and the 2020 Presidential murmurings with supreme Horse Race alumna, Lauren Dezenski, all the way from her post in D.C.

With just a couple of episodes left for the 2018 season, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith break down the post-election roll out both locally and nationally. With the vote for Speaker of the House today, Anthony Brooks, political reporter for WBUR, walks us through Congressman Seth Moulton's opposition to Nancy Pelosi and how this reflects on other MA legislators. Then, State Representative from Cambridge, Mike Connolly joins us to discuss a bill he has proposed to bring rank choice voting to Massachusetts. And finally, we take one more look back at the election and how the MA GOP fared and what they might do moving forward with former Horse Race aficionado, Maureen McInerney.

Looking to get involved with The Horse Race and The MassINC Polling Group? Our part time production and research assistant position is open! Apply here: https://www.massincpolling.com/careers

We've got a special Thanksgiving treat this week! Co-Host, Jennifer Smith, of the Dorchester Reporter, caught up with Congresswoman-Elect, Ayanna Pressley, over the phone for a behind the scenes look at the road to D.C.

What are we thankful for? You! Our loyal listeners. We'll be back next week for our regularly scheduled lineup of trivia, polls, and bad horse puns.

We're back for the post-election run down to get caught up on the races we couldn't cover at last week's live event. Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith take a look at election outcomes and what we can expect next. Dan Cence, who oversees government relations at Solomon McCown and is a key advisor to the No on 1 group joins us to go over the results from Question 1. Here to fill us in on a round up of state races and voter turnout is long time guest of the pod, Gin Dumcius from MassLive and the Springfield Republican. And finally we hear from incoming State Senator Becca Rausch about how her campaign resulted in a win.

We're LIVE from WeWork at 1 Beacon St. bringing you the best of horse racing puns to the Post-Election Winner's Circle. Your hosts, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith wrap up what just happened and what we can expect next locally, state-wide, and nationally.

First we check in with Representative Katherine Clark from MA's 5th district about what we can expect now that Dems have taken the House. Then, we hear from Michelle Wu, Boston City Councilor at Large, about everything from daily transit woes to what we can expect from Senator Warren on a national level. Newly elected Suffolk District Attorney, Rachael Rollins, takes the stage to break down exactly how she plans to bring serious change to the criminal justice system. And finally, Brian Wynne, campaign manager for the Baker/Polito ticket looks behind the Republican Governor's race in the midst of MA's blue wave.

Thank you all for joining us tonight!

For your spookiest episode of The Horse Race yet, we hit the stretch run just one week before the election. As election day nears, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith provide an update on three new polls that have been published this week. Then we check in on the attorney general's race with Maddie Kilgannon of WGBH. And finally, we hear from Steve Brown of WBUR about several of the contested seats in this year's race.

And, don't forget to register for our LIVE post general election recording at WeWork One Beacon next Wednesday, November 7th from 6-8pm with special guests Rachael Rollins, Michelle Wu, and Brian Wynne.

Don't forget to vote!

Welcome to debate season! On this episode of The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jenn Smith check in on the rousing round of debates that swept the state this past week. Next, we call many time guest of the pod, Chris Lisinski to check in on the MA 3rd Congressional district race. And finally, we hear from Shira Schoenberg on a race we should all be paying more attention to; the treasurers race (while cringing through their most recent trending hashtag.)

We can't wait to see you all on Wednesday Nov. 7th from 6-8 PM at WeWork One Beacon for our upcoming LIVE event featuring guests, Rachael Rollins and Michelle Wu. RSVP here: https://thehorseracelivemageneralelectionstretchrun.splashthat.com/

We're gearing up for these final weeks before the general election with our new Horse Race co-host, and many time guest of the pod, Jennifer Smith.

