Looking at politicsDeb Goldberg, Lt. Gov. candidate meets with Journal staff
Every now and then, a candidate for statewide public office comes along who stands out among all the others. Lieutenant governor candidate Deborah Goldberg is such a candidate.
Goldberg’s visit here proved that there remains at least one Democratic politician seeking a statewide position who had the power to propel herself into the vortex of the political arena in Massachusetts.
In many ways, it’s a shame that Goldberg, a Democrat from Brookline who served as a town councillor there, isn’t running for governor.
Goldberg is a very sharp woman who speaks well, who is obviously very, very smart and up on all the issues, big and small. She looks good and understands the lingua franca of connecting with people from all walks of life more so than most of her colleagues seeking statewide office in the upcoming election.
“I grew up in a grocery store stacking products on shelves. I worked when I was a kid. I know what it is to work. I know what it is for others to work, and to depend on their jobs as they try to lead their lives,” Goldberg said.
The grocery store she worked in is Stop & Shop, founded by her grandfather. As an heir to the Raab Family fortune, she is a bit of a celebrity in places like Newton, Brookline and Boston, where the Raab name appears on hospital buildings, university campuses and philanthropic ventures of every kind.
“Over the years, I learned what it took to run my family’s company with 50,000 employees who needed stable jobs to support their families. Even with a small profit margin, we still managed to give top quality health insurance to full- and part-time employees,” she said.
With a Harvard MBA and with her business background, she believes she understands how to get the Massachusetts economy going again. She said she wants to create new jobs and more jobs and to create an environment in this state that keeps people here.
“I want to be part of the team that gets the state moving in the right direction,” she said. She added the state is handcuffed by spiraling health care costs and property taxes, a lack of affordable housing, and job losses that are forcing residents to move away.
“It’s because of a lack of leadership in the corner offices,” she said. “I know we can do a lot better for the people of Massachusetts.” Goldberg, 51, is a mother and wife.
In all, the staff here found this woman impressive – a new and potentially powerful voice – probably mismatched with the position of lieutenant governor, which she is seeking.
Goldberg would make a better gubernatorial candidate. Compared with the others running, she rocks, as the younger people like to say today.
Watch this woman. Her star is on the rise.
