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BOSTON The state's Democratic Party huddles this weekend to nominate candidates in wide-open races for governor, attorney general and other statewide offices ahead of this fall's elections.

Topping the Democratic party's ticket is a wide-open governor's race between Attorney General Maura Healey and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Daz, D-Jamaica Plain, who are both vying for the nomination at the two-day convention in Worcester, which kicks off Friday night.

Healey, the perceived front runner in the race, is widely expected to win a majority of the delegates but political observers will be watching to see if Daz can garner the 15% vote needed to get on the Sept. 6 primary ballot.

Democrats are heading into the convention optimistic about holding on to the several statewide offices and retaking the governor's office for the first time in eight years, with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker not seeking a third term.

"We can't take anything for granted, given that we've only had one Democratic governor in the last 30 years," said Phil Johnston, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party and delegate who is backing Healey. "We need to work extra hard to make sure that we win, but I'm very optimistic that we will win."

The race for lieutenant governor remains less certain, with a crowded field of Democrats vying for enough votes to win a spot on the ballot.

Five hopefuls are running for the second-in-command job, including Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and Bret Bero, a Boston businessman making his first run for elected office.

Several lawmakers Sens. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, and Tami Gouveia, D-Acton are also seeking the party's nomination.

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately, and winners are matched on the general election ballot. So far, neither of the Democratic gubernatorial candidates have hinted at which of the five candidates they would favor for a running mate.

Further down the ticket, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio, D-Methuen, and Chris Dempsey, a transit advocate, are seeking the party's nomination to run for state auditor following Democrat Suzanne Bump's decision not to seek another four-year term.

Meanwhile, three Democrats Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell, Quentin Palfrey, a former Assistant Attorney General, and attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan are running for Attorney General with Healey seeking the top elected office.

Tanisha Sullivan, president of the Boston chapter of the NAACP, is seeking the party's nomination against incumbent Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who is seeking an unprecedented eighth term in office. Galvin, who has held the office since 1995, is one of the longest serving secretaries' of state.

State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, a Democrat who is seeking a third-term, is the only statewide candidate who is unopposed at this weekend's convention.

The candidates have spent months making the rounds at city and town party committee meetings to talk about their reasons for running and drum up support from local delegates ahead of the convention.

Besides nominating candidates, the gathering will also be an opportunity for Democrats to voice their concerns about major issues ahead of the midterm elections, including abortion access and gun control.

Democratic Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren are among the list of speakers set to address delegates on Saturday.

The state Republican Party held its convention two weeks ago, where former state representative Geoff Diehl and Wrentham business owner Chris Doughty, and their chosen running mates, garnered enough votes to make the GOP primary ballot.

Republican delegates overwhelmingly endorsed Donald Trump-backed Diehl for governor and his running mate, former state Rep. Leah Cole Allen, for lieutenant governor. Diehl won the support of 71% of the delegates, while Doughty outstripped expectations by coming away with 29% of the vote while his running mate, former state Rep. Kate Campanale, won 30% of the vote.

There's also an element of suspense in potential outcomes from this weekend's Democratic Party convention. While some delegates have voiced their support for candidates, others have said they are waiting until the convention to decide.

One statewide race where party delegates appear to be undecided is the wide-open race for state auditor between DiZoglio and Dempsey.

Republican Anthony Amore, the lone GOP candidate in the race, suggested that undecided delegates should wait until the primary to pull a GOP ballot and vote for him.

"Even Democrats should be concerned about one-party rule on Beacon Hill, and many are comfortable with having a moderate Republican in office to keep checks and balances in place," he said Thursday. "A majority of Democrats support Governor Baker, and he thinks they should elect me too."

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Groups newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@northofboston.com.

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Democrats to huddle for state convention in Worcester - The Daily News of Newburyport

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On Sunday, President Joe Biden attended a Catholic Mass in Uvalde, Texas, for the 19 children and two teachers who had been murdered at Robb Elementary School. When he emerged to protesters shouting Do something! he stood tall, pointed his finger at the crowd, and responded loudly, at least twice, We will.

