3/10/21--This week, Jenn and Stephanie discuss the Baker administration's announcement of a new vaccine preregistration system. The centralized tool allows people to preregister for a vaccine appointment in any of the state's seven mass vaccination sites.

Jenn is also keeping an eye on the continued tensions in state leadership, where, after a year of Governor Baker operating under a state of emergency, she describes an "active effort by a few state legislators to hem in Baker’s emergency power."

We're joined this International Women's Week by two excellent reporters. The first is CommonWealth Magazine's Sarah Betancourt, who broke a story surrounding a 2017 provision designed to increase women's access to birth control by allowing them to receive a 12-month supply all at once. Sarah discovered that very few people knew this provision existed, and when some women had tried to take advantage of it, they were often met with obstacles.

Later, Melissa Hanson of MassLIVE has been covering schools' reactions the announcement that Massachusetts elementary schools are to return to in-person learning on April 5. She details the Worcester Public School district's attempt to get a waiver to delay the full-time in-person transition.

Episode 172: A Year on the Coronacoaster

8/5/21-- School administrators, teachers, parents, and students were all thrown for a loop when COVID shut down school buildings and demanded immediate innovation. Some schools, and some students, were better off than others. So much depended on available resources like technology, Internet, and childcare. Families that lacked any one of these struggled with remote school and hybrid school. Learning loss was certainly a symptom of the COVID school year, but the voices on today’s podcast emphasize that it should not be the sole focus as we look towards recovery--that addressing students’ grief; relationships; and physical, social, and emotional well-being takes precedence over reaching a certain benchmark in reading or math. 

Takeru Nagayoshi of New Bedford High School, Tracy O’Connell Novick of the Worcester School Committee, Tanya Nixon-Sillberg of Little Uprisings, and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education Jason Lewis reflect on the past year and a half of school plagued by COVID interruptions and provide insight on what the next academic year could and should provide for teachers, students, and their families.

Next week: Love.

--

Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored in part by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

Episode 3 is also sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, an employer-driven member organization comprised of CEOs and Senior Executives from large employers. Through the Roundtable, business leaders engage with the public and private sectors to advance policies that support the state’s competitiveness and long-term economic prosperity.

Mass Reboot 6: School

8/12/21--When the pandemic hit, just about every aspect of our lives changed. And that includes our relationships-- with family, friends, and partners. Whether you were single, dating, married, or divorced during the pandemic, chances are, dynamics changed at least slightly. Today, we hear from two sets up couples -- Honey Goodenough and Kenneth Dyer, and Eden Heller and Dan Hopkins -- about their experiences together during the pandemic, as well as the Boston Globe Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein about the patterns she saw emerge among people navigating love and dating before, during the height of the pandemic, and now. 

Next week: Government.

--

Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

Mass Reboot 7: Love

9/16/21--The Horse Race rides again! We are back in the saddle after being put out to pasture for a summer, producing Mass Reboot (listen right here in this feed if you haven't yet!). In our first episode back we are joined by brand-new co-host, Lisa Kashinsky! Lisa is the author of the Politico Massachusetts Playbook, formerly of The Boston Herald, and a decorated veteran of Horse Race guesthood. 

This week, Steve, Jenn, and Lisa unpack the results of the Boston mayoral preliminary election. They discuss the reasons behind the painstaking wait for the tallies to come in, what voter turnout looked like this year compared to elections past, and what the shakeout of this historic preliminary election says about Boston.

Intro and outro music credit: Charlie Koczela and Sound of Picture.

Episode 182: Preliminary Report

1/20/2022--This week on The Horse Race, two big campaign announcements hit the news. First, it's the one we've been waiting on for months. Attorney General Maura Healey is running for Governor. She enters the race after much anticipation and speculation with a rate of name recognition and funding that dwarfs that of her competitors. 

Tanisha Sullivan, President of the Boston NAACP, announced her candidacy for Secretary of the Commonwealth. Bill Galvin, who has been in the position for almost three decades, has not yet announced whether he’ll run again.

Vaccine mandates for indoor businesses went into effect throughout Boston this past weekend. Jenn and Lisa talk about the Twitter conversations circulating among people who’ve experienced gaps in enforcement — some businesses don’t check for vaccine proof, others do. 

Also recently implemented is the state’s vaccine passport system which Massachusetts residents can use to access digital proof of their vaccination status. Issues remain with that program as well, like incomplete information for veterans and residents who received jabs out of state. 

Our guest this week is State House reporter for MassLive, Alison Kuznitz. She explains the state’s decision to move away from their current test-and-stay program that allows asymptomatic students to stay in school so long as they test negative for five straight days. The plan is to replace it with a program wherein students receive at-home rapid tests on a biweekly basis.

Episode 198: Test Stressing

3/10/11-- This week, while certain industries are seeing patrons come back in droves amid the bottoming out of COVID cases -- arts and culture venues, restaurants, gyms -- one space that has yet to see such an influx are corporate office. Steve wrote about the risk this phenomenon poses to downtowns like Boston in CommonWealth.

And later, it's caucus season in Massachusetts. Yawu Miller, reporter for The Bay State Banner covered the ins and outs of the 2022 Massachusetts season. He stops by to share his insights about the importance of Ward 18, drastic changes to the caucus landscape since the 90s and even the 2010s, and what it all means for the electorate writ large.

Episode 204: Yawu Miller on changing caucuses

5/25/22-- This week on The Horse Race, Steve, Jennifer, and Lisa begin on the somber note brought about by yet another shooting tragedy, this time in Uvalde Texas, where 19 children and 2 teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School. This comes soon after 11 people were shot and killed in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket. Congressional delegates from Massachusetts expressed sadness and called for action, including disbanding the NRA (Rep. Jake Auchincloss) and abolishing the filibuster and passing gun safety legislation (Sen. Ed Markey). 

A Massachusetts Senate survey conducted in 2019 found what the Boston Globe called an environment of harassment among Senate employees. The report was never publicly released, but the Boston Globe obtained the report and shared the findings this week. Samantha Gross, who covered it, drops by The Horse Race to discuss what Senate staffers expressed, and how the lack of action surrounding instances of harassment contributed to a recent push to unionize.

According to a 2020 study conducted by The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, more than a quarter of 4-year college students experienced food insecurity nationwide.  Proposed legislation would take aim at that problem here in Massachusetts. Gina Plata-Nino, an attorney with Mass. Law Reform Institute and one of the co-chairs of the Hunger Free Campus Coalition, shares details on the bill and explains why food insecurity is such a persistent problem on Massachusetts college campuses.

Episode 214: Survey says...

This Valentine's week, on a special joint recording of The Horse Race and The Codcast, Steve and Jenn ask the burning question: is #mapoli breaking up? They're joined by a crew of #mapoli veterans to discuss how social media has impacted political communications over the past decade and a half, and what the declining political twittersphere means for the future.

Episode 294: Is #mapoli Breaking Up? (Live)

This week on The Horse Race, Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service joins to preview the summer's legislative agenda. Meanwhile, Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky examine hopeful trends in student attendance, alongside less hopeful trends in electoral competitiveness and the Greater Boston news ecosystem.

Episode 305: Better Late Than Never

This week on The Horse Race, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria talks to Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith about the ballot measure proposing to legalize medical psychedelic drugs in Massachusetts. Plus, Steve and Jenn take a look at how both polls and elected officials have responded to the presidential debate.

Episode 310: Tripping Polls

This week on the Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith are joined by state auditor Diana DiZoglio to discuss her ballot measure to enable her office to audit the state legislature, in light of recent legislative events. Steve and Jenn also discuss the latest polling on the presidential campaign, with a special focus on what seems to be a very real shift in vibes from the Democratic side.

Episode 314: Positive Vibe Racin'

This week on The Horse Race, Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith update you on where the presidential tickets stand in the polls, and where Massachusetts stands in the latest attempt to rank the states. Then, Jarred Johnson of TransitMatters joins to discuss the upcoming electrification of the Fairmount line in the MBTA commuter rail system.

Episode 315: For Whom the Train Rolls

This week, it's a double housing policy polling special from the MassINC Polling Group. Jenn interviews Jesse Kanson-Benanav of Abundant Housing Massachusetts about a new poll MPG conducted for them, finding that majorities of Massachusetts voters support most policies to build more housing. Then, Steve and Jenn talk to Olivia Wine of MPG about a recent report on the experiences of tenants and landlords in the Massachusetts state housing voucher program (MRVP).

For the Abundant Housing poll: https://www.massincpolling.com/our-work/new-poll-voters-across-massachusetts-support-building-more-housing-in-their-own-neighborhoodsnbsp

For the MRVP report: https://www.massincpolling.com/our-work/tenants-and-landlords-both-give-massachusetts-rental-voucher-program-good-marks-but-administrative-hurdles-pose-a-challenge

For video of the MRVP report release event: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/videos/2025/may/voices-of-experience-recap

Episode 349: Home is Where the Polls Are

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss how the latest federal proposals will effect education throughout Massachusetts from Harvard to community colleges. Plus, did you know that horse racing is subsidized in Massachusetts?

Episode 351: Trump's War on Higher Education

After years of delayed budgets, the Massachusetts state budget came ever so close to passing on time this year. This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by Chris Lisinski of Statehouse News Service to look at how we got here, and why this year was different.

Episode 356: The Ghost of Budgets Passed

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn are joined by CommonWealth Beacon reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria to talk about the fight to regulate nicotine use in the Commonwealth. In recent years, various Massachusetts municipalities have implemented so-called "generational nicotine bans." On Monday, Borkhetaria attended a hearing where law makers discussed whether these regulations should be statewide or would that just be nannying a population which loves its "legal vices."

"An Act to create a nicotine free generation:" https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/HD2372

Borkhetaria's article in CommonWealth Beacon: https://commonwealthbeacon.org/government/state-government/mass-lawmakers-weigh-a-statewide-age-based-nicotine-ban/  

Articles on Mass. State Sedimentary Structure:
https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2022-09-29/massachusetts-official-sedimentary-structure-geologist-wants-state-to-recognize-armored-mud-balls  

https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/07/14/official-massachusetts-state-symbols-bill-newsletter

Episode 357: A Nicotine Free Generation

This week on The Horse Race, Steve sits down with Rich Parr, VP of The MassINC Polling Group to discuss new polling on the mayoral election. Then Steve is joined by Katie Lannan of GBH News to tell the story of how uncertain federal dollars could spell disaster for the recently passed state budget. And most importantly of all, the heated election for the Feline-Mayor of the Somerville bike path.

Guests:
Rich Parr, Vice President of The MassINC Polling Group
Katie Lennan, Reporter for GBH News

Hosts:
Steve Koczela, President of The MassINC Polling Group

Episode 358: A Potential Big Beautiful Budgetary Disaster

Last week was the deadline to file ballot questions for November 2026 and over 40 ballot questions made it through. These are questions that ultimately could become law covering a wide range of topics from MBTA zoning to rent control, from marijuana "re-illegalization" to voter ID requirements. This week on The Horse Race, Steve is joined by Mike Deehan, reporter for Axios, to discuss how these ballot questions will effect Mass residents. and why filing ballot questions is becoming an increasingly used tactic of political activists and special interests to force issues in Mass., the lowest ranked state for legislative productivity.

Episode 360: Could 40+ Questions on Your Ballot Help Legislative Productivity? (ft. Mike Deehan)

This week on The Horse Race Jenn and Steve talk discuss how automatic voter registration is making Democrats’ woes look worse than they are. And, of course, all the new Mass. flag submissions. 