Here to keep us updated with this week's wave of Senator Warren news is Vicki McGrane of the Boston Globe. Then, we welcome a new guest to the show, Dr. Shannon Jenkins Chair of the Department of Political Science at UMass Dartmouth who claims we should all be paying closer attention to the 9th Congressional District race. And finally, what's an episode of The Horse Race without polls! Steve Koczela reports on a recently published poll on Question 1 with perspectives from the nurses themselves. And, don't forget to check out our live event on November 7th at We Work One Beacon.

It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year... for polling that is! On this week's episode of The Horse Race, our very own Maeve Duggan of the MASSInc Polling Group joins as a co-host with Steve Koczela to take us behind all of this week's freshly published polls.

Since we're just one month out from election day, we'll get you caught up on the Baker / Gonzales debate with Gin Dumcius of The Springfield Republican and Mass Live. Then, Katie Lannan joins us again for a quick update on the Secretary of State race. And as a special, polling season exclusive, we get on the phone with the head of our primary call center, Paul Braun of Braun Research to see behind the scenes of how polls are really conducted.

October has officially begun and brought us several surprises. Katie Lannan of Statehouse News joins us as our guest host this week to unpack what we like to call "the Massachusetts connection" to several national events, including Senator Warren's potential Presidential campaign, the Kavanaugh hearings, and Barak Obama's recent endorsements.

Here to break down what has been a news-filled week, we welcome Vicki McGraine of the Boston Globe and Stephanie Murray of POLITICO.

That's right, it is polling season!

We welcome back special guest host Jennifer Smith of the Dorchester Reporter to join Steve Koczela, President of the MassINC Polling Group to go over the latest in MA general election news, polls, and even potential presidential bids.

Joining us as a first time guest on the pod, Vicki McGraine of the Boston Globe talked with us about Charlie Baker and Geoff Diehl and what that big endorsement means. And finally we caught up with Michael Jonas of CommonWealth Magazine to wrap up whats going on with the DA race. Six weeks until the general election, make sure you're registered!

We're taking a farewell victory lap this week for Lauren Dezenski's very last episode of The Horse Race before she moves to Washington D.C. to join CNN.

As the third congressional race finally came to its close, we welcomed Chris Lisinski of the Lowell Sun to give us a rundown of the recount madness. Then we looked to our expert ballot guest George Cronin to get caught up on upcoming general ballot questions. John Walsh, Mass Democratic party legend gave us some insiders insight on the new Reason to Believe PAC and what we can expect in the general election.

For a special fourth segment, Steve Koczela further breaks down the Congressional and Governors elections with a recent Suffolk University and Boston Globe poll.

And finally, our something to watch focuses on Lauren's last few years in Massachusetts and what we can expect from her move to the Capitol.

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.

The Horse Race goes LIVE in this special post-primary "winner's circle." We recorded in front of a live studio audience at WeWork Boston's One Beacon office. President of the MassInc Polling Group, Steve Koczela and Politico Massachusetts' Lauren Dezenski break down all things Massachusetts primaries.

On this extended episode, we welcomed Meghna Chakrabarti Host of NPR's "On Point" to discuss MA elections up and down the ticket. We then welcomed Gus Bickford Chair of Mass Dems to talk strategy as we move from primary, to general, and national elections. And finally we have Alex Goldstein, an advisor to Ayanna Pressley campaign tell us all about what it was like to be in the Pressley campaign room on election night. And finally, we closed out the evening with questions from you, our listeners.

Many thanks to the WeWork One Beacon Team as well as all MassInc staff for their support at this event.

8/29/18 -- With less than a week from the MA primary election, you could say we've hit the stretch run. In a jam packed episode, we cover what we can expect from campaigns in the final week before the polls close.

Principal Sean Curran of Waterville Consulting joins us in the studio to break down what's happening right now with campaign advertising. We're also joined by Mike McLaughlin, an expert in campaign fielding. And finally we bring Bruce Mohl in to discuss a recent article he wrote about campaign spending.

This week we have a special extended What to Watch with insider tips on how to stay up to date as the polls close next Tuesday. Don't forget to register for our live winners circle event.

https://thehorseraceliveatwework.splashthat.com/

This episode is sponsored by WeWork at OneBeacon.