Support for tighter gun laws will probably last only until Americans forget about Uvalde. Given that we are, as Gore Vidal called it, the United States of Amnesia, Democrats have a small window of time in which to act on gun control. But thats okay, because Democrats dont have much time before the midterms, eithernow is the time for Democrats to put a big win on the board. A win on guns would not only protect children; it would shore up Bidens anemic poll numbers and excite the Democratic base. If Democratic voters dont show up this fall, it will be because theyve lost faith in Democrats ability to deliver. And yet, Democrats seem to be terrified to deliver.

Well, many of them do. Not, seemingly, Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke, who showed up at a press conference about the Uvalde shooting and told off the current governor, Greg Abbott, saying, You are doing nothing. You are offering up nothing. You said this was not predictable. This was totally predictable when you choose not to do anything. I was incredibly gratified by Betos disruption. We want electeds who will fight for our values as hard as Republicans will fight against them.

Recent Democratic primary results seem to support this. In Georgia, Representative Lucy McBath easily defeated Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux, a member of Representative Josh Gottheimers Unbreakable Nine, the House group that has blocked Bidens agenda and that was supported by the political organization No Labels. Two other members of the group have also been broken, or at least bent: Kurt Schrader of Oregon, who lost his primary despite having $1.3 million in funding, and Henry Cuellar of Texas, who is ensnared in a recount. In Pennsylvanias Senate primary, meanwhile, John Fetterman crushed polite centrist Congressman Conor Lamb. Seems like a lot of Democrats dont want to be represented by some focus-grouped, mealymouthed moderate who just wants to find common ground with Ted Cruz. Maybe because sensible people have no common ground with Ted Cruz.

Fetterman told me, At a time when the other side has basically declared war on reality, and is willing to lie about something as fundamental as who won an election, its important that Democrats not only call out the BS, but take a stand and dont back down from a fight. When the stakes are this high, we need more Democrats who are clear and confident about what we believe, refuse to apologize for it, and dont run away scared every time Republicans call us names.

As Ron Brownstein noted in The Atlantic, Pew polling found that significant majorities of Americans support background checks (81 percent), an assault-weapons ban (63 percent), and a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines (64 percent); a majority also opposes concealed carry of weapons without a permit. Gun control is a winner for Democrats, and thats why Republicans just want to run out the clock on it. I really hope people don't speculate, don't jump to the usual political conclusions, don't call for these sweeping massive changes while people are grieving, Kellyanne Conway said on Fox Newss The Fiveas if taking no action and accepting gun violence as a given should be a comfort to someone who has just lost a child in a mass shooting. Once again, Democrats need to stop pretending that Republicans are good-faith actors.

If the GOP is hostage to its base, Democrats are on the run from their core voters. Whether its voting rights or debt forgiveness, when it comes to delivering a win for their base, Democrats seem unwilling or unable to deliver.

Before speaking at a Memorial Day observance on Monday, Biden said that Mitch McConnell is a rational Republican. [Senator John] Cornyn is as well. Maybe he was being ironic, or playing 16-dimensional chess. History clearly shows that Mitch McConnell will not ever do anything to protect Americans from guns. If hes saying that he wants a bipartisan solution, its because he knows he can simply keep saying that until the moment passes. After Uvalde, McConnell told CNN, "I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution." And after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in 2016, he told reporters, "Were open to serious suggestions from the experts as to what we might be able to do to be helpful. Remember, this is the guy who, according to The Washington Post, refused a meeting with the Sandy Hook families.

What should Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer do, you ask? How about push Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to support a filibuster carve-out for an assault-weapons ban. (He should have also done this for voting-rights legislation.) The very conservative Supreme Court may try to overturn such a ban. Or maybe Manchin and Sinema wont go for it, in which case, the blood of the next mass shooting is at least partially on their hands. But if nothing else, Schumers attempt would show the Democratic base whom to blame.

As Representative Rubin Gallego of Arizona tweeted at Sinema after she said she was horrified and heartbroken by the senseless tragedy unfolding at Robb Elementary School, Please just stop.. unless you are willing to break the filibuster to actually pass sensible gun control measures you might as well just say thoughts and prayers. And Schumer loves a show vote. When he does it to Republicans, it never works, because Republicans love to show that they vote on party lines. But with Sinema and Manchin, he may see a different result. And if he doesnt, at least Schumer will have done what his constituents sent him to Washington to do.

At the state and local levels, Democrats should go after gun rights with the same twisted playbook that Republicans have used to go after a woman's right to choose. Throw open the doors for everyonevictims, families of victims, friends of victimsto sue gun manufacturers. New York should pass its own S.B. 8 for guns. Republicans pretend to love states rights. Let's see how they like it when blue states decide to fight back. Democrats might feel powerless, but its because theyre relying on an outdated playbook. Its time to be brave, think big, and deliver for the American people.

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Democrats Should Do Something the Way the GOP Does Things - The Atlantic

Energy issues are defining U.S. consumer, economic and security challenges more profoundly than any time since the oil embargoes of the 1970s. Russias invasion of Ukraine has placed enormous pressure on global oil and natural gas supplies,driving up prices around the world, and exacerbating already high domestic inflation, with U.S. consumers facing new record gasoline prices of more than $4.50 a gallon in part due to the newEU embargo on Russian oilthis week.

Yet, the crisis comes with real opportunity. Consumer anger over energy costs and new concerns about U.S. energy security are together providing key Democrats, especially perpetual swing vote Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), with fresh political motivations to enact a sweeping package of clean energy tax incentives that can also limit future oil shocks.

Late last week, Manchinindicatedthat renewed talks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden(D-Ore.) may yet yield a dealon clean energy, as part of a scaled back Democratic-only budget reconciliation bill also focused on deficit reduction and Medicare prescription drug price cuts. And while Manchin has said reducing inflation is his chief policy concern, he and other Democrats have been slow to acknowledge that a revolution in domestic clean energy innovation and commercialization through tax incentives can helpinsulate America from future global oil shocks, improving U.S. energy security, along with addressing climate change.

Gaining long-term benefits of cheaper energy and insulation from fossil fuel commodity price shocks, however, will require a period of time where certain technologies need pending tax incentives to gain market share, help balance the electrical grid and lower prices. The costs of wind and solar power has fallen by more than 80 percent in just the last decade, making it cheaper than fossil energy in many markets, but due to its intermittency these climate-friendly renewable energy sourceswill require greater deployment of electricity storage and smart grid technologiesencouraged through the tax code and federal innovation incentives.

Electric vehicle adoption can over timereduce U.S. oil demanddramatically,lowering consumer fuel and maintenance costs, andhelping America manufacturerscompete with foreign EV producers, especially China. But today, EVs typically have sticker prices of at least $10,000 more than comparable gasoline-powered cars, although auto producers project rapidly reduced new EV prices as production lines reach scale. This is precisely why a pending Senate Finance Committee bill proposes consumer tax credits for EVs of at least $7,500. Under current law, domestic EVs produced by GM and Tesla no longer qualify for tax credits, so Congress must act to help our own manufacturers.

Even so, the U.S. will still need to produce more oil and natural gas for years to come to limit price shocks and improve energy security, as many Democrats have been slow to admit. But greater renewable electricity, along with existing and new nuclear, hydropower, geothermal, hydrogen and other sources, can reduce domestic price pressures on U.S. natural gas, more of which will need to be exported to help our EU allies break free from Russian gas. More broadly, the reduction in U.S. oil and gas reliance must remain a central long-term goal, both to address climate change and to wean the world from the influence of petro-dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Just as in the 1970s, the U.S. today cannot now rely on increases in Middle Eastern oil supplies to help cut oil prices, since Saudi Arabia especially has turned a deaf ear to requests for more production while making billions each day in new profits. The Saudi crown prince, the Kingdoms de facto ruler,recently refused to even take President Bidens callon the topic, and last month the Saudi energy minister said he intends to work out a [production] agreement with OPEC plus which includes Russia.

