Four-way debate! The following Democratic candidates for State Senate 2nd Suffolk District zoomed into the GMNC forum: Nika Elugardo, Liz Miranda, Miniard Culpepper, and Dianne Wilkerson. James Grant did not attend.

The GMNC debates can get a little chaotic at times due to Zooming issues, but there are gem questions here and there. The candidates discuss policy priorities, Mass & Cass, the housing crisis, and more. All four appearing candidates come off as sane individuals. The Boston Globe recently tapped Liz Miranda with its magical endorsement wand.

HDN offers some debate notes below to help you find certain topics and questions. 

The usual disclaimer: Hump Day News provides a loose outline, with timecodes, of the back-and-forth. The questions (Qs) noted in the transcript are highlights, not an exhaustive record. The candidate’s responses are paraphrases, not quotes, with a little editorial spin.

Candidates: Nika Elugard (NE), Liz Miranda (LM), Dianne Wilkerson (DW), Miniard Culpepper (MC)

• Opening statement, 4:00

  • MC, 4:10, lawyer, minister, with “on the ground” experience

  • NE, 6:15, spent most her time in places where people are under-represented, but if you’re a land-owner/property-owner, you’re front and center

  • DW, 8:30, “I’m here because I love my community”

  • LM, 10:45, lifelong organizer, entrepreneur, educator; carceral issues important to her;

• Q1: 12:45, if elected, what will be your #1 policy priority?

  • NE: economic development

  • DW: she has a multi-year plan for economic revitalization in under-served communities

  • LM: housing, home ownership, health equity

  • MC: housing (I worked at HUD!)

• Q2: 19:45, what is your plan for the Mass/Cass area?

  • DW: assess individuals, original address, distribute responsibility for care

  • LM: distribute responsibility statewide; develop shelter system; 

  • MC: social services; distribute costs statewide (and nationwide? –Mexico’s gonna pay for that wall?)

  • NE: housing, healthcare, coordination; 

• Q3: 27:00, spent money on  housing, education, healthcare, etc. – why do you think invested communities don’t show enough for the money invested? (garbled, over-packed question that needs clarification – it’s take your pick reply for candidates; all the candidates praise the question as rhetorical buildup for their brand messaging response)

  • LM: mentions rent stabilization

  • MC: mentions grant deposit program as path to home ownership

  • NE: mentions outcome assessment program for how gov money is spent

  • DW: we’re not getting enough for our money, but I know how to make it happen

• Q4: 34:15, what are you going to do about the housing crisis?

  • MC: gentrification stabilization

  • NE: (4 components) 1) revenue, 2) equitable supply, 3) expanding conception of public housing, 4) ?

  • DW: two things 1) reparations for city’s crimes against POC home ownership from 60s, 2) philosophy change, build people out of poverty, don’t just build housing for poor people;

  • LM: reform calculations for area median income; down payment assistance; take a look at eviction programs;

• Q5, 41:45, what is your response to the state plan to tear down Shattuck Hospital and build an addiction treatment campus there?

  • NE: it’s cool

  • DW: empower residents

  • LM: pause, get the people’s opinion

  • MC: also, pause, get the people’s opinion

• Q6, 49:00, how would you address health (physical, mental, emotional) inequities in the black and brown communities?

  • DW: been working on these issues from the start

  • LM: 3 things, 1) maternal health, 2) gun violence prevention, 3) mental health support

  • MC: word salad involving mental health

  • NE: erase racism in health care; improve HC access; housing health?

• Q7, 56:15, what is your plan to be accessible to constituents?

  • LM: super accessible: “Folks can DM me”

  • MC: open door policy; need constituent outreach/service officers

  • NE: not so great at social media, but great at social; 

  • DW: been through hell these past years

• (some really choice finger-wagging by debate moderator directed at chatbox)

• Q7, 1:03:15, what plans do you have to stop mattapan, dorchester, roxbury, hyde park to stop paying the most for home and auto insurance in MA?

  • MC: tax rebate? Relief?

  • NE: fix structural problems;

  • DW: people outside these communities are causing the accidents that inflate insurance costs – let’s make the case for fairness;

  • LM: find metrics to track racist insurance rates, fix it;

• Q8, 1:10:00, what would you do to run the MBTA better?

  • LM: (note: doesn’t drive)

• Q9, 1:20:00, what plan do you have to address foreclosure issues in MA?

• Q10, 1:27:30, how do you plan on addressing climate concerns if you don’t lessen single occupancy vehicles?

• Q11, 132:30, yes or no, should K-12 be educated in biking as part of school PE?

  • LM: yes

  • DW: yes

  • NE: yes

  • MC: yes

• Closing, 1:34:45

  • LM, 1:35:00, I’ve delivered; justice, environmental, police reform, carceral justice; I’m grass roots all the way down; 

  • DW, 1:36:30, I’ve delivered; 

  • NE, 1:38:45, I’ve delivered for 20+ years; for the community; got the endorsements;

  • MC: 1:40:30, I’ve been leading all my life; me, Miniard Culpepper (dips into third-person self-describe)