8/22/18 -- Secretary of State Bill Galvin and Josh Zakim are highlighted again this week as they each launch attack ads. Then we focus on one race that has flown under radar -- the democratic primary for lieutenant governor. Former LG and current president of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce Tim Murray tells us what it's like to run for the seat.

Plus Becca Rausch is running for state senate and calling for transparency on Beacon Hill -- and 14 other democratic women running for office are joining her.

This episode is sponsored by WeWork.

8/15/18 -- Secretary of State Bill Galvin and his primary challenger Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim met this week for a tense, table-slapping debate. MassLive's Gin Dumcius joins us for a recap on the zesty #debategate. Then CommonWealth Magazine's Michael Jonas has the latest intrigue in the already "cloak and dagger" filled Suffolk County DA race, while Lauren checks in on the Republican primary for Senate.

This episode is sponsored by WeWork.

8/8/18 -- Democrats are taking on Democrats in this week’s episode of The Horse Race. First, Andy Metzger of State House News Service (and who is soon to be striking out as a freelancer!) details some tension between senate president Karen Spilka and speaker of the House Bob DeLeo in the wrap up of legislative loose ends. Then the Dorchester Reporter’s Jennifer Smith returns to breakdown this week’s debate between incumbent congressman Mike Capuano and his primary challenger Ayanna Pressley.

Plus, State House News Service reporter Matt Murphy checks back in on the race for secretary of state, and whether or not challenger Josh Zakim has sustained any momentum against incumbent Bill Galvin.

This week’s episode is sponsored by WeWork Boston.

In part 2 of our special “bootleg” episode, Steve breaks down the results of the recent WBUR poll that highlights the horse race between Michael Capuano and Ayanna Pressley. The poll also looks at democratic opinion in the MA-7 on abolishing ICE, Nancy Pelosi and single payer healthcare, among other issues.

Head to wbur.org for the full topline.

This episode is sponsored by WeWork Boston.

8/1/18 -- In the last minute scramble of legislation, the state appears to have made horse racing illegal, which means Lauren and Steve are off to the glue factory.

But first, they speak with The Springfield Republican’s Shira Schoenberg about the chaotic end of the Legislature’s formal session, and what did and didn’t fall through the cracks. Then former state senator Ben Downing returns to analyze the legislative process that led to the messy end of session, and we continue our tour de commonwealth with CommonWealth Magazine’s Michael Jonas on the race for Middlesex District Attorney.

This episode is sponsored by WeWork Boston.

7/25/2018 -- On the podcast this week, Lauren Dezenski is still on vacation, but calls in to talk with Steve and Doug Rubin, senior strategist for Deval Patrick and Elizabeth Warren, about presidential race rumors.

Then, a quick check in on the MA1 Primary with Shannon Young, of MassLive and The Springfield Republican; followed up by a look at key races in the Pioneer Valley with MassINC Polling Group's very own Research Director, Rich Parr.

This episode is sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts and the National Institute for Reproductive Health.

7/18/18 -- The Legislature has reached a budget compromise and our guest host Lizzi Weyant, manager of government affairs at MAPC, explains what’s in it, what’s not and what’s next. Then George Cronin of Rasky Partners details the questions still standing on the ballot, and The Dorchester Reporter’s Jenn Smith highlights the “proxy fight” in the 7th congressional district.

Plus Lauren Dezenski puts her vacation on pause to talk about former governor Deval Patrick stumping in Texas, and what that means for his future ambitions.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

7/11/18 --We’re back post-Fourth of July with a check in on what’s still pending on Beacon Hill. MassLive’s Gin Dumcius walks us through why Massachusetts still does not have a state budget; then in a return to the pod, Principal of Waterville Consulting Sean Curran explains quarter two fundraising reports and Gov. Charlie Baker’s massive ad buy.

Plus Steve and Lauren look at the recent Supreme Judicial Court ruling which maintains the 20 day voter registration cut-off.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable.

