2022 MA Governor's race: on Principles & Values
Ben Downing:
Grief and loss teach empathy, perspective, fierce urgency
This is a dark time for our country. We need leadership that knows darkness and knows that it is possible to get back to the light. It will require empathy, perspective and a fierce urgency. Grief and loss gave those lessons to me.
I believe they have given them to Biden and we should all hope he puts them to work to restore the soul of our country.
Source: Downing WAMC column on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Dec 10, 2020
Ben Downing:
Lived in communities that had to fight to get resources
As a Pittsfield native turned East Boston resident, Downing said in a statement that he has "spent my life in communities that have had to fight harder than they should to get fair representation, equitable access to resources, and
attention from Beacon Hill.""So I know what a difference state leadership makes," he said. "And I know we need better than what we are getting right now."
Source: The Boston Globe on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Feb 8, 2021
Ben Downing:
We need a sense of urgency from leadership to address issues
[On his candidacy announcement]: "What we don't have is a sense of urgency from our leadership that will drive the solutions to tap into that potential, to help us take on and address economic and racial justice, to solve climate change, to build a
fairer, stronger Massachusetts," Downing said. "What we have been lacking is that sense of urgency from our leadership. That's what I want to bring to this race. That's what I would bring to the governor's office."
Source: NBC Boston on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Feb 8, 2021
Ben Downing:
Beacon Hill postpones & relies on Mass. exceptionalism
That lack of urgency predates the pandemic, he said, calling it a "cultural problem" that's plagued Beacon Hill for decades. "We've continued to put off tough decisions . and just hope Massachusetts's exceptionalism will get us through,"
Downing said. "What we haven't been honest enough about are the gaps in our society, the economic inequality, the wage and wealth gap and the racial components of that, as well as environmental injustice issues."
Source: The Boston Herald on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Feb 8, 2021
Ben Downing:
Voters expect more: you have to earn their trust
[On the 2022 race]: "In the past, when Democrats have campaigned against Governor Baker, they pointed to the letter after his name as if that's disqualifying and said, 'Well, Charlie Baker is a Republican, the national Republicans are all crazy, so you
should vote for us,' " Downing said. "Voters expect more from candidates and campaigns. You have to go out there and earn their trust, especially for the governor's office, and they expect you to have a clear vision for what you're going to do."
Source: The Boston Globe on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Feb 8, 2021
Danielle Allen:
It shouldn't be every person for themselves anymore
Allen wrote that she was inspired to run for governor after observing how the pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing inequities for Massachusetts residents. "It's not as if that separation in our society just started last winter.
It's been building for some time," she wrote. "We have a lot of work to do to reimagine and pull together to build a foundation of social and civic infrastructure on which all can stand up and thrive. It shouldn't be every person for themselves anymore."
Source: Harvard Crimson on 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial race
Jun 15, 2021
Danielle Allen:
Committed to building blocks of social infrastructure
Allen said her campaign is committed to what she called "the building blocks of social infrastructure: housing, transportation, schools, [and] justice."
"We call on the people of Massachusetts to embrace an agenda of strong, safe communities, healthy schools and universal democracy," she said.
Source: WBUR 90.0-FM on 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial race
Jun 15, 2021
Danielle Allen:
Will bring experience from academia to governing
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was made up of landowners, traders, and members of the "learned professions," as they called doctors, professors, lawyers and ministers at the time. The nation's finest universities have given me one of the
greatest opportunities--the freedom and empowerment to shape a vision--as well as plenty of running room for testing how to put ideas into practice. I believe it's time for me to directly pay back the immense privileges I've been granted.
Source: Washington Post op-ed for 2022 Massachusetts governor race
Dec 18, 2021
Geoff Diehl:
We're looking to re-empower the individual in Massachusetts
[On individuality]: "The opportunity to run for governor gives me a chance to follow through on a lot of the issues," Diehl said. "We're looking to re-empower the individual in Massachusetts. After government really stepped in in a big way (during the
pandemic), we think that this is a chance to reset the conversation about how small businesses are important, how individual household budgets are important, about getting kids to and from school again and enhancing the way education is delivered."
Source: The Patriot Ledger on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Jul 7, 2021
Geoff Diehl:
Would rather leave national politics out of governor's race
Diehl, a Trump supporter who co-chaired the former president's 2016 campaign in Massachusetts, is ideologically at odds with Baker. The state committee, on which Diehl serves, moved to censure Baker after the governor signaled his support
for impeaching Trump. But the former state representative appeared to distance himself from Trump, telling reporters he would "rather leave national politics out of this race" when asked if he would seek the former president's endorsement.
Source: The Boston Herald on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Jul 6, 2021
Maura Healey:
A proud progressive but not interested in labels
Healey told WBUR she is a proud progressive, but added the race is not about labels. "I understand that there are those who want to ascribe labels to me," she said. "Frankly, I don't know that voters or ordinary people care much about labels. They care
about who you are and what you're going to do. For me, I'm not trying to do anything other than speak to what I see as the real issues and the real concerns that voters have, and they are looking to our next governor to do something about."
Source: WBUR (NPR Radio) on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Feb 3, 2022
Maura Healey:
Briefly played pro basketball, went on to law school
I ended up--after a brief stint playing pro basketball overseas after college--going to law school, because I wanted to fight to make life better for people, to pursue justice and fairness and help out those who are vulnerable. That's what led me to
law school. It's what led me to the Civil Rights Division in the attorney general's office. It's what led me to run as an unlikely and an unknown candidate ... seven years ago. And it's the way I've tried to lead this office as the people's lawyer.
Source: WBUR (NPR Radio) on 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Feb 3, 2022
Sonia Chang-Diaz:
My North Star is: "Are we getting results?"
She's heard the criticism that she can be too hard-charging in her advocacy, but doesn't make apologies for it. "My North Star is, are we getting results?" she said. "It is for everybody out there to judge a tree by its fruits. And, absolutely,
I believe that a key ingredient to accomplishing systemic change, not nibbling-around-the-edges change, but the systemic change that working families actually need, is that often you have to speak truth to power."
Source: CommonWealth Magazine on 2022 Massachusetts Governor race
Jul 1, 2021
Page last updated: Jun 08, 2024