The two leading candidates for Massachusetts governor — Republican candidate Charlie Baker and Democratic candidate Martha Coakley — faced off in a heated debate at WGBH studios Tuesday evening, moderated by WGBH’s Boston Public Radio hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan.
Both candidates highlighted the various roles they hope to fulfill as governor, should he or she be elected on Nov. 4.
“Leadership requires you to make tough decisions,” Baker said. “Let’s be transparent about our own records and decisions we made.”
The candidates stressed the need for transparency in the Commonwealth. Coakley, who is wrapping up her eight-year term as attorney general, said she could identify with the public sector because of her role in Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration.
“The public sector doesn’t necessarily recreate jobs, but the public sector plays a big role in how jobs are created,” she said. “I think the governor needs to be more transparent.”
Touching on the November ballot question that will allow voters to repeal the 2011 casino law, the candidates were asked about their own experiences gambling and how those experiences have impacted their policy-making on the topic.
Baker, who said he has “played a little blackjack and never done well,” expressed his support for a casino in Massachusetts, but only one, where residents can enjoy the atmosphere, hospitality and retail.
Coakley said if casinos were to be constructed in Massachusetts, there would be required oversight needed to prevent money laundering, organized crime infiltration and human trafficking.
“One of the things I did do as attorney general with folks in our office was work really closely in crafting this statute,” she said. “Looking at what we had to do here in Massachusetts if we were going to maximize the economic benefit and minimize the social ills.”
On the topic of immigration, Coakley argued that while certain requirements would need to be instated ahead of time, this is a “new Massachusetts,” with new residents who are here to stay, and therefore must be accounted and provided for.
Baker, however, emphasized that there are certain rights only residents of the Commonwealth should receive, namely, the right to vote.
“I think you need to be a citizen to vote,” he said. “It’s always been that way, and that’s the way I support it.”
In response to the riots that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri after Ferguson Police Department officer Darren Wilson shot 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9, the candidates addressed disparities in policymaking, particularly in regard to police departments.
“We want in Massachusetts community policing, not combat policing. That means having well trained and diversified police departments,” Coakley said. “I would propose getting men and women in our fire-teaching police services by loan forgiveness or getting people involved in areas of public service that would address some of those issues.”
Baker said demonstrating community involvement and commitment is a priority.
“We have got to embed ourselves as human beings in these communities, so that people understand that not only do we care about them, but we get where they are coming from,” he said. “If we make a commitment to them, we will follow through.”
When asked to identify key policies they would implement if given the “bully pulpit” of the position of governor, both candidates said there is a need to provide resources, opportunities and recreational activities for the Commonwealth’s children.
“We desperately need to create more things at night for kids to do in urban communities,” Baker said. “I would like to put together a big coalition of folks who are involved in all kinds of recreational and community based and athletic activities across the Commonwealth and come up with things kids can do at night.”
While Baker specifically addressed the allocation of attention to activities for children, Coakley focused on the missteps of the Department of Children and Families and said she hopes to improve the support offered to children in the Commonwealth.
“I am most concerned about others in not-for-profit settings that just don’t have the resources, boys and girls frankly, to get what they need—not just sports, but social work, mental health, the help that they need,” she said. “There are a lot of really troubled kids in the state who need help.”
Coakley said the Commonwealth needs to “catch up” in many aspects, and to create change, the governor must prioritize and invest.
“In order to move forward, we need to invest in this state,” she said. “We need to invest in business. We need to invest in our kids. We need to invest in workforce development.”
The next gubernatorial debate will air on Oct. 27, at 8 p.m., and will be moderated by NECN’s Latoyia Edwards.