7/4/18 -- Happy Independence Day, Horse Race fans! We're on hiatus this week, so enjoy a reel of some of our favorite outtakes. Tune in next week when we return to the latest #mapoli developments, and enjoy the holiday!

Featuring special appearances by The Benator (Ben Downing) and Senate President Harriette Chandler.

State Senate President Harriette Chandler joins us for a special extended edition of The Horse Race. We ask her about the grand bargain, legislation vs. ballot questions, the fallout from Stan Rosenberg, and what she has learned in her time at the top.

Then WBUR's Shannon Dooling discusses what the immigration debate means for Massachusetts.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable

6/20/18 -- We have a “Grand Bargain”...kind of. State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan discusses the bill moving through the house that would combine a minimum wage increase, paid family leave and a permanent sales tax holiday; then Steve chimes in with polling on education spending and regional ballot initiatives.

Plus Chris Lisinski of the Lowell Sun circles back to the race to replace Rep. Niki Tsongas.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

Episode 36: EMERGENCY POD - SJC strikes down Fair Share Ballot Question by Steve Koczela; Jennifer Smith; Lisa Kashinsky; Libby Gormley

6/13/18 -- The statewide candidates are locked -- so who exactly are they? This week we breakdown the bios of the Republican Senate candidates with the Springfield Republican’s Shannon Young, and Michael Bonner of the Cape Cod Times highlights Peter Tedeschi, who’s challenging Rep. Bill Keating in the 9th congressional district.

Then Andy Metzger of State House News returns for an update on the Grand Bargain and the continuing wait for a court ruling on the Fair Share ballot question.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

6/6/18 -- There were some unexpected twists at the Democratic Convention last weekend. MassLive’s Gintautas Dumcius joins us to discuss the upset in the Secretary of State’s race, and State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan breaks down the top-ticket governor’s race.

Then, Steve highlights parts of the latest WBUR poll, and answers audience questions!

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

5/30/18 -- Just before the nominating convention, Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party Gus Bickford joins us for a chat about what to expect from candidates and delegates. Then the Springfield Republican's Shira Schoenberg discusses the developments in the race for Stan Rosenberg’s former Senate seat.

Plus, Steve and Lauren discuss the reality behind the Safe Communities Act that passed the Senate’s budget process.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

5/23/18 -- There are two candidates left in the Democratic primary for governor, and both are eyeing the lane to the left. State House News Service’s Matt Murphy has the highlights on Jay Gonzalez, while CommonWealth Magazine’s Michael Jonas digs into the multi-faceted “who-clause” that is Bob Massie. We then head to the Berkshires with WAMC Radio’s Josh Landes to check out a surprisingly dramatic DA race.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

5/16/18 -- Pastor turned politician Scott Lively surprised some in the GOP establishment when he secured a spot on the ballot for the Republican gubernatorial primary. WGBH reporter and co-host of The Scrum Adam Reilly digs into who Lively is, and how he plans to cover the candidate.

Then we look west with the Springfield Republican’s Shannon Young to check in on the primary challenge to Congressman Richard Neal (MA-1). Plus POLITICO’s Steve Shepard and our co-host Steve Koczela get their nerd on explaining a new experiment in exit polls.

This episode is sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Round Table.

5/9/18 -- The home stretch of the ballot question saga comes down to a supreme judicial court decision. State House News reporter Andy Metzger explains why we’re in limbo and what to make of Governor Baker’s “Grand Bargain.”

Then we hear from Western Massachusetts correspondent Rich Parr, who due to Stan Rosenberg's resignation now lives in a district with no state representation. Plus our resident state senate bureau chief Ben Downing discusses the current state of the body.

5/3/2018 -- Yielding to a growing chorus of his colleagues, State Senator Stan Rosenberg announced his resignation today following the release of a blistering report on the investigation into the conduct of his estranged husband Bryon Hefner. Steve and Lauren discuss how the last few days played out, how we got here and where we go from here.

5/2/18 -- It's GOP week at The Horse Race. First, we recap the Republican state convention with CommonWealth Magazine's Michael Jonas. Then, some zesty candidate insight from two convention delegates: Ed Lyons and Jon Fetherston.

4/25/18 -- It's a busy week in the bunker with Voter Choice Massachusetts' Adam Friedman on ranked choice voting, and -- in a return to the pod -- our senior campaign finance correspondent Sean Curran on the funding behind ballot question campaigns.

Then, Steve and Lauren dig into the latest polling and upcoming debate in the race for the MA-3.

4/18/18 -- We head north of the wall - a.k.a. New Hampshire - with special guest host and former pod correspondent Ben Downing. First, The Boston Globe's James Pindell describes what he's seeing up north, now that we know Rep. Joe Kennedy III will be heading there in the fall.

Then, Salem News' Ethan Forman breaks down the Republican challengers to Rep. Seth Moulton, and our local poll master and host Steve Koczela calls in to discuss the polling related additions to the AP Stylebook.

4/11/18 -- Former MassGOP chair Jenn Nassour is sharing her "conventional wisdom" with us this week as we get closer to the MassGOP convention. Then The Dorchester Reporter's Jenn Smith returns for the latest on a surprisingly competitive race for Suffolk County DA.

Plus Steve and Lauren talk money! FEC reports for the Senate race are in, and we have updates on the candidates' financial standings.

4/4/18 -- Former State Senator Ben Downing is back! He reappears this week as the body's mountain of bad press has us testing a State Senate Chaos Theory.

Then we look west with Matt Szafranski of Western Massachusetts Politics & Insight, checking in on the unexpected primary challenge to Former Senate President Stan Rosenberg.

Plus, it's almost caucus time! Steve and Lauren break down what it means when the largest number of delegates are "uncommitted."

We're answering your questions on ballots and questions on ballot questions this week on The Horse Race First Pam Wilmot, head of Common Cause Massachusetts, explains Automatic Voter Registration and why it's a big deal. Then political reporter Shira Schoenberg joins us for an update on the final version of the criminal justice reform bill.

Finally, Steve and Lauren look at the impending decisions on three big revenue issues: the minimum wage, the "millionaire's tax" and the sales tax ballot questions.

It's all about polls and emerging political power this week. First, Nichole Mossalam, Co-Chair of Our Revolution Massachusetts' Coordinating Committee, joins us to discuss ORMA's rise and what the brand new organization sees in its future.

Then, Steve drops some serious polling insight -- courtesy of his most recent WBUR poll -- on Warren's Republican challengers and major policy initiatives on Beacon Hill.

We're looking back on five months of #mapoli coverage this week. Reporter/MA-3 hawk Chris Lisinski of the Lowell Sun recaps the race for the open seat, and Emerge Massachusetts Executive Director Ryanne Olsen touches on the wave of women running for office.

Plus, Steve digs into a highly topical segment we like to call "storm politics."

This week we continue our tour of the commonwealth with hot takes from Suffolk County and western Massachusetts. The Dorchester Reporter's Jennifer Smith and MassLive's Gin Dumcius join us in the studio, and "West Mass" correspondent/MassINC Polling Group Research Director Rich Parr calls in to break down all the movement.

PLUS, what animal is featured in former Governor Bill Weld's official state house portrait? Tune in next week to find out.

**West Mass video and audio created by Steve Porter, PorterHouse Media (on behalf of The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts).

Former State Senator Ben Downing joins us this week to explain the turmoil on Beacon Hill, its impact on senate function and the significance of state and local primary challenges.

Then, Steve's got a new transportation poll with hot takes on traffic, and Lauren explains why Massachusetts' drop in the U.S. News and World Report ranking is fair game for Governor Baker's critics.

CommonWealth Magazine's Michael Jonas descends on the bunker to explain the recent surprise in the Suffolk County District Attorney race, while political observer Josh Gee calls in from New York to dish on frugging (fundraising under the guise of research). Then, Steve and Lauren break down a potentially confusing ballot question regarding the repeal of the transgender accommodations law.

