New Steadiness chairman Jim Davis’s $1 million donation to Josh Kraft’s tremendous PAC is dangerous optics for Kraft and extra ammo for Mayor Michelle Wu, who’s making an attempt to tie Kraft to the wealthy white Trump man membership.
Davis, a billionaire and Republican donor who has gotten concerned in Boston races earlier than, gave $1 million to the PAC known as Your Metropolis, Your Future, which is backing Kraft, marketing campaign finance data present.
The disclosure that Davis is not directly bankrolling Kraft might profit his marketing campaign financially however undercuts his message, which is struggling to realize traction in opposition to the lefty favourite Wu.
The mayor has beforehand charged that rich builders and enterprise pursuits are behind Kraft’s marketing campaign, so the Davis donation performs proper into her fingers.
What’s subsequent, a Trump endorsement?
Davis donated nearly $400,000 to the Trump Victory Committee in 2016 and has given tens of millions to Republican candidates all through the nation. He has additionally supported Democrats just like the late Tom Menino.
Within the days earlier than the 2021 Boston preliminary election, Davis donated $495,000 to a brilliant PAC backing Wu’s eventual opponent, Annissa Essaibi George and that induced some controversy.
“Jim shares Annissa’s love for the town of Boston and her ardour for offering alternatives for each Bostonian,” a New Steadiness spokesperson stated on the time.
One massive distinction on this race is that Josh Kraft doesn’t want the monetary help. He’s able to elevating tens of millions from his household wealth and from rich mates and supporters.
Wu has a number of tremendous PACs backing her and has greater than $1 million in her marketing campaign account.
Kraft has repeatedly emphasised that he’s a registered Democrat now regardless that Boston’s election is nonpartisan, and has disavowed any ties to Trump although his father, Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft, is a Trump supporter.
Tremendous PACs are legally prohibited from coordinating with campaigns.
A spokesman for Kraft’s marketing campaign declined to touch upon the Davis donation to Your Metropolis, Your Future.
That silence speaks volumes.
From day one among his marketing campaign, Kraft has sought to distance himself from Trump and the Republican Celebration, saying he doesn’t comply with in his father’s footsteps in the case of political leanings.
The disclosure of Davis’s contribution on Wednesday got here on the identical day Kraft was making an attempt to get consideration for releasing his first digital advert of the marketing campaign highlighting Wu’s help for the expensive White Stadium renovation.
“By each measure, Mayor Wu has failed to resolve Boston’s housing disaster,” Kraft says within the advert. “On the similar time, (she) has dedicated to spending ‘no matter it prices’ to rebuild White Stadium, a facility which can primarily profit rich personal buyers as a substitute of BPS pupil athletes.”
Davis additionally bought concerned within the 2023 and 2021 races, donating greater than $1 million to an outdoor group making an attempt to defeat Wu in 2021 and pouring cash into a number of metropolis council races two years in the past.
A number of council candidates have been pressured to disavow the Davis contributions from a brilliant PAC known as “Ahead Boston,” citing his Republican connections.
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