"The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis" by Shane Goldmacher With Jonah Smith 
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/democratic-party-voter-registration-crisis.html

"Massachusetts political parties are fading away" by Steve Koczela 
www.commonwealthbeacon.org/by-the-numbers/massachusetts-political-parties-are-withering-away/ 


Episode 362: Are Mass. Dems Really Jumping Ship?

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk with Politico's Kelly Garrity about the Trump administration's recent threats to ramp up ICE presence in Boston. Trump has also threatened to send National Guard agents to support ICE enforcement, echoing similar moves in LA and DC. On a lighter note, we are down to three choices for a new Massachusetts state flag.

Episode 363: Mass. Dems Resist Federal Pressure on Boston

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn discuss the results of the Boston Mayoral preliminary election -- by all accounts a blowout for Michelle Wu setting up a tough road to November for Josh Kraft. Plus, all politics is national, and we have some national approval polls to pick through. And last but not least, we can FINALLY stop paying taxes on all the money you've given us, dear listeners.

Episode 364: #BOSMayor Mind the Enormous Gap

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn is dispatched to New Haven to attend the "Yes, In My Back Yard" or "YIMBYtown" conference where Massachusetts pro-housing folks angst over the MBTA Communities law. Then Steve and Jenn dig into a sweeping new MPG poll on Bay State health care -- is this as good as people expect it to get? And finally, who is not NOT running?

Episode 365: YIMBYtown and Health Care Frowns

Today on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk AI's new role in local political reporting. Then Chris Lisinski, reporter for Commonwealth Beacon, joins the program to discuss his latest reporting on the effects of budgetary uncertainty on healthcare for residents of Mass. And finally, dial-up internet is now, officially, a thing of the past. 

Episode 366: A Shutdown Showdown (ft. Chris Lisinski)

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn look at polling on Ed Markey's 2026 reelection prospects. Then Jenn is joined by Rich Parr, VP of The MassINC Polling Group, to discuss recent polling on Massachusetts' competitiveness and Boston housing. And finally, vital polling from none other than the Hi-Chew candy company on which state is most excited for spooky season.

Episode 367: Permanent Markey

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn is joined by Rich Parr, VP of the MassINC Polling Group. Shortly before taping, Rep. Seth Moulton joined the race for Senate against Ed Markey. Then Jenn and Rich talk about the issues with political violence polling and how those issues can skew the data in favor of violence. And finally, Trump's thoughts on the World Cup in Foxborough.

G. Elliott Morris's post on political violence polling referenced here: https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/most-polls-overstate-support-for

Episode 368: Seth rides a pale horse

This week on The Horse Race, before Steve zooms into the distance on a Kenyan motorbike with the crown jewels of France, he chats with Rich Parr, VP of the MassINC Polling Group, about approval ratings for governor Maura Healey, polling on the “No Kings” protests, and opinions on the new ballroom construction.

Episode 369: Poll-dozing the East Wing

This week on The (headless) Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk about a new SSRS exit poll that will be featured in upcoming elections. Then, in this weeks "mayoral roundup," several key races feature uncharacteristically shaky incumbents. And finally, the Halloween candy polling data you've all been craving.

Episode 370: BOO!-nicipal Elections

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve are joined by Rich Parr, VP of The MassINC Polling Group for an in depth discussion about the elections on Tuesday. Dems had a big night, winning seats across the country. What does this spell for Trump 2.0? What trends do the voting stats reveal?

https://boltsmag.org/

https://www.umass.edu/political-science/about/reports/2025-12#toc-toplines-and-crosstabs

https://www.umass.edu/news/article/kennealy-holds-early-lead-2026-bay-state-gop-gubernatorial-primary-nod-according-new

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/newsletter/competitive-mayoral-races-abound-just-not-in-boston/ 

Episode 371: The GOP Bites the Ballot

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn sit down face-to-face, #reunited. Centrist dems have negotiated a deal to end the government shutdown. Steve discusses Trump's abysmal approval numbers, Jenn does not NOT talk about forum shopping, and there is zero discussion about "Donkey's of Exceptional Cuteness" in this episode.