This week it’s all about challenges: special guest Lawrence Friedman, professor of law at the New England Law Boston explains the details of the supreme judicial court case regarding the so-called millionaire’s tax; Steve breaks down his latest WBUR poll on the primary race between Mike Capuano and challenger Ayanna Pressley; and Setti Warren shares delegates with his fellow gubernatorial challengers in Newton.

Steve Koczela is back in the bunker just in time for caucus season! We’ve got answers to all the caucus questions you’re afraid to ask with special guest Gus Bickford, Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

We also check in on the first forum for the MA-3, the legal challenge to the proposed “Fair Share” ballot question and the latest development in the senate presidency.

Linda Dorcena Forry is out, Ayanna Pressley is in and Lindstrom, Kingston and Diehl fight for the cash in this week's episode. Plus, Jennifer Smith of the Dorchester Reporter joins us in the studio, Lauren misses a game show reference and a surprise appearance from a familiar voice explains -- you guessed it -- polls polls polls.

We’ve got veteran State House News Service reporter Matt Murphy in the bunker this week breaking down Governor Charlie Baker’s State of the Commonwealth address (hot take: it’s STRONG). Plus Maureen McInerney, Public Affairs Associate at MassINC fills in for host Steve Koczela to talk fundraising in the Governor’s race, the election for Suffolk County Register of Deeds (it’s wonky, we know) and the upcoming forum featuring the Democrats -- all thirteen -- running for the MA-3.

Oh, and #GoPats.

This week it's all about the money, and the numbers are eyepopping -- Warren's making bank, candidates in the MA-3 are raking it in and Marty Walsh is growing his war chest fresh off reelection.

We also check in on Brendan Crighton's walk into the state senate and preview the upcoming State of the Commonwealth. And in case you were wondering (and paying attention to trivia), the first stagecoach between Boston and Cambridge opened in 1793 -- a "reliable" Omnibus stagecoach replaced it in the early 1800s. Oh the jokes.

We're back in the saddle folks! It's a new year and a new season, and we're straight out the gate with the first WBUR poll of the year. We've got the zesty details on Baker, Warren and Trump, plus a status report on 2018's major races already underway.

AND for those loyal trivia fans, we're rocking an MBTA theme. What year did the first stagecoach open between Boston and Cambridge? Send your answer on a BigNToasted sandwich for bragging rights.

Happy New Year Horse Race Fans!

To thank you for tuning in to our first season, we’re kicking off 2018 with a peek behind the editing curtain – WE'VE GOT BLOOPERS!

Next week we’ll return to our regular Friday morning schedule. Tune in for the must-have analysis (and polls!) on #mapoli’s most exciting elections and campaigns, and happy racing!

FIELD TRIP! This week we’re checking in on Maryland, which also has a popular Republican governor in a very blue state. Kudos to the Goucher Poll’s Mileah Kromer for the zesty detail and Charlie Baker parallels.

Plus, Steve’s Christmas Miracle: the democrats are shirking #mapoli political decorum and fielding primary challenges! We also check in on the Beacon Hill investigation and the Secretary of State campaigns.

Allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct leveled against Bryon Hefner, husband of Senate president Stan Rosenberg, are roiling Beacon Hill. In an emergency podcast to keep you up to date, we explain what this means from the standpoint of the senate.

We also recap the results of the Worcester/Middlesex state senate special election, and celebrate Ballot Question Deadline Day!

The Horse Race went Live! We had a great event last week discussing the most exciting elections to watch in 2018 (Bill Galvin getting primaried anyone?) and digging into one of the year's key issues - the representation of women in #mapoli. Joining us for the event were Puja Mehta of Emerge Massachusetts and Jenn Nassour of Conservative Women for a Better Future.

Stay tuned in the new year for Season 2 of The Horse Race, and thanks for listening!

It's our season finale #mapoli! But before we go on our holiday hiatus, we've got the lowdown on ballot questions thanks to our expert guest George Cronin, our usual What to Watch, and - as Steve put it - POLLS POLLS POLLS POLLS!

Thanks for an excellent season, stay tuned in the new year, and don't forget to join us for our live event at Ned Devine's on November 28th!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-horse-race-live-tickets-39878319126?aff=eac2

*Last week we incorrectly stated Ayanna Pressley's post-election standing for Boston City Council. Pressley came in second place. We apologize for the error.

It's an EMERGENCY EPISODE #MAPOLI! Election Day has come and gone and we're here to parse who landed in the winner's circle across the state. Also, a surprise appearance by Sam Hammar, chair of the Melrose Democratic City Committee, to discuss why a partisan city committee got involved in a non-partisan municipal election.

Stay tuned for more info about our upcoming live event at Ned Devine's in Boston, MA on November 28!

We've got a trio of campaign ads, some outside spending (we see you Mercer Money) and a persistent Elizabeth Warren this week. Plus, as we race towards election day we've got our eye on two in particular. Listen to the end to find out which ones!

Our special guest is the delightful Kathryn Burton, advisor of all things campaign-y. Our trivia question is: Who was the only person EVER to serve as governor of two different states? (P.S. In a rare turn of events, they're not from Mass.)

We’ve got two showdowns coming at you this week #mapoli. First, we analyze Marty and Tito after their first (and last) televised mayoral debate. Then, John Kingston and Beth Lindstrom get testy over a U.S. senate seat. Plus, turns out local elections are important – who knew?

We’re joined by a very special guest host this week: WGBH’s one and only Mike Deehan!

Don't forget to listen to the end for the answer to last week's trivia question. This week we ask: when was the last year a challenger unseated an incumbent Boston mayor?

It's that time of year #mapoli - flannel, fall activities, and FEC REPORTS! Campaign fundraising guru Sean Curran walks us through what the quarter three reports mean, Lauren is vindicated in her special election love, and Steve gets sentimental about public opinion polling.

Keeping up with our trivia? Listen to the episode to find out last week's answer. This week? What Massachusetts city was nicknamed the City of Notions in the 19th century?

We “reined in” our horse racing puns this week to bring you a closer look at the warm fuzzies Democrats are sending Governor Charlie Baker, the new Morning Consult Trump approval poll, and who the latest contenders are in the MA-3, aka the Tsongas Arena.

BUT FIRST -- There’s a special election in Gillette Stadium Land!

And of course our trivia: the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts was Edith Nourse Rogers (R) in 1925.

This week we ask: Which famous Massachusetts politician announced his retirement in 1986?

Boston loves Marty Walsh, and very little else, so says the MassINC Polling Group's post-preliminary poll for WBUR. Why is Walsh the front-runner when voters are dissatisfied on so many issues?

We also check in on Baker and the MBTA (cue ominous sound effect), Gabriel Gomez and the expanding Senate field, and Seth Moulton eating a sizzling steak in Iowa.

And don't forget to listen to the end to learn the answer to last week's trivia question! This week we ask: Who was the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts?

It's a post-preliminary world and we have the results of your local mayoral races in Boston, Framingham, and Lawrence with our special guest host Gin Dumcius, MassLive reporter and author of This Way to City Hall.

We also check in on Amazon, Puerto Rico and the 2018 Gubernatorial race (yes they are possibly connected), and our newest segment: MASSACHUSETTS TRIVIA!

Question 1: How many people in the state of Massachusetts have died of a snake bite?

We're off to the races covering the Boston Mayoral preliminaries, the open MA-3 seat, Elizabeth Warren's competition, and of course Governor Baker and the Graham-Cassidy bill.

Seabiscuit makes a guest appearance.

A preview of The Horse Race, a new podcast covering Massachusetts campaigns of note with hosts Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, and Lauren Dezenski, author of the Politico Massachusetts Playbook.