This suggests the Saudis and OPEC intend to limit production and keep global oil prices high for the foreseeable future, perpetuating energy inflation, their own high profits, and U.S. oil security vulnerability. This prospect is a key reasonBiden now intends to visit Saudi Arabiaand meet with the crown prince after a visit to Israel in late June.

Historically, in the face of Russian aggression, Middle East hostility, and oil price spikes, the U.S. has responded with bipartisan policies to increase energy supplies, reduce oil demand and address resulting economic and security vulnerabilities. In the 1970s,legislation supported by both Democrats and Republicanscreated the U.S. Energy Department, instituted the first auto fuel efficiency regulations, and created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Again in the 2000s during the Iraq War,Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005with bipartisan support to increase alternative supplies, and a Democratic House and President George W. Bush were able to pass a bill toraise domestic auto fuel efficiency to cut oil demand in 2007.

Yet, in a stunning demonstration of the high cost of extreme political partisanship to average Americans, Congress has been unable to pass major bipartisan energy and climate legislation, even as the energy crisis has worsened.

Now as midterm elections loom, time is running out for Congress to act. If bipartisan negotiations falter, as seems likely, then Democrats must act alone this summer as best they can. The White House and most Democrats may simply have to swallow hard and accept elements like increased debt reduction aimed at inflation to make sure needed energy and climate action finally happens.

At a May press conference,Biden said,I want every American to know that Im taking inflation very seriously and its my top domestic priority. And to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reckless autocrats like Putin, Im working with Congress to pass landmark investments to help build a clean energy future as well.

Given newly urgent energy inflation and security concernsimportant to most Americans,Democrats now have compelling new reasons to act on clean energy, in addition to the climate crisis. If they dont,anincreasingly disgruntled electoratetired of years of inaction on energy and climatewill likely seal their fate in November.

PaulBledsoeis strategic adviser at theProgressive Policy Instituteand professorial lecturer at American Universitys Center for Environmental Policy. He served as communications director of the White House Climate Change Task Force under President Bill Clinton.

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Democrats must limit oil shocks along with climate risks - The Hill

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Multiple Democratic state legislative candidates are suing Ohios top election official to get their names on the ballot.

In the latest ripple effect of Ohios redistricting battle, the six hopefuls five of whom are from central Ohio say Secretary of State Frank LaRose erroneously instructed boards of elections to reject their petitions, according to a complaint filed Tuesday with the Ohio Supreme Court.

The argument stems from when was the filing deadline for Ohios second primary election, set for Aug. 2. If the court rejects the plaintiffs arguments, Democrats may not have any official candidates in the Democratic-leaning Senate District 25 and House Districts 11 and 39.

Under Ohio law, aspiring officeholders must file a petition for candidacy 90 days before the date of a primary election.That means, for candidates running in the May 3 primary, the filing deadline was Feb. 2.

But if counting backward 90 days from Aug. 2, the filing deadline was May 4.

In a directive Saturday, LaRose ordered county election officials to recertify or reject by Friday any candidates who filed after Feb. 2 for the May 3 primary.

But given the Republican-dominated Ohio Redistricting Commissions months-long fight with the Ohio Supreme Court that led the state to hold two primary elections, plaintiffs contend that they werent required to file for office until May 4.

Despite the state court striking down the commissions third set of legislative maps that favored Republicans, a federal three-judge panel ordered LaRose to use the maps anyway, citing the need to be ready for Aug. 2.

LaRose, however, argued that the federal ruling did not change the Feb. 2 filing deadline.

All candidates in the suit met the deadlines that plaintiffs argue LaRose should follow, according to their individual declarations of candidacy.

Write-in candidates have 72 days before the start of a primary election to submit a petition for candidacy, according to Ohio Revised Code. Leronda Jackson and Elizabeth Thien are also part of the suit, saying they met their deadline by filing on May 16 and 23, respectively.

