FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A NEW CAIN-DIDATE — Quincy City Council President Ian Cain is formally launching his campaign against Sen. Elizabeth Warren today, growing the field of Republicans — and crypto-friendly candidates — waging an improbable battle to unseat the two-term Democrat.

The 41-year-old founder of a technology incubator and the council’s first Black and openly gay president is entering the race with a call to “usher in the next generation of leadership." He's also aiming to address workforce and pocketbook issues, in part by supporting “new pathways to prosperity” through short-term training programs for jobs in the trades and tech.

While Cain chairs blockchain-focused QUBIC Labs, the newly minted Senate candidate insisted to Playbook that he’s not centering his campaign around cryptocurrency — even as he vies against Congress’ biggest crypto skeptic and against Republican John Deaton, whose digital-asset advocacy has attracted financial backing from major industry players.

“I’ve seen Elizabeth Warren come out as anti-crypto. … And I’ve seen John Deaton come out as pro-crypto. What that really says to me is that they’re both grossly out of touch and out of step with Massachusetts voters,” Cain said, adding that crypto "will not be the No. 1 issue" for residents.

Still, Cain is kicking off his campaign with a launch video in which he explicitly calls for “embracing the innovation economy and the new digital world." And cryptocurrency is already shaping the contours of this race. Industry leaders and boosters have padded Deaton’s campaign coffers with tens of thousands of dollars and a network of crypto super PACs that started the year with more than $80 million is already spending in other Senate races.

Cain is also coming out of the gate attacking Warren as an absentee senator who’s “working for herself” instead of the residents of Massachusetts. “Quincy is the seventh-largest city in the Commonwealth, and I’ve never seen our current senator here. I’ve never heard from her office,” Cain said.

Warren was last in Quincy in February for a Democratic breakfast and toured a housing resource center in the city last August, her campaign confirmed. A spokesperson also cited a report showing the senator has secured $50 billion in federal funding for the state since taking office in 2013.

Broadsides aside, Cain’s entrance presents the best-case scenario for Warren (besides, of course, having no opponent). The fundraising juggernaut who already has $4.4 million in the bank will have months to tap into her national network to keep filling her war chest while her Republican foes drain their accounts battling each other. And with the state’s comparatively late September primary, the winner of what could be a bruising GOP fight will have little time to recalibrate for the general election against a seasoned statewide candidate.

And the two most prominent Republican candidates, Cain and Deaton, may struggle to differentiate from each other.

Like Deaton, Cain only recently joined the GOP after previously being unenrolled and, before that, a Democrat. Though he endorsed Warren protégé Michelle Wu for Boston mayor and has donated to several other prominent Democrats, Cain insists he’s long been aligned with “the basics of the Republican Party."

“That just shows that I can work with both sides, no matter the party politics,” Cain said. “To me, this is about getting shit done.”

Unlike Deaton, Cain is no stranger to elective office — or to living in Massachusetts — and he starts with some name recognition because of it. But Cain, who has previously positioned himself as a Charlie Baker-esque Republican, may struggle to claim that mantle in this race. Several of Baker’s former top political aides are now assisting Deaton’s campaign and former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito is informally advising the political novice.

Cain and Deaton also share overlapping — and non-traditionally Republican — views on key issues. Cain, like Deaton, describes himself as “pro-choice” on abortion. He also said he doesn’t plan to vote for either former President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden in November. (Deaton has similarly said he won't support either candidate.)

“I’m here to be an independent voice for Massachusetts,” Cain said. “By the time that people come to know me, personally, you’re going to be referring to an ‘Ian Cain Republican.”

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. In case the campaign launch didn't make it clear, Cain said he's confident he has enough signatures to get on the ballot. We've got more from our interview with Cain here.

TODAY — Healey speaks at MassBIO’s State of Possible conference at 11 a.m. at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge, at the Denim Day Event in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at 2 p.m. at the State House and at a New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors reception at 7 p.m. in the Seaport. Wu hosts a coffee hour in Charlestown at 9:30 a.m.

Tips? Scoops? Running for office? Email us [email protected] and [email protected].

DATELINE BEACON HILL

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Greater Boston Real Estate Board is launching a multi-pronged campaign to try and stop Beacon Hill lawmakers from approving Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal to let municipalities levy a 0.5 to 2 percent fee on property-sale proceeds over $1 million.

The industry group is up with a new website called “Stop New Taxes MA” and is planning to run digital advertisements educating voters about what GBREB CEO Greg Vasil called a “deeply flawed” policy. The group also plans to use text messages and patch-through calls to connect constituents directly with their legislators to advocate against the policy Healey tucked into her housing bond bill that lawmakers have yet to take up. It was not immediately clear how much money the group intends to spend on the campaign.

