Chamber Debate: Democratic Candidates for 11th Middlesex State Representative

On July 31, the two democratic candidates for 11th Middlesex District State Representative — Alex Jablon and Amy Sangiolo — met online in a debate hosted by the Charles River Regional Chamber (CRRC) and moderated by CRRC President, Greg Riebman.

Incumbent Rep. Kay Khan is stepping down from the role after an almost 30-year-long career. The winner of the Democratic primary on September 3 will run against sole Republican candidate, Vladislav S. Yanovsky, and the winner of that election will become the next State Representative for the 11th Middlesex District, which includes Newton’s Ward 1 (Precincts 2, 3), Wards 2, 3, 4, and Ward 7 (Precinct 2). 

Below are highlights of the candidates’ responses to questions pertaining to the following questions. (See CRRC’s video of the event for all topics and responses.)

1. Why do you want to work in a place that operates like the Massachusetts state legislature, with last-minute bills and lack of transparency?

Sangiolo: She desires to participate due to her experience with difficult issues. She highlights the City Council’s greater transparency compared to the State House and expresses a commitment to promoting transparency.

Jablon: He wants to be part of the process to help as many people as possible, emphasizing his passion for Massachusetts and experience in finance and oversight. He rejects the notion of passivity and highlights the dangers of signing off on bills without proper knowledge.

2. To Jablon: Why should voters opt for you, someone with lesser legislative experience, as opposed to Sangiolo, who has been in the game for decades?

Jablon: He highlights his service on the City’s Financial Advisory Committee and his background in finance, oversight, and budget management. He notes that both he and Sangiolo would be entering the state legislature brand new, bringing different but relevant experiences to the table.

2a. To Jablon (follow up): Why not run for City Council first?

Jablon: He said that he values transparency and believes he can have a significant impact in this role for the city and the Commonwealth. He says that his candidacy is partly due to timing, stating he would not run if Rep. Kay Khan was running again.

3. To Sangiolo: Why should voters not opt for generational change by electing Alex, who has the potential to stay long enough to advance and make significant progress, given the Democratic Party’s current focus on generational leadership?

Sangiolo: She believes she has the broadest support within the community. This support enables her to connect with younger members and seek their perspectives on various issues. Her experience will help her advance bold proposals on matters such as climate change, the housing crisis, public transit funding, and school funding.

4. How would you balance the need to address the climate crisis quickly with the concerns of small businesses and property owners?

Sangiolo: She recognizes the costs businesses will face in reducing fossil fuel usage and commits to advocating for incentive programs and cost alleviation at the State House. She stresses the 2050 Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan and intends to work with state and federal governments to achieve climate action goals while acknowledging the hardships businesses may face.

Jablon: He emphasizes the importance of structuring laws and regulations to support transitions, providing necessary resources, and collaborating with the Chamber and small business owners. He acknowledges the significant costs of electrification but says that the cost of inaction is much higher.

5. Do you have any additional ideas for increasing the state’s housing stock that are not addressed in the State Bond bill?

Sangiolo: She suggests adding a real estate transfer tax as an option for municipalities to help fund affordable housing and preserve existing stock. She also advocates for greater public sector involvement in creating housing, similar to her past support for using affordable housing funds to acquire and increase housing inventory.

Jablon: He expressed disappointment that the proposed real estate transfer fees were removed from legislation despite being included in the state Democratic platform, and he said he sees it as an opportune time to implement it. He proposes repurposing underused properties, such as malls, into housing.

6. To Jablon: Sangiolo supports giving communities rent control — do you?

Jablon: He does not support rent control, citing concerns about inefficiencies it creates in the housing market, such as preventing people from downsizing and leading to overall market inefficiencies. He believes that rent control is a short-term solution rather than a comprehensive fix. He supports rent stabilization efforts but is not in favor of rent control as a whole.

7. To Sangiolo: Are you concerned that implementing rent control in Newton might cause small private owners to sell their naturally affordable rental properties to larger corporations, potentially reducing the availability of affordable housing managed by smaller landlords?

Sangiolo: Her proposal suggests allowing communities to opt into rent control rather than mandating it statewide. She notes that private equity firms are buying properties, neglecting maintenance, or raising rents excessively due to lack of control. Additionally, she highlights the broader housing crisis, including the right to shelter and the necessity for federal and state funding.

8. Would you support giving state or county authorities the power to require communities to change their zoning laws for multi-family homes and single-family lots?

Sangiolo: She would rather increase support through grants and funding for districts to adopt programs instead of using mandates. 

Jablon: He intends to use incentives to encourage developers to create affordable housing and municipalities to adopt inclusive zoning, but would be open to reevaluating the approach if progress is not made. 

9. Do you support increasing the 40B threshold from 10% to 15%?

Neither candidate supported this. 

10. How would you advocate for small businesses?

Sangiolo: She seeks to support small businesses in their challenges such as regulations and infrastructure needs. Additionally, she seeks to increase arts and culture initiatives, which are significant economic drivers, contributing about 4% of Newton’s revenue.

Jablon: He believes in solutions like a robust microloan system, which has been successful through short-term business struggles. He wants to make public transportation more reliable and to