by Kris Lewis
Bridgewater, MA
The working class in Massachusetts continues to struggle with a chronic affordability crisis. Costs for basic needs are inflated for everything from gas, to housing, healthcare, transportation, and education. The Trump regime’s policies of cuts to social spending but subsidies for corporations are echoed in Massachusetts state government policies including cuts in funding for public education and other social services. Democratic Governor Maura Healey is running for re-election while continuing to sell her constituents out to the capitalists whose only goal is to extract more labor for laughable compensation.
The commendable efforts made by organizations including the Independent Socialist Group (ISG) to collect signatures for a ballot referendum for rent control were buried by the Democratic Party refusing to legislate the referendum and the non-profits behind the ballot question watering down the question after secret meetings with representatives of developers and landlords. The Massachusetts Supreme Court also ruled the petition unconstitutional. Justice Frank Gaziano wrote the following: “The petition would confer preferential treatment on religious institutions by allowing them to increase rent prices, while limiting rent increases for secular facilities.” The capitalist class would have found any excuse to disqualify this initiative since it would undercut their profits. Out-of-control rents is one of the main difficulties that Massachusetts residents struggle with every day. Polling shows a range of 56-69% of residents are in favor of a rent control initiative. Despite this, Maura Healey is opposed to it. Massachusetts has the highest cost of living in the country and despite this, Maura Healey continues to oppose anything that would provide relief for those struggling to afford necessities. She is in the back pocket of landlords and realtors who continue to force huge rent increases while thousands of properties sit vacant and many people face housing insecurity.
The Democratic Party dominates politics in Massachusetts and, like the party she belongs to, Healey is anti-working class, anti-union, and a good friend of the corporate power structure in the state. In spite of saying that she came from a union family, much of her inaction has put further strain on the working class. She has sat idle while prices continue to rise on food and housing, providing little relief to those who need it most. She touts her family background as if it is proof that she is just like us. Her mother was an educator, but teachers continue to be cut in favor of top-heavy administrators who often have overlapping duties within their districts. In cases such as this, MTA (Massachusetts Teacher Association) can do little to protect its educators who face increasingly larger classroom sizes as these cuts continue. In addition to this, when Brigham nurses went on strike in July of 2026, she repeatedly pressured the nurses to return to the bargaining table and did so again when the nurses authorized a second indefinite strike which they subsequently called off. Her handling of these issues proves that her ‘support’ is cosmetic. It is a glaring example of her anti-union/labor stance which aligns with the Democratic Party.
This year, there’s an independent left candidate named Andrea James who is running for Governor against Healey and challenging business as usual in Massachusetts politics. James and her campaign, including progressive and left activists, as well as ISG members, were successful in collecting over 13,000 certified signatures to get her onto the ballot for the November elections. Andrea James challenges the Democratic Party status quo with a campaign platform that supports the needs of working-class people. She supports a myriad of issues such as universal healthcare, a higher minimum wage, and education reform, all of which would create significant wins for the working class who continue to be bled dry by capitalists nationwide. She understands and respects that the working class is the backbone of this country.
On October 8, 2026, around 25-30 supporters of James staged a standout at the WBZ studio in opposition to James being iced out of the televised gubernatorial debate. If James had been permitted to speak at the debate, Healey stated that she would not speak. It is obvious from past elections and her latest, undemocratic move, that Healey’s unwilling to engage with anyone who actually challenges her from a progressive or left campaign. Healey does not respond to articles criticizing her and the fact that she refuses to face James shows that she sees her as a credible threat. Frankly, her refusal to engage makes her look weak to voters, many of whom are tired of her inaction. Healey’s regime has implemented surface-level changes that have done little to provide relief for most Massachusetts residents. She is promoting her having allowed housing to be built by private corporations on public land and mentioned in her campaign that she wants to eliminate renters’ fees, but she opposes rent control while housing costs continue to rise. Many homes are for sale and have been sitting unpurchased for months or even years as working-class people are unable to save money and even if they are able to, the property taxes, high interest rates, and other costs make it impossible for them to support the monthly costs associated with it. Healey announced a $180 million initiative to lower utility costs for the winter of 2026 but it has done very little to provide relief. Many people have been forced onto payment plans with companies such as National Grid and Eversource, but these payment plans still cost hundreds of dollars per month. The Eversource CEO recently stated at an industry conference that he expects Healey to walk back criticism of utility costs after the election. In talking with my neighbors, for example, most said that their electric bills have shot up from $200 to over $500 per month, and that temporarily saving $100-$200 per month is not enough to make a marked difference for them. Any savings gleaned by working people ends up going towards other necessary expenses such as food, healthcare, and childcare.
Looking at the way that Healey has conducted herself during her time as governor, it is very clear that she is not just apathetic to the plight of the working class, she is anti-working-class. Across the state, people face higher costs of living due to nationwide inflation, utility cost increases, and gentrification. It has become harder to afford basic necessities and more and more people fear losing their homes. Costs continue to rise while wages are stagnant.
Healey has shown on numerous occasions that her desire to help working-class people is purely performative to grab votes. She does not support a minimum wage increase, and it remains at $15 an hour, which doesn’t cover necessities. Legislative proposals to gradually increase the minimum wage have been introduced that would eventually raise it to $20 an hour which is not nearly enough due to inflation of everything from groceries to childcare to utility bills. A $30 an hour minimum wage would provide much needed stability for working-class people. It would allow Massachusetts residents to afford more housing options and allow more participation in the economy. This growth is shuttered due to the way that both capitalist parties are bought and paid for by a handful of wealthy multi-millionaires and billionaires to protect their own interests. Neither party represents the interests of the working class, who the corporate owners use and abuse for labor and profits.
Andrea James’ campaign is refreshingly aggressive in putting forward policy demands aimed at creating a better quality of life for working-class people. She possesses a sincerity that Maura Healey lacks. James’ proposed policies highlight the glaring deficiencies of Healey’s campaign such as immigration and the ICE kidnappings and round ups in Massachusetts. In the wake of the latest murder of Johan Sebastian Guerrero perpetrated by ICE in Biddeford, Maine, along with the recent heavy ICE raids in Massachusetts, including New Bedford, this issue must be at the forefront of any campaign. People are fearful of being pulled over by ICE agents whether they are citizens or not as they have shown time and again that they will attack first and ask questions later. It does not matter if you were born here, how peaceful you are, or if you have the paperwork to prove your citizenship. There is no requirement for American citizens to always carry their passports with them, but the way that ICE has been surging in all 50 states has made it feel like a requirement. It will not guarantee your safety. We need aggressive and firm protections put in place to prevent these atrocities from being committed. Healey has spoken out about ICE but has done little to crack down on their presence, including not ending the state’s 287(g) agreement with ICE that has been in place since 2007. James understands that the corruption runs deep. She is quoted on her website as follows, “As Governor, I will end state cooperation with federal overreach and protect families. I will end all agreements between the Department of Corrections and ICE, ending the transfers of prisoners into ICE custody upon sentence completion. People being released from prison should be guaranteed the same due process protections, and there should not be a blanket agreement for transfers from prison to ICE.”
Andrea James’ campaign is a necessary breath of fresh air in a business-as-usual run for governor by the corporate duopoly in Massachusetts. ISG has proudly endorsed the Andrea James campaign. We also see the campaign, along with other progressive and left independent campaigns, as a possible step towards organizing an independent working-class political movement and workers’ party. It is time to put an end to the corporate politics that have led us to our current circumstance and remind people that there is a choice other than the status quo that will overall improve quality of life for all Massachusetts residents. Support Andrea by visiting her website and getting involved.
