11th Middlesex State Representative candidates Alex Jablon (D), Amy Sangiolo (D), and Vlad Yanovsky (R) (photo: NewTV)
On June 27, the League of Women Voters of Newton sponsored a debate among the three candidates to succeed the retiring Rep. Kay Khan as state representative for the 11th Middlesex district. Alex Jablon and Amy Sangiolo seek the Democratic party nomination. The winner of the September 3 primary will face Republican Vladislav (Steve) Yanovsky in the November 5 general election.
Jenn Adams, News Director of NewTV, moderated the hour-long debate. The format consisted of opening and closing statements by each candidate, bookending a series of questions selected by the League of Women Voters.
The debate had a complicated dynamic, as it featured two candidates contending for the Democratic nomination, along with a Republican candidate who will oppose the eventual Democratic nominee. The two Democratic candidates, Sangiolo and Jablon, held similar positions on most issues and sought to highlight where they differed from each other. The two Democrats’ responses to questions were, in most cases, dramatically different from those of the Republican candidate, Yanovsky.
In their comments, Sangiolo emphasized her experience and skill as a legislator and as a provider of constituent services. Jablon’s emphasis was on his financial skill as an auditor and his youth. Yanovsky emphasized that he would bring a conservative alternative to “failed liberal policies in Massachusetts.”
Candidates were asked how to offset a decline in gas tax revenues that fund transportation infrastructure. In her response Sangiolo proposed increasing the price of carbon by raising the gas tax and Jablon proposed filling loopholes in the state tax code, while Yanovsky favored reducing spending.
The moderator asked about pending legislation to ban or limit the use of PFAS (known as “forever chemicals”). Sangiolo stated her support for the…