Episode 372: The Center Folds

This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve discuss the upcoming ballot questions on rent control. Then they look at new polling which suggests that Trump's grip on congressional republicans may be loosening. And finally, the Michelin Man rolls into Boston's finest eateries. 

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/politics/theyre-making-a-huge-bet-rent-control-referendum-splits-progressives/

Episode 373: Rant Control

This week on The Horse Race, Rep. Ayanna Presley is officially not joining the horse race for Senate. Then, Jenn and Steve are joined by ⁠Sam Drysdale⁠, reporter with the State House News Service, to zoom in on Healey's newly announced guidelines for high school graduation - kids may face new tests, new requirements, but "lower stakes." And finally, is Mass the most Christmassy state?
.
⁠Jenn's Rec: Cheesy Hassle Back Potato Gratin ⁠ https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017724-cheesy-hasselback-potato-gratin 
.
Sam Drysdale, ⁠High school graduation standards evolving at local, state levels⁠ ⁠https://commonwealthbeacon.org/education/high-school-graduation-standards-evolving-at-local-state-levels/ 
.
Preply's Christmas Spirit Index⁠ https://preply.com/en/blog/christmas-spirit-index/ 
.
Trivia Q: "Why did the Massachusetts Bay Colony once ban Christmas celebrations?"
.
Email Submissions: thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com

Episode 374: High Stakes Testing: Well Done or Rare?

In November, Senator Crighton made headlines for suggesting that 'congestion pricing' could help the MBTA's impending financial troubles. This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve sit down with Crighton, who co-chairs the Legislature’s transportation committee, to discuss the ways out of the "stable crisis" that is Mass. transportation (horse puns always intended). 

Episode 375: Them's Crighton Words

10/28/20-- In the run-up to the 2020 election, the drama of U.S. congressional races pretty much ended with the primaries. But, there's still news to be made this week, and Gov. Charlie Baker brought all eyes to Ballot Question 2 Tuesday when he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito issued a joint statement coming out against ranked-choice voting. 

"At a time when we need to be promoting turnout and making it easier for voters to cast their ballots, we worry that question two will add an additional layer of complication for both voters and election officials, while potentially delaying results and increasing the cost of elections," the statement read.

The timing of the statement is interesting, Stephanie says, because it comes after roughly 1.7 million voters already cast their ballots in Massachusetts. 

This is an instance where the issue has clearly become a partisan one in the weeks before the election. GOP candidate for Senate Kevin O'Connor came out against ranked-choice voting, as did the MassGOP, and now Baker and Politio. On the other side, Massachusetts Democrats Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Attorney General Maura Healey have all come out in favor of ranked-choice.

--

Joining the hosts to discuss the national angle is friend of the pod Vicki McGrane, reporter from the Boston Globe. She recently wrote about the Democrats' chances of turning the Senate blue in 2020. Compared to January of this year, the common thinking around this probability has changed drastically. Back then, it was largely assumed Republicans had a slight edge over Democrat to hold on to their power. Now, McGrane says, there's been "an incredible shift." Democrats are now widely believed to take over the Senate majority thanks in large part to recent events.

"The president, and the pandemic, and everything that’s happened in this crazy year, George Floyd, has conspired to help Democrats really expand the map and be competitive in places like Kansas, Alaska, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina... it just goes on and on.”

--

A new survey out from UMass Amherst and WCVB asked Massachusetts voters about their confidence in elections as well as their feelings about the potential for violence after the election. The results were troubling.

Seventy-nine percent of voters are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility of violence associated with the 2020 presidential election. Fifty-six percent of voters are at least somewhat confident that votes will be counted as voters intend this election.

Episode 155: End Times Insight

A weekly podcast on Massachusetts politics, policy and elections. Hosted by Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith.

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