< Back to front page Text size – +

Political Circuit: Healey, eyeing race, has money to spend

E-mail|Link|Comments () August 28, 2009 03:09 PM

If former lieutenant governor Kerry Healey jumps into the special election to succeed the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, money shouldn't be a problem.

In 2006, when she lost to Deval Patrick in the governor's race, the Beverly Republican spent a record-setting $13.2 million, about $10 million of it from her family's personal funds. If she runs again, Healey might again be able to rely on her wealthy husband, Sean M. Healey, president and CEO of Affiliated Managers Group, a Prides Crossing-based company that holds majority interests in a stable of boutique investment management firms. Healey's salary is about $6 million a year, but most of his net worth is in the value of lucrative stock options.

AMG's stock, which took a pounding last year, has doubled in value in recent months and Healey and several other company officials recently exercising lucrative stock options.

Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission disclose that Healey cashed in options that netted him about $2 million on Aug. 13, and $2.2 million on May 18.

-- BRIAN MOONEY

Baker shows some early money muscle

Speaking of fund-raising, Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker, a political novice who has never had to raise money for statewide office, is demonstrating some early campaign finance acumen, a critical test for the favored candidate of much of the GOP establishment.

Campaign aides said Baker will report to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance shortly that he raised about $120,000 in August, a month that is probably the toughest in which to shake the trees for political contributions. After expenses, he has about $100,000 in his account. His campaign fund-raising team meanwhile has booked more than 60 fund-raising events over the next three months.

Still, Baker, who said he will not put any of his own personal money into his campaign, has a long way to go. For starters, he is facing a primary battle with a multimillionaire Republican, Christy Mihos, the convenience store magnate, who is considering spending as much as $15 million in his bid for governor. Those kinds of funds could dwarf anything Baker would be able to raise.

-- FRANK PHILLIPS

The etiquette of online mourning

When news of Kennedy's death washed over Boston early Wednesday morning, it seemed the mayoral candidates couldn't issue statements of condolences fast enough.

Within hours, Mayor Thomas M. Menino distributed his thoughts, calling Kennedy a close friend and inspiration. His challengers, City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon, soon issued their own statements praising Kennedy's legacy. South End businessman Kevin McCrea weighed in about his respect for the senator.

But online, the mayoral candidates differed considerably in their treatment of the senator's death. Both Menino and Flaherty -- the most experienced politicians on the mayoral ballot -- prominently feature Kennedy tributes on their campaign web sites. At the top of Menino's web site, the mayor writes, "On behalf of the city of Boston, our thoughts and prayers go out to Vicki and the entire Kennedy family." Flaherty cited Kennedy's "unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for all residents."

Visitors to Yoon's and McCrea's web sites, though, will find nothing of the sort. Yoon, who was first elected in 2005, instead advertises his performance at an Allston-Brighton Town Hall meeting on Aug. 13. Yoon's campaign notes, however, that immediately after Kennedy's death, the councilor posted a note saying he was suspending campaigning. "Senator Kennedy was a public servant of the highest order who dedicated his life to justice for all," Yoon wrote.

McCrea's site instead offers a letter to voters pledging change at City Hall.

-- DONOVAN SLACK