Readers: What should be at the top of the governor-elect’s to-do list?
Tell us what you think should be the biggest priority for Maura Healey.
Maura Healey won the race for Massachusetts governor and will be the first woman elected to the state’s highest office. Healey, a Democrat who currently serves as the state’s attorney general, defeated Republican candidate Geoff Diehl just hours after polls closed on Election Day.
“I’ll work with anyone who’s up for making a difference in this state,” she said to supporters at her victory party. “I want you to know I understand what you feel. I understand where you are, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help you because we’re all in this together.”
Healey was a favorite to win throughout the campaign, with most polls showing a sizable lead over her opponent. In a recent Boston.com quiz to help readers decide which candidate to vote for, 57% of the 5,419 respondents aligned more strongly with Healey’s policies.
The results of the quiz found that parts of Healey’s progressive agenda are popular among Boston.com readers. The governor-elect has promised to take on an aggressive climate agenda, including a goal to get Massachusetts to 100% clean energy by 2030. The majority, or 59%, of Boston.com readers who took our quiz said the state should pursue that goal. Readers also voted more favorably toward Healey’s stance on abortion access and her support for local rent stabilization policies.
Her plan to fix the MBTA, however, was not as popular with readers. In a recent statement to Boston.com, Healey said the next governor should take advantage of federal funds to address the agency’s problems with safety and reliability. Just 22% of readers chose this plan over Diehl’s proposal to expand the fiscal control board to include safety issues and renegotiate contracts with partners who are providing poor materials.
“There are billions in federal infrastructure funding available to the states, and I will convene a task force whose sole focus will be to compete with other states and pursue the greatest amount of federal funding possible,” Healey said.
Improving the MBTA will undoubtedly be high on Healey’s priority list as she takes office, but Massachusetts residents are also looking to her on issues like the economy, housing affordability, public safety, education, and more.
Now that Healey has won the election, we want to know what you think her top priorities as governor should be. Is there any issue you think should take precedence over others? What are the topics you don’t think got enough attention on the campaign trail?
Let us know what you want to see from this new administration by filling out the survey below or e-mailing us at [email protected] and we may feature your response in a future article or on Boston.com social media channels.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.