The major race amongst Democrats working for lieutenant governor grew contentious this week, when each trailing candidates accused Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll of being financed by a Republican-connected tremendous PAC.
“Why is a Republican mega-donor who bankrolled Mitch McConnell stepping in to support Kim Driscoll with unlimited, potentially undisclosed donations?” state Sen. Eric Lesser stated final week in response to the formation of Leadership for Massachusetts, a political committee apparently created to assist elect Driscoll.
“This super PAC, which is a Mitch McConnell Republican super PAC, does not reflect the values of those of us here in the state of Massachusetts,” state Rep. Tami Gouveia stated Sunday on WBZ with John Keller. “There is a lot at stake here and I do call on Mayor Driscoll to disavow the creation of this PAC in support of her candidacy.”
Officially established Wednesday by former legislator and Braintree Mayor Joe Sullivan, the PAC is anticipated to profit from funding from Manchester-by-the-Sea actual property investor Christopher Collins, in response to an organizer. Collins beforehand donated to a number of outstanding Republican candidates, together with McConnell and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney.
Driscoll’s group says they don’t have any connection to the PAC.
“Our campaign has no involvement in this independent organization so we can’t comment on its structure or focus. We remain 100% focused on growing our grassroots campaign, which has been funded by people across the Commonwealth,” Jaun Gallego, Driscoll’s marketing campaign supervisor, informed the Herald Sunday.
Collins has made contributions to a who’s who of Massachusetts Democrats, data present.
In 2021, he gave $2,900 to U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch’s re-election marketing campaign every week after he’d executed the identical for U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, in response to federal marketing campaign filings. He gave U.S. Rep Jake Auchincloss $1,000 in 2020, and despatched $500 to the state Democratic committee that 12 months.
In the previous 12 months he has additionally donated $1,000 every to Attorney General Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and candidate for Attorney General Andrea Campbell. Collins couldn’t be reached for remark.
Neither Lesser nor Gouveia’s campaigns returned a request for touch upon whether or not they would ask different Democratic candidates or workplace holders to swear off help from Collins, as they’ve with Driscoll.
A June ballot by UMass Amherst confirmed Driscoll main with simply 13%, Lesser second at 10% and Gouveia trailing at 8%, although 70% of respondents stated they don’t know who to help.
Herald wire providers contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”