The Suffolk University Democrats held a meet and greet with Congressional candidates. The hour-long affair was held in a semi-debate style and moderated by president of the club, Conor Finley. Candidates included James D. Livingstone, Josh Dawson, and Suffolk graduate Nils Tracy. Each candidate was pitching their vision for the 8th Suffolk District and trying to earn the endorsement of the Suffolk Democrats group.
The meeting started off with Finley asking the candidates what the most pressing issue is for the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the 8th Suffolk District. Dawson said that he “want[s] to make Boston the best place to work, live, and raise a family” and the best way to go about this is to “fund infrastructure like the T.” Tracy was more focused on revenue for state services. He believes that the “Governor’s plan is not progressive enough…T fares will go up overtime.” At the same time, helping fund early education and reducing inadequacies in public schooling will lead to a brighter future for the district, according to Tracy. Similar to his fellow candidates, Livingstone is focusing on increasing the quality of life through better funding for education and guaranteeing that people “stay in the district after their kids turn five.”
Further focusing on bettering the infrastructure of the district, the candidates pushed for more focus on Massachusetts’ industries. As Dawson put it “I cannot tell colleges to lower tuition, but I can try to tell companies to produce the products they sell in the Commonwealth.” Along with that came the argument on how to make college more affordable. Tracy believes in taking federal grant money and putting it into work study, making it “possible to pay your way through college,” and also believes that all internships should be paid. Livingstone spoke on loan forgiveness programs for public service jobs as a suitable option to invest in.
After the discussions, the floor opened up for members of the Suffolk Dems to ask questions. Junior Sherelle Wu asked what each candidate would do to support women in Massachusetts. Dawson talked about encouraging women to run for office and supporting organizations with similar goals. Livingstone and Tracy both took the more humanitarian approach in wishing to give women reproductive freedom and stronger laws against sexual harassment.
Overall, all three candidates focused on similar issues, yet, each with varying ways approaching them. Infrastructure stood out as the major focus, with comments about building a functional public school in the downtown Boston area as an important goal for all of them. The ability for people to send their kids to an affordable institution near where they live and work acts like a catalyst for developing a neighborhood. Furthermore, all three candidates wanted to fight for helping the MTBA update itself and provide better hours and fares. Though their positions on the issues are similar, the candidates hope that their differing backgrounds can act as a barometer for who will do the better job in office in the next couple of months.
The elections for the 8th Congressional District will be held on May 28.
