Meet Mass. Lt. Gov. candidate Deb Goldberg
One of four vying for second in command, This democrat is the only candidate with skills, experience and education in both government and business–and she's been an early and solid supporter of GLBT rights
One thing is certain in Bay State politics: Deb Goldberg, a Democrat and candidate for lieutenant governor, knows who she is, where she came from, and why she's running for statewide office. "I have the broadest range of experience," she said recently over coffee in Brookline, Mass., where Goldberg makes her home.
From the corner office on Beacon Hill, "we need to know how to work with the Legislature and understand that we need to expand our economic base" and "get Massachusetts moving again," she said.
During a wide-ranging interview Goldberg discussed her experience and education, as well as her passion for community and civil liberties. For GLBT voters, Goldberg has been an early advocate for full equality; one who is willing to take strong stands, even take risks. She actively seeks support from the gay community and a GLBT fund raiser is in the works.
Candidates in the running
One among four candidates for the second top spot in the corner office, this early out, she may well be the one to beat. Already, Goldberg has racked up a slew of endorsements from state and local elected officials, including U.S. Representative Barney Frank and state Representatives Liz Malia of Jamaica Plain and Cheryl Rivera of Worcester. Rivera said in her endorsement that Goldberg "understands what the people of western Massachusetts are going through."
The others vying for the state Democratic Party nomination for lieutenant governor are Harwich resident Andrea Silbert, co-founder of the Center for Women Enterprise and Cohasset psychiatrist Sam Kelley, who is medical director for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. While neither Silbert nor Kelley has held elective office, the other candidate has - Worcester's mayor Tim Murray.
Goldberg's business and government experience
Indeed Goldberg is the only candidate with skills and experience in government and business - and has been well educated in both. Elected selectwoman for Brookline in 1988, for instance, Goldberg focused on revitalizing the town's three commercial areas. Then, as chairwoman from 2002 to 2004, Goldberg managed a nearly $200 million annual town budget. During tough economic times, she said, ours was the only community to add police and firefighters without overrides.
Just as she has been tested and produced results in municipal government, so Goldberg has been successful in business. A fifth generation resident of Massachusetts, Goldberg's family founded Stop & Shop. Within the family business, she learned how to run a company with more than 50,000 employees - profitably and humanely. During the interview, Goldberg spoke with obvious pride about Shop & Stop's ability to provide high quality health insurance to all - full and part-time employees - even with only a one-percent profit margin. Goldberg recently said she backs "universal quality health care" for Massachusetts.
Rounding out her qualifications are impressive business and legal academic credentials. A graduate of Boston University, for example, Goldberg went on to earn a law degree from Boston College and master's degree from the Harvard Business School.
Goldberg's activism
Yet what animates Goldberg's candidacy is a passion for family, community, and the Commonwealth. "It's not politics," she said. "It's being an activist; it's being involved in your world, your life," she explained.
For Goldberg the waters of activism run strong and deep. "It's what I have been about since I was a young kid," she said, adding, "That comes from the way one is brought up. I am from a family of multiple generations of activists who understood that you had a commitment to building something with your family and your community. It also meant you had a social consciousness."
Goldberg's personal approach
Up close and personal, Goldberg is an engaging conversationalist. She looks people right in the eyes and speaks passionately, thoughtfully about the campaign, the issues, and life.
On the fun and lighter side, Goldberg likes sports - tennis and skiing and golf - and theatre and dancing. She goes to Boston College football games, is a "major Red Sox fan." And Goldberg says she is having fun out and about politicking. "I enjoy this campaign," she said.
Altogether, one is left with the impression of a woman comfortable in her own skin. Goldberg comes across as a straight shooter, a woman who genuinely speaks with the courage of her own convictions. In a word, she has leadership skills.
Goldberg's commitment to GLBT civil liberties
Take Goldberg's convictions about civil liberties. As early as 1997 she supported domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples. She's fully on board with marriage equality, and believes the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court got the Goodridge decision just right. "I am a student of constitutional law," Goldberg explained. "The courts have done a phenomenal job. Margaret Marshall is a brilliant scholar. I respect her and have enormous respect for the courts," she said.
Also, Goldberg favors "agencies placing children with gay couples," she said, adding, "My children are adopted."
In another word, Goldberg is uncompromising on civil rights. "When you are passionate about civil rights, you can't be compromising," she said. "Once you start compromising on ideals, you don't exude the passion. You have to stick your neck out there," she explained. Adding a dose of realism to her idealism, Goldberg acknowledged that by taking tough stands and "putting myself out there, some people don't like me. But I am willing to take risks," she said.
Goldberg believes that taking a stand is only a half of it all. Also, "you have to understand how difficult it is to get everybody on board and you have to be able to kibitz or schmooze - do the basement small talk over coffee and cookies - to do both, take the stand and do the work," she explained.
Altogether, Goldberg views a comprehensive approach to government being an agent of positive change in people's lives and communities. "We need people who are right on issues but understand that activism, grassroots efforts, and the vote by vote that needs to take place," she said.
For gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender voters Goldberg makes a heartfelt pitch. "It's relatively easy to get out there and say 'I'm for gay marriage. I'm for choice.' But what have you done about it? What kinds of risks are you willing to take?" she said. A case in point for Goldberg is her support and work for Planned Parenthood after the murders that took place outside the agency's offices not far from the interview's location.
On support for gay marriage, Goldberg is quick to point out, "I am a person who didn't have to be moved to that position." She attributes her early support to a "core set of values" and being a "very stable person, not easily influenced on any civil rights issue by politics," she explained.
Goldberg's family
Fifty-something, Deb Goldberg is also a wife and mother. She speaks fondly of her husband Michael Winter and her two children Meri and Evan Winter - all of whom she said are "behind me" in the campaign.
"I am a mother and want to be known as a mother," said Goldberg, who added, "Being a parent has helped me to understand what the problems are [in the public schools] and how to fix them."
Education is another important issue for Goldberg who by her own admission is "incredibly progressive on educational issues." She worries about different learning styles and the competitive environment that children face in schools. "It's very hard to support kids today. It's extremely competitive," she said. "Kids are put through so much more today than we were. Expectations of children today are so extreme. But Massachusetts is not giving kids the tools they need," Goldberg explained. "It's even competitive in kindergarten," she said, with no "level playing field."
Goldberg on the Mass. high cost of living
Another one of Goldberg's concerns is the high cost of living, particularly housing costs all across the state. "What catapulted me to run for office was that the Democrats were not getting the message that the cost of living is the number one issue for every family, from South Boston to Framingham, from Natick to Peabody," she said, adding, "There are skyrocketing housing costs even in PIttsfield."
From Goldberg's perspective, there are some obvious options. "We need more than one person," she said. "We need a team for the next five to 10 years; and they need to care," Goldberg explained. "There must be a desire and a vision," she added, "to retain the businesses that we have and, strategically, to fund public higher education so kids get the training they need." And, she said, "At the risk of sounding like Mitt Romney, you do go outside the state to reach out to the business community, as well as work with mayors and town selectmen to bring business into Massachusetts."
Does Goldberg have what it takes?
But is she tough enough for the job of governor in the event that she would have to fill that post? And how does a woman overcome a sexist double standard that is more than likely to come up along the campaign.
For inspiration Goldberg looks to her mother Carol for inspiration. "My mother knows how to be tough in business and tough in the world," Goldberg explained. "I also learned from Carol Goldberg how to be a woman and be effective." Her time in the competitive environment at the Harvard Business School also helped, she said.
Sure enough, whoever captures the Democratic nomination for governor, whether it be Tom Reilly, Deval Patrick or Chris Gabrieli, Deb Goldberg - the person, the passion, her politics - could only enhance the party's chances to regain the state's top office, one they have not held in last 16 years.
