Politics

This was Maura Healey’s message for the country in her first post-election CNN interview

“Representation matters and seeing is believing, and I hope that my election will affirm in those young people this idea, so important, that they can be anything they want to be.”

Governor-elect Maura Healey speaks to attendees of the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Election Night while celebrating her historic win as Massachusett’s first female Governor in the Grand Ballroom at Copley Hotel. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

By Marta Hill

November 10, 2022

The day after her historic win in the gubernatorial race, Massachusetts Governor-elect Maura Healy spoke about the significance of her election on CNN.

“For me, this just brings about all these feelings I had as I was running and looking into the eyes of little girls, of young women, talking to young people from the LGBTQ community,” Healy said. “Representation matters and seeing is believing, and I hope that my election will affirm in those young people this idea, so important, that they can be anything they want to be.”

We might be the first, but we won't be the last.

To every little girl out there, we want you to know — there's no ceiling you can't break. pic.twitter.com/nbCypzP3ZD
— Maura Healey (@maura_healey) November 9, 2022

Tuesday brought with it a number of historic races: with Healey soundly defeating opponent Geoff Diehl to become the state’s first female governor and the country’s first openly lesbian governor; the state’s first all-female executive team of Healey and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll; and Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell becoming the first Black woman to win a statewide office in the commonwealth, among others.

Leaning on her history as attorney general, Healey emphasized in her CNN interview her campaign’s focus on delivering results and affordability.

ELECTION 2022:

“My message was about bringing people together, delivering results, not dividing people,” Healey said. “My opponent in this race was really of the Trump wing of the party. He was an election denier, and he was opposed to abortion and here in Massachusetts, I think the voters spoke really clearly that they’re beyond the noise. They want people who are going to deliver, bring people together, certainly stand up for reproductive justice.”

Amid questions about her plans to tackle affordability in the commonwealth, Healey said persuing tax reform will be her first act as governor. She also spoke about a conversation she had with outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker.

“One of the things that he made clear to me, and it’s also the way I’ve tried to be as attorney general, is to really get out around the state,” Healey said, stressing the need to be accountable to voters.

“When we are in these positions, we are elected with the voters’ trust and the expectation that we’re going to deliver results,” she said. “It’s really about making sure that people across this state know that whether they voted for me or not, I will listen to them. I will understand them. I will meet them where they are. And together we’re going to work to find common ground and to move us forward.”

Watch the full interview here: