Two highly effective political forces – Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and South Boston state Sen. Nick Collins – could possibly be on a collision course, with hypothesis swirling that she want to goal Collins in subsequent 12 months’s election.
After crushing her opponents this 12 months, together with defeating conservative council candidate Frank Baker, Wu might flip to taking out Collins as her subsequent huge political mission.
And given Wu’s rising political energy and her penchant for aggressively difficult her opponents, Collins is paying consideration.
“Would she wish to get him out of there? In all probability,” one plugged in metropolis insider mentioned.
“She desires to defeat him,” one other political insider with information of the spat mentioned.
Collins was liable for Wu’s greatest and solely political lack of her first time period, the defeat of the mayor’s industrial tax hike plan, which stalled within the state Senate.
Collins additionally notably didn’t endorse Wu for reelection, and was seen by Wu supporters as backing her opponent Josh Kraft, although Collins by no means endorsed him.
So it could make sense that the politically formidable Wu want to get somewhat Boston-style revenge for Collins blocking her tax enterprise, which resulted in her having to hike taxes on Boston residents.
After Collins blocked Wu’s tax proposal, the Globe did a weak hit piece on him taking hundreds of {dollars} in donations from the true property business. Wu herself has additionally accepted huge cash donations from the identical actual property pursuits.
Collins additionally lately not directly criticized Wu’s actions or lack of motion round Mass and Cass, writing in a Boston Herald editorial in assist of his invoice to deal with the disaster.
“This one intersection has develop into the epicenter of a public well being and public security emergency,” Collins wrote. “Let’s cease ready for headlines to pressure our hand. Let’s act now, move this invoice, and show that we will meet this disaster with the urgency and humanity it calls for.”
Collins additionally expressed considerations about transportation points round Wu’s plan to rebuild White Stadium for the Boston ladies’s skilled soccer staff, asking the MBTA to overview the stadium’s environmental impression.
Taking down Collins or discovering an opponent to beat him could possibly be tougher than Wu imagines. He was overwhelmingly reelected final time, although he’s by no means actually had a severe opponent.
An inventory of highly effective pols sponsoring Collins’s vacation reception fundraiser consists of U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, Legal professional Common Andrea Campbell, District Legal professional Kevin Hayden, Clerk John Powers, and state Reps. Aaron Michlewitz, Russell Holmes, Chynah Tyler and Chris Worrell. Different sponsors embrace Metropolis Councilors John Fitzgerald, Ed Flynn, Erin Murphy, Brian Worrell, and Councilor-elect Miniard Culpepper.
However that gained’t cease Wu from looking for a candidate to leap within the race. Prior to now she has recruited from inside Metropolis Corridor so it wouldn’t be shocking to see one in all her aides make the leap in opposition to Collins.
However whereas Collins, who represents not simply South Boston however Dorchester and Chinatown, seems robust to beat, he might take some shrapnel from a Boston Globe story Wednesday about his twin brother, Andrew’s actual property initiatives.
The headline on the story was: “A sprawling Southie actual property mission, a state senator’s brother, and $143 million in lawsuits.”
Describing Andrew Collins within the second paragraph, the story mentioned, “He was charismatic, persuasive, and – left unsaid — the an identical twin brother of state Senator Nick Collins.”
Within the story, Senator Collins and his brother mentioned the senator had nothing to do with the true property enterprise.
Collins and Wu weren’t at all times enemies, the truth is that they had an excellent working relationship when Wu was on the Metropolis Council, in accordance with individuals with information of their relationship. However that has clearly develop into strained during the last 12 months.
The rising rivalry and potential for Wu to recruit an opponent might develop into open warfare on the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, which is hosted by Collins. Wu usually goes to the breakfast and is a featured speaker, and her absence would sign a rift between her and Collins.
