Chang-Diaz eyes corner office
JP state senator cites ‘crises boiling over’ in considering gov bid
State Sen. Sonia ChangDiaz said she is “seriously considering” a run for governor next year — the first time the Boston Democrat has publicly acknowledged her aspirations for higher office.
“Families across Massachusetts are struggling to make rent, stay safe, and give their kids a brighter future. The crises now boiling over in our state — economic, public health, and racial justice — make it absolutely clear we need someone in the corner office who feels the same urgency working people do. Someone who’ll run toward problems, not away from them. That’s why I’m seriously considering running for governor,” Chang-Diaz said in a statement.
Chang-Diaz, a Jamaica Plain Democrat and the first Latina to serve in the state Senate after being elected in 2008, has made a name for herself on Beacon Hill with her efforts to pass the massive Student Opportunity Act funding reform bill in 2019 and last year led the effort in crafting a sweeping police reform bill signed into law in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Chang-Diaz’s announcement comes the same day the trial kicks off against former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged in Floyd’s killing.
Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, has still not said whether he’ll pursue a third term, but so far lags far behind potential competitors in terms of campaign fundraising.
Chang-Diaz joins a growing candidate field that,, on the Democrat side includes former state Sen. Ben Downing. Harvard professor Danielle Allen and Scott Khourie of Quincy are also mulling runs. State Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, has been barnstorming the state in recent weeks and is also reportedly considering a bid. Former state Rep. Geoff Diehl is expected to make a run for the Republican nomination. Lowell’s Darius Mitchell is also exploring a run on the Republican ticket.
Should she ultimately choose to throw her hat in the ring, Chang-Diaz would have some catching up to do. In a recent MassInc poll, about 17% of registered voters said they would vote for Chang-Diaz, compared with 31% for Baker. Still, more than 45% of registered voters polled told pollsters they’re still “not sure” who they would vote for.
The Second Suffolk district Democratic senator — who represents parts of Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury, and the South End — has increased her criticism of Baker in recent months.
The Republican governor has been under increasing scrutiny from the Legislature lately for his coronavirus response. Chang-Diaz last month filed her Vaccine Equity Bill alongside Sens. Rebecca Rausch, D-Needham, and Joanne Comerford, D-Northampton, arguing Baker’s vaccine rollout has fallen short of vaccinating Black, Latino and other races compared with white residents. She’s also been critical of the state’s pace in providing assistance to people dealing with unemployment, housing issues and health disparities in communities hit hard by COVID-19.
She chairs the Senate committees on Cannabis Policy and Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion.