Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel welcomed former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday morning to speak to supporters of Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley.
“You know Martha Coakley will fight for you,” Clinton said. “She has devoted her career to the values that make Massachusetts what it is, opportunity and fairness. As your governor, she will be tireless. She will be fearless. And she will work her heart out to make sure everyone gets a fair shot at the American dream.”
More than 1,000 people gathered in the hotel’s ballroom to hear public officials, including Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, endorse Coakley. With only eleven days until the election, the speakers emphasized Coakley’s priorities as a candidate and urged supporters to continue spreading the word about her campaign.
Patrick, whose term will end in January, said Democratic control of the state in the past years has led to balanced budgets, a more stable economy and more families moving in rather than moving out. He attributed the changes in the past years to Democrats working better with the public, allowing for citizens to have a say in these changes.
“With your help over the last few years, democrats took charge,” Patrick said. “The key difference in the last eight years is that the powerful have had to share access with everybody else.”
Clinton shared an anecdote about trying to take care of her sick child while working full-time as a lawyer, addressing the issue of sick leave policies for both women and their children. She focused on the stress she felt as a mother and how women throughout the Commonwealth face this issue often.
“Our most vulnerable families have the least support to do the most important job in the world,” Clinton said.
Coakley’s dedication to this issue is among her top priorities in catering to families and children in Massachusetts, Clinton said, and her support of women receiving healthcare and equal pay make her an advocate for women’s rights.
“You know through her years of service to Massachusetts the kind of person she is and the values she has,” Clinton said. “You know not only what she will do, but also what she’ll never do. She will never judge a woman for decisions that are complex and deeply personal.”
Warren highlighted Coakley’s fight to help families across Massachusetts.
“Martha is clear on what she stands for, and we stand with her,” she said. “She reminds us not just of what we are fighting against, but what we fight for. Nobody should risk losing a job to take care of a sick child.”
Following her statements of support, Warren introduced Coakley, who said the residents of Massachusetts are her top priority, and she plans to invest in children and the workforce.
“The best way to give people a fair shot is to invest in them and to believe in them,” Coakley said. “We have a chance to turn this economy around. I’m in this because we all know Massachusetts has this opportunity. If you have my back for the next eleven days, I’m going to have your back for the next four years.”
The Coakley supporters in attendance were excited to hear from Clinton and the other speakers. Many emphasized the role of women in government, specifically pertaining to the possibility of Coakley in office.
Valerie Gumes, 56, of Jamaica Plain, said she noticed that every politician focused on women’s issues to some extent.
“I was taken aback by the substantial emphasis on women as a whole in all of the speeches today,” she said. “They all spent a lot of time talking about working class women, single mothers, why we need women in power and that women have a special power to understand other women, which is something that men don’t have.”
Warren Hall, 76, of Westfield, said gender should not play as large a role in the election as should the character of the candidate.
“I don’t think it’s important to have a woman as governor for Massachusetts,” he said. “It’s more important to have a good person as governor, regardless of gender.”
Maryanne Galliban, 54, of Dedham, said there is still a struggle for power in the state when dealing with gender, despite improvement as a society.
“Some Democrats have chosen to support Charlie Baker rather than Martha,” she said. “I have a sneaky suspicion that women in Massachusetts still struggle for power. Even though we’ve made a lot of progress, we’re still a conservative society in some ways.”
