LYNN — Ben Downing says he is running for governor to “build a fairer, stronger Massachusetts.”
To accomplish that, he wants to address climate change and inequalities that he believes previous and current administrations have failed to fix.
In an interview with The Item, the 39-year-old East Boston resident and former state senator laid out his policy plans, saying he feels a sense of urgency to address issues he hasn’t seen on Beacon Hill.
“I don’t think a passive approach to the challenges we face in Massachusetts is leadership at all,” Downing said. “Better than bad isn’t good enough.”
The progressive Democrat recalled growing up in Pittsfield, where his father Gerard was the district attorney for Berkshire County. In the 1980s, the General Electric plant, which employed a sizable portion of the city, closed. It left in its wake widespread unemployment and a polluted Housatonic River.
“I grew up at a time when those jobs were going away. The message we heard growing up was ‘study hard and get out,’” Downing said. “I wanted to be part of changing that story we heard growing up.”
That experience now informs Downing’s campaign platform. His climate plan, which involves getting the state to 100 percent clean electricity by 2030 and 100 percent clean energy by 2040, also includes a requirement that 50 percent of climate spending directly benefit communities of color in the state — especially in areas where controversial energy projects are located or slated to begin — such as his neighborhood of East Boston.
“That’s critically important that we make the commitment up front to make sure that we’re not just presuming the benefits will funnel down to those communities, but making an intentional commitment,” he said.
Beyond climate justice, Downing expressed concern about the state’s record of economic inequity. He said that, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, he hoped to see Massachusetts ramp up its efforts to expand infrastructure like public transportation, education and housing, which he feels is the best way to help the economy recover.
To do that, Downing said that the state needs comprehensive tax reform, which would shift the burden to higher-income earners.
“It’s madness that we are incentivizing employers to go to the Seaport instead of using taxpayer resources to drive economic development in gateway communities that haven’t seen economic growth in the last 20 years or so,” he said.
Downing hopes that, with these reforms, he will be able to reduce poverty, homelessness and food insecurity in Massachusetts.
However, he emphasized that, for the state to change its status quo, its leadership needs to remember that change can’t wait.
“The need is there now,” he said.
