Make that another $1 million: Dueling Super PACs in Boston mayor's race rake in more cash

A separate super PAC backing Kraft remained busy, too. 'Your City, Your Future,' which has already dropped
Taken together, the outside groups reported pulling in $973,101 between their newly filed reports. The contributions pushed the total raised by the two super PACs to more than $3.9 million through mid-June, with 'Your City, Your Future' — and its $3.16 million in contributions — accounting for the vast majority of that.
Advertisement
The 'Bold Boston' super PAC first formed in 2023, when it spent nearly $100,000 supporting a trio of Wu allies in their successful bids for city council.
Advertisement
It effectively re-emerged in mid-March, roughly a month after Kraft
Mike Firestone has worked under Wu since she took the mayor's office in 2021. Karen Firestone has been a longtime contributor to Wu, whom she first donated to in 2013, and other state Democrats, including Governor Maura Healey, campaign finance records show.
Efforts to reach Karen Firestone were not immediately successful Thursday. Spokespeople for 'Bold Boston' and Wu's campaign also didn't immediately comment.
'Bold Boston' also received $175,000 in early June from the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund Independent Expenditure PAC, whose only donation so far this year was $150,000 in March from billionaire
A slate of labor-aligned groups also donated heavily to the Wu-aligned group, including the 1199 SEIU MA PAC, which gave $100,000, and the Unite Here Tip State and Local Fund, which gave $150,000. The Green Advocacy Project, a Bay Area-based 501c(4) organization that gives heavily to
The group took a variety of smaller donations, too, including $10,000 from Barbara Lee, a Cambridge philanthropist who's worked for decades helping get women elected office, and $25,000 from William Lee, a partner at WilmerHale, which
Super PACs are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, and, unlike candidates themselves, they can take donations directly from businesses. They are barred, however, from coordinating with any candidates or their campaigns.
Advertisement
The attacks 'Bold Boston' has launched against Kraft echo the arguments Wu and her allies have made on the campaign trail: that Kraft, the son of
Kraft, a longtime nonprofit leader, is loaning his campaign $2 million from his own wallet.
The Kraft-aligned
'Your City, Your Future' super PAC has taken $1 million from New Balance chair and billionaire Jim Davis, as well as billionaire businessman
Paulson, who gave $100,000
Matt Stout can be reached at

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Fox News

26 minutes ago

• Fox News

FBI increases surveillance of Iran-backed operatives in US: source

The FBI is increasing its monitoring of Iran-backed operatives in the U.S. as President Donald Trump weighs involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, a senior law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News Friday. The White House said Thursday Trump will make a decision on U.S. involvement in the conflict within two weeks. The monitoring reportedly includes surveillance of possible sleeper cells linked to the Tehran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah, according to CBS News. The Lebanon-based terror group also got a clear warning from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz not to join the conflict. The decision to increase monitoring comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Iran was plotting to assassinate Trump because the regime saw him as a threat to its nuclear program. "They want to kill him. He's enemy No. 1. He's a decisive leader. He never took the path that others took to try to bargain with them in a way that is weak, giving them basically a pathway to enrich uranium, which means a pathway to the bomb, padding it with billions and billions of dollars," the prime minister told Fox News' Bret Baier during a Sunday edition of "Special Report." While Trump has called for an "unconditional surrender," he has yet to decide whether to involve the U.S. in the conflict. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday he would make a decision within two weeks. Critics from both sides of the aisle have called on the president not to get involved, while others see involvement as a necessity to protect American interests. On Friday, a U.S. official told Fox News the USS Nimitz, which left the South China Sea Monday, would arrive in the Middle East this weekend. The USS Carl Vinson has already been deployed for some time, meaning two U.S. aircraft carriers would be in the Middle East at the same time.

