Ten days into her campaign for governor, Attorney General Maura Healey on Sunday made an appearance on the popular local political program “On the Record” where she promised to prioritize jobs to get the economy back on track and pledged to be aggressive on climate issues.
Getting the economy “back on track” and “promoting an economy where everyone can thrive” would be among her primary jobs as governor, said Healey, 50, a South End Democrat and the presumptive front-runner in the gubernatorial race.
“There’s a lot of fear out there, there’s a lot of concern about the quality of life, particularly as we’ve seen the cost of living just really skyrocket in recent months,” she said.
Issues important to voters, such as workforce development, child care, housing prices, and the cost of living, would guide how she would govern, Healey said.
“Massachusetts is a great place to live, it is a great place to live if you can afford it. And right now, too many are feeling the hurt right now and feeling the squeeze,” she said.
“Just as I was the People’s Lawyer, I am focused on the needs of residents all across the state, in every region, and I’m going to continue as governor to find ways to make life better for them and for their families.”
Healey pledged a tough stance on climate change. “I will be the most aggressive governor in the country, when it comes to combating the climate crisis,” she said.
Healey, who made herself a national figure with lawsuits against the Trump administration and big corporations, said her values as a civil rights lawyer would continue to guide her.
“I put an equity lens on everything that we do across the attorney general’s office, and I will do that as governor,” Healey said. “I’m going to continue to stand for fairness. I’m not going to be afraid to stand up to powerful interests.”
“It’s a different job, and I recognize that, but the formula about meeting people where they are, about listening, about learning, and about helping, remains the same,” she said.
There are three other major candidates: state Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz and Harvard professor Danielle Allen, both Democrats, and Republican Geoff Diehl, a former state representative who lost a US Senate bid in 2018.
Any of the three Democrats would make history as the first woman elected Massachusetts governor; Chang-Dίaz, who is Latina, and Allen, who is Black, would each be the first woman of color to hold the position.
Healey was the nation’s first openly gay state attorney general and would be the first openly gay person elected Massachusetts governor
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.