“Increasing housing costs during an affordability crisis makes zero sense and we need to broadcast that message loud and clear, so legislators are keenly aware,” Vasil said in a statement.

Transfer taxes, he said, “do not provide reliable funding to produce housing units as they are not stable and guaranteed revenue streams.” Instead, he argued, the state should be focused on reducing red tape around accessory dwelling units, developing housing on unused state-owned land (both of which Healey pitched), making sure municipalities implement the MBTA Communities law (which the administration also wants) and strengthening the Community Preservation Act.

BUDGET DEBATE BEGINS — The House kicks off its traditionally multi-day budget debate later today. Lawmakers will have to wade through nearly 1,500 amendments under the cloud of the “fiscal winter” that’s gripped the state for the past several months. Republicans are again looking to tweak the rules around the state’s emergency shelter system (more on that from GBH News’ Katie Lannan) as lawmakers jockey to add earmarks that’ll fund programs and policies in their districts.

— “Students may have new graduation requirement: Completing financial aid application,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “High school students would be required to fill out the application for federal student aid under a proposal being pitched by lawmakers as part of the state budget."

— “Shelter dollars ‘close to running out’ as funding bill sits on Beacon Hill, Gov. Healey says,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald. 

FROM THE HUB

— “Felix Arroyo sexual harassment trial to feature former mayor Walsh and other Boston political and legal figures,” by Niki Griswold and Sean Cotter, The Boston Globe: “Major fixtures in the Boston political and legal scenes, including former mayor Martin J. Walsh and sitting federal Judge Mark L. Wolf, will take the stand in the coming weeks in a sexual harassment lawsuit against former city health chief Felix G. Arroyo and the city of Boston. Tuesday morning’s final pretrial hearing in the court case provided a preview of some of the Boston flavor that will lace the trial, which will run for about two weeks. Two former Boston city councilors sat in the Suffolk Superior courtroom for the hearing: Arroyo and his brother and lawyer Ricardo Arroyo, who joined other attorneys in sparring over a range of motions.”

— "Neighbors vow to keep fighting Boston, pro soccer team’s plans for White Stadium redevelopment," by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.

WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET

— “Marshfield voters reject MBTA zoning plan. Might the state sue the town?,” by Hannah Morse, The Patriot Ledger: “Marshfield voters at town meeting have rejected a proposal intended to make it easier to build multifamily housing near public transportation as required by a state law. The effort to get the town in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act by proposing an 84-acre zoning change on Route 139 failed by a vote of 169 in favor and 289 against.”

But don't look for a lawsuit from Attorney General Andrea Campbell just yet. Marshfield has until the end of the year to come into compliance with the law. And Campbell said in a statement to the State House News Service that her "office stands ready to help" the town meet that deadline.

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

CASH DASH — Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is coming to Boston on Friday for a fundraising luncheon for his Cotton Victory fund hosted by former Ambassador Chris Egan and Brian Shortsleeve, according to an invite obtained by Playbook.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

TRANSPO TALK — The governor is again defending her transportation secretary as backlash continues to controversial comments Monica Tibbits-Nutt made about imposing tolls on drivers entering Massachusetts and more while addressing activists earlier this month. Even as Healey described the secretary’s remarks as “a very poor choice of words” during an interview Tuesday on WBUR, she said "we've moved on from that." And she’s still not planning on removing her transportation secretary, she told the Boston Herald.

Meanwhile, more supporters came to Tibbits-Nutt’s aid Tuesday. Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton both defended her against a jab from New Hampshire gubernatorial hopeful and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte. And Jim Aloisi, who served as transportation secretary under Gov. Deval Patrick, told CommonWealth Beacon he liked how Tibbits-Nutt spoke her mind.

But the remarks are still reverberating through the panel tasked with coming up with new revenue resources for the state’s transportation system. Jim Rooney, the president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and a key member of the task force, told CommonWealth Beacon the comments had created a “divisiveness and alienation” on the body — which, he pointed out, is already struggling to move quickly.

FROM THE DELEGATION

THE VOTES ARE IN — Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey joined 77 of their colleagues in sending a $95 billion foreign aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan on to President Joe Biden’s desk. Warren in a statement said she continues to oppose “providing more aid for Israel without additional conditions” but that she voted in favor of the legislation because it “delivers long overdue support for Ukraine” and “life-saving humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and for millions of people facing starvation around the world.”

— “Northfield appeals to Warren, Markey for Schell Bridge aid,” by Liesel Nygard, Greenfield Recorder.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Italo Fini, Matt Vautour, former Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur, Romney alum Charlie Pearce, Chris Wayland and Jacob Stern.

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