Newsweek

30 minutes ago

• Newsweek

Democrats Chances of Flipping Virginia as Spanberger Gets Fundraising Boost

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democrat Abigail Spanberger has built up a fundraising and polling advantage over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia's gubernatorial race. Newsweek reached out to the Spanberger and Earle-Sears campaigns for comment via email. Why It Matters Virginia's gubernatorial race will be one of the first major electoral tests for Republicans during the Trump 2.0 era. Once a major battleground, Virginia has shifted toward Democrats over the past 20 years, though Republicans have proved competitive in the state's off-year gubernatorial races. The election will measure whether Republicans can hold onto people who shifted toward President Donald Trump in 2024, including Latino, Asian American and younger voters—or whether Democrats are winning them back before the 2026 midterms, when a third of senators and all members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection. What to Know Spanberger, a former member of Congress, is set to face off against Earle-Sears, the state's lieutenant governor, in the November race. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who narrowly won four years earlier, is ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits. Spanberger raised more than $6.5 million from April to June and still has $14 million in the bank, according to data from the Virginia State Board of Elections. During that same period, Earle-Sears raised about $3.5 million with a closing balance of just under $3 million. Both were unopposed for their party's nomination. Primary elections were held on Tuesday for other offices such as lieutenant governor and attorney general. State Senator Ghazala Hashmi and former Delegate Jay Jones won the Democratic nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger peaks in Henrico County, Virginia on June 16, 2025. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger peaks in Henrico County, Virginia on June 16, Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares did not face a primary challenge for his reelection. WRVA radio host John Reid was unopposed in the Republican lieutenant governor primary. Polls have shown Spanberger with a lead over Earle-Sears for the general election. A poll conducted by co/efficient for Founders Insight earlier this month showed Spanberger with a 3-point lead over Earle-Sears (46 percent to 43 percent). Spanberger was viewed favorably by 45 percent of respondents, compared to 40 percent who viewed Earle-Sears favorably. Twenty-seven percent of respondents viewed each unfavorably. Seventeen percent were unsure of how they felt about Spanberger, while 11 percent said they had not heard of her. Meanwhile, 20 percent were unsure of their feelings toward Earle-Sears, and 13 percent had never heard of her, the poll found. It surveyed 1,127 likely voters from June 8 to June 10, 2025 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.12 percentage points. Some polls have suggested Spanberger has a more substantial lead in the race. A Roanoke College poll found that 43 percent of respondents were planning to vote for Spanberger, compared to 26 percent leaning toward Earle-Sears. It still found that 28 percent were undecided, meaning it could narrow depending on how that sizable chunk of voters skews. An earlier Roanoke poll found Spanberger with 39 percent, with Earle-Sears receiving support from 24 percent. It surveyed 690 residents from February 17 to February 20, 2025 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.66 percentage points. It surveyed 609 registered voters from May 12 to May 19, 2025 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.3 percentage points. Virginia backed Vice President Kamala Harris by nearly six percentage points in the 2024 presidential race, a slightly stronger showing for Trump than against Biden in 2020, when he lost by about 10 points. The state also has two Democratic senators. Historically, the party that loses the presidency gets a boost in the following gubernatorial race, but how strong that may be for Spanberger could depend on Trump's approval. What People Are Saying Peyton Vogel, an Earle-Sears spokesperson, told The Associated Press: "Clearly the Spanberger campaign needs a lot of help attempting to erase Abigail's bad voting record on issues that actually matter to Virginians. This race isn't being bought—it's being built on a message that matters." Veteran political scientist Larry Sabato previously told Newsweek: "The early bet is on Spanberger but it's way too early to bet unless you have money to burn—or extra eggs to give away. Too many things can happen. If Trump is very unpopular as he was in 2017, it's bound to help Spanberger as it helped [Former Governor Ralph] Northam in 2017. Just like Youngkin was assisted by Biden's unpopularity in 2021." What Happens Next The general election in Virginia is set for November 4, 2025. The Cook Political Report classifies the race as Lean Democrat, meaning it is "considered competitive races," but that Spanberger "has an advantage."

Fox News

32 minutes ago

• Fox News

Stephen Colbert floats masked ICE agents possibly getting shot in states with 'Stand Your Ground' laws

"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert questioned whether "Stand Your Ground" laws put masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at risk of being shot during an interview with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., on Thursday. As Democrats across the country continue to criticize the federal agency's use of masks and civilian clothing, the liberal host questioned whether officers are being put in danger in "Stand Your Ground" states like Florida. Colbert said he was alarmed because, "it does feel like kidnapping, because, as you said, unmarked windowless vans will show up. Men will get out wearing masks… no identifying patches, do not identify themselves. They don't have badges." "They grab people and put them in a van, in a state like Florida that has a 'Stand Your Ground' law and people can open carry," he went on. "It's dangerous for those officers, not just for the people, because why wouldn't you think that you were being attacked?" Despite Colbert's claim, open carry is not legal in Florida. It is allowed under certain, limited circumstances, such as hunting or fishing. In February 2025, however, Governor Ron DeSantis urged the legislature to support open carry. Earlier in the interview, Colbert asked Frost to clarify what he meant when he called the Trump administration's last round of deportations a "taxpayer-funded kidnapping operation." The Florida congressman argued that the "mass deportations" promised by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign could hardly be classified as deportations due to a lack of legal due process for those being deported. "There is no legal process for people," he claimed. "We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities, hopping out of unmarked vans, stealing — and yes, kidnapping people. Not giving them their day in court and yes — human trafficking them to other nations, other countries around the entire world." Frost also questioned why agents felt the need to conceal their identities in the first place. "My other thing is, if you are proud of what you're doing, why do you have to wear a mask to do it?" he asked. "If you are operating within the bounds of the law, you should not have to cover your face. That is the problem with ICE and with the administration right now is this whole thing is happening in the shadows." Earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons slammed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on "Fox & Friends" for their "disgusting" rhetoric about agents masking up, which he felt put him and his officers in danger. Wu compared ICE agents wearing masks to members of the neo-Nazi group the Nationalist Social Club-131 (NSC-131) during a press conference on June 5, amid government claims that ICE agents have faced a 413% increase in assaults. Jeffries has called for the identification of ICE agents who perpetrate "aggressive overreach."