With help from Kelly Garrity

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: WU BACKS SANTANA — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is endorsing Henry Santana for city councilor at-large today, giving a major boost to her former civic engagement director in a crowded citywide race.

“There’s a lot at stake on the ballot this fall. And Henry’s story is Boston’s story,” the mayor told Playbook. “He grew up in an immigrant family living in public housing and going to Boston Public Schools. He became a U.S. citizen and found his calling in serving his community. And it’s been really inspiring to watch him get things done.”

Wu is wading into the at-large race at a crucial moment. Veteran Councilor Michael Flaherty’s decision to withdraw his name from contention leaves three incumbents running for four citywide seats, opening the door for at least one of the five at-large challengers to win a spot on the council. Santana has sought to capitalize on the opportunity by rolling out a slew of endorsements from elected officials, including at-large Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune — who’s technically his competitor — and several state lawmakers.

Santana isn’t the only newcomer that Wu is working to get elected to the council. The mayor has also endorsed Sharon Durkan, her former political fundraiser, in next week’s special election for District 8 — a contest that came up because Wu tapped another ally, Kenzie Bok, to run the Boston Housing Authority. And Wu’s head of neighborhood services, Enrique Pepén, is running in District 5. Wu has yet to endorse in that race, and whether she makes a move there could be complicated by her past support of embattled Councilor Ricardo Arroyo.

She’s also been helping incumbents, headlining recent fundraisers for Councilors Gabriela Coletta and Liz Breadon, per the Dorchester Reporter’s Gintautas Dumcius.

Wu insists her endorsements aren’t about securing more friendly faces on a council that in its current iteration is at best dysfunctional and at worst detrimental to her agenda.

She noted that the council has passed several of her biggest policy priorities, including rent control and overhauling the Boston Planning & Development Agency. But members attempted to substantially change elements of her latest budget in ways she opposed. And the mayor keeps having to answer for a council that continually courts chaos and controversy.

“An endorsement isn’t about promising certain votes or needing to be wedded to specific policy positions,” Wu said. “But it is important that we are aligned when it comes to understanding what Boston needs … and a willingness to bring people together and focus on getting things done.”

And in the case of Santana, Wu said he’ll be “an incredible partner for our administration because he’s aligned with the values that Boston residents put us into office to act on, but also because he knows how it works department by department.”

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Wu will publicly endorse Santana at 9 a.m. at the UNITE HERE New England Joint Board office along with other supporters.

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll visit Flats Mentor Farm at 8:45 a.m. in Lancaster, announce Food Security Infrastructure grants at 11 a.m. at Fruit Fair in Chicopee and announce a “new relief effort” for flooded farms at 12:30 p.m. at Mountain View Farm in Easthampton. Driscoll surveys Fitchburg flood impacts at 3 p.m. Rep. Jim McGovern is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. Wu visits Dorchester’s Ryan Playground at 11:30 a.m.

Tips? Scoops? Endorsements? Email me: [email protected].

— THERE’S ALWAYS A MASSACHUSETTS CONNECTION: The opening battle in the war for New Hampshire’s next governor is over … Massachusetts?

Republican candidate-in-waiting Kelly Ayotte fired the opening salvo, in a statement teasing the former U.S. senator’s seemingly inevitable gubernatorial campaign: “Like many Granite Staters, I fear we are one election away from turning into Massachusetts.”

Minutes later, Maura Healey weighed in. The first-term Democrat made the biggest endorsement of her gubernatorial tenure thus far — by backing outgoing Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig for governor of her home state of New Hampshire.

“Take it from @maura_healey,” Ayotte tweeted in response. “Joyce Craig would turn New Hampshire into Massachusetts.”

That’s a bad thing? Anyway, cue Craig coming to Massachusetts — and Healey’s — defense: “Governor Healey defeated Republican extremism and has delivered critical protections for reproductive freedom,” Craig told Playbook in a statement.

The next 14 months are going to be interesting. But not just because of the regional jabs.

Chris Sununu’s decision not to seek a record fifth term as governor prompted race raters to immediately shift New Hampshire’s corner-office contest to a toss-up.

National Democrats now see the state as one of their best opportunities — if not the best opportunity — for a pickup in 2024 after winning Massachusetts, Maryland and Arizona last year. And the primary shaping up between Craig and Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington will give Massachusetts Democrats facing a potentially boring cycle on this side of the border something to do.

But Republicans aren’t backing down. Former state Senate President Chuck Morse jumped into the race almost immediately after Sununu stepped aside. Ayotte is likely to follow, as could Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut.

“The Republican agenda works here,” Sununu told Playbook, adding that he’ll “probably” endorse in the primary.

— “Sununu’s exit spells the end of a whole breed of Republican governor,” by Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO: “Fiscally conservative but more socially moderate Republican governors have long defied electoral odds in blue and purple states. … Sununu’s exit threatens to grow the power vacuum that [Charlie] Baker and [Larry] Hogan created in a region that was once a stronghold for both moderate Republicans and an increasingly bygone way of bipartisan politicking.”