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Republican secretary of state sued over rejecting Democrats ballot petitions - NBC4 WCMH-TV

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Political strategists from both sides of the aisle are sounding off about what issues they think voters will care most about as they head to the polls for this year's midterm elections.

A number of those strategists spoke with Fox News Digital to give their predictions about which direction voters might swing in an election cycle that historically sees the party not in power, the Republicans in this case, make significant gains in Congress and other races.

Despite differences in opinion as to how the hot-button issues of abortion and gun control would sway voters, the one thing they all agreed on was that the economic challenges plaguing the country would take center stage when it came to which party Americans would ultimately support.

Democratic strategist James Carville pointed to the country's economic woes as the main indicator for how the midterms could go. (Munoz for ICSS Livepic/Getty Images)

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Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville poured water on the idea that concern over guns would make a significant impact in the elections and pointed to the country's economic woes as the main indicator for how the midterms could go.

"Historically it hasn't been a dominant issue," he said, referencing the impact guns could have on election results, but noted it could have a specific effect on some Democratic voters concerned about other "cultural" issues like the environment and abortion.

Carville admitted that the outlook for Democrats in the midterms was "not going in a very good direction," but that they could potentially "cut their losses short" if voters did decide to turn out over fears that a Supreme court decision ending Roe v. Wade would lead to future decisions they might oppose.

Earlier in the spring, voters' concerns centered largely on the Biden administration's handling of the numerous economic challenges facing Americans, including a near 40-year-high inflation rate and record-high gas prices. However, the discussion on the political landscape surrounding the midterms was upended in May with the leaking of a Supreme Court draft memo suggesting the nation's highest court might be set to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion nationwide.

The leaked draft memo was followed by the shooting deaths of 10 people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket, as well as the shooting last week at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers.

Pro-life demonstrators protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, May 16, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

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Each of those events sparked intense political rhetoric from Democrats over future access to abortions, as well as potential gun control legislation, that began making its way into conversations surrounding the elections.

Carville ultimately predicted Democrats' performance would depend on the economy, specifically pointing to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and income growth.

He argued "Democrats might do better" if those two indicators improved, but that for now it was "like watching two horses race back and forth."

"The big problem for this White House and the Democratic Party, is they've created so many other problems that are competing with abortion or guns among voters, and it's going to be hard to put those aside," said former Trump administration adviser Kellyanne Conway, specifically mentioning high gas prices, supply chain issues, and the shortage of baby formula affecting families with newborns.

Conway argued that Democrats were trying to capitalize on issues like abortions and guns, two topics she discussed at length in her new memoir, "Here's the Deal," but that they were "competing with themselves for voters" because of their handling of the economic challenges affecting Americans.

She added that Democrats were making "significant miscalculations" by thinking that voters only cared about certain issues, but noted that the recent shooting tragedies and concern over Roe v. Wade could still drive more people to the polls.

People use voting machines to fill out their ballots in the Georgia primary at the Metropolitan Library on May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor Kevin Walling talked about the importance of issues like guns and abortion, but repeated the same argument made by Carville and Conway that voters' intentions would come down to the "bread and butter issues."

"It's still going to be inflation as the core focus, I think, of voters going to the polls," he said.

Walling stated that Roe v. Wade and guns could come into play in some races across the country where those issues stand out specifically for certain constituents, but that "it really is going to be the economy."

He added that "the million-dollar question" was which party would come out on top in November, but that he was "bullish" about Democrats' chances despite their economic challenges.

President Biden clears his throat as he announces new steps requiring government to buy more made-in-America goods on March 4, 2022. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)

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Voters' concerns about the economy have also been evident when it comes to President Biden's approval rating.

According to a poll published last month by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, only 18% of respondents said Bidens policies had helped more than they had hurt the economy, while 51% said his policies had hurt more than they had helped.

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Democratic, Republican strategists agree economy will trounce guns, abortion as 'number one issue' in midterms - Fox News