— More: “What Sununu’s retirement means for the New Hampshire GOP presidential primary,” by Charlie Mahtesian and Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO.

— THE OUTTAKES: Sununu called Playbook from Logan Airport en route to Texas to meet New Hampshire National Guard soldiers deployed along the southern border. The Boston airport is usually convenient, he said. But with the Sumner Tunnel closure? “It’s a frickin disaster.” FWIW, the state highway administrator says the traffic congestion has been “manageable” so far.

— OPEN FOR BUSINESS: The sub-basement electrical fire that sent carbon monoxide swirling through the State House was accidental, officials said. The building reopens today.

— “Campbell, other Dem. AGs, fire back at Republicans on diversity and equity,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “A group of Democratic Attorneys General, including the Bay State’s Andrea Campbell, have joined together to tell the nation’s largest corporations that they can go ahead and ignore any assertions on matters of equity and diversity from their Republican counterparts. During a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday, 21 of the nation’s top law enforcement officials announced they had signed on to a letter sharply disagreeing with their conservative colleagues interpretation of a recent Supreme Court decision striking down the use of race as a consideration during college admissions.”

— “Healey appoints Linehan to statewide library board,” by Cassidy McNeeley, Dorchester Reporter: “Gov. Healey has appointed Joyce Linehan, a Lower Mills resident who was a top adviser to former mayor Marty Walsh, as a member of the nine-member Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).”

— “Council Approves All Seven of Healey’s Pardon Recommendations,” by Sam Drysdale, State House News Service (paywall).

— “Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara pleads not guilty to multiple charges in connection with June crash,” by Danny McDonald, Vivi Smilgius and Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara was arraigned Wednesday at West Roxbury Municipal Court on nine charges in connection with a June crash where authorities allege she slammed an unregistered and uninsured car into a Jamaica Plain home while speeding with a revoked license. Lara, 33, is now facing two additional charges. ... At Wednesday’s arraignment, a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf, and the court ordered Lara not to drive without a license. She was released on personal recognizance.”

— “Boston Elections Commission to consider Kendra Lara residency challenge,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Boston Elections Commission will hold a formal hearing to consider four objections to nomination papers filed by City Councilor Kendra Lara, challenging the status of her residency in the district she represents.”

— “T officials say they have ‘reset expectations’ with rail car manufacturer,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Magazine: “Interim GM Jeff Gonneville told the MBTA Board that the Orange Line order is expected to be completed by December of this year, compared with the contractual completion date of January 2022, and the Red Line cars should be delivered by September 2026 rather than this September as contracted.”

— “MassDOT board approves investment spending plan,” by Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez, WBUR.

— “US House Republicans deny funding for Boston’s LGBTQ+ affordable housing project,” by Dominique Farrell, GBH News: “The Pryde, an affordable housing development planned for LGBTQ+ seniors in Boston’s Hyde Park, hit a hurdle yesterday after House Republicans in an appropriations hearing voted to deny it federal funding. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley had requested $850,000 in federal funding to help finance the $47 million project.”

— “Jill Biden Coming To Nantucket For Another Summer Fundraiser,” by Jason Graziadei, Nantucket Current: “First Lady Jill Biden will be back on Nantucket this Saturday for two separate fundraising events, a campaign source told the Current. Biden, who was on the island just last November for the family’s annual Thanksgiving visit, will be attending a brunch and a reception on the island at an undisclosed location.”

— “Pot at the farm stand? Mass. growers would like to sell direct to consumers,” by Kinga Borondy, Telegram & Gazette: “Picking up produce at the local farm stand may soon look different in Massachusetts if the state’s cannabis farmers are granted their request to sell their product directly to consumers, just like farmers now can sell zucchini, tomatoes or blueberries.”

— “Maine governor expands access to abortion later in pregnancy,” by David Sharp, The Associated Press: “Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law Wednesday that allows abortions at any time if deemed medically necessary by a doctor, making the law one of the nation’s least restrictive.”

— “Matos signature scandal spreads across RI; AG now ‘taking the lead’ on investigation,” by Eli Sherman, Tim White, Alexandra Leslie, Kate Wilkinson, WPRI: “The scandal engulfing Sabina Matos’s congressional campaign worsened on Wednesday, with the Democratic lieutenant governor now facing multiple criminal investigations into forged signatures on her nomination papers amid growing questions about election integrity in Rhode Island.”

— “Heroux cuts programs, adds others in first months as county sheriff,” by Audrey Cooney, Herald News.

— “Town manager out of job in Foxboro,” by Jeff Peterson, The Sun Chronicle.

— “Northampton names 11 residents for its new reparations commission,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty, Krista Zalatores, Mass. native and POLITICO alum David Giambusso, and Judge Patti B. Saris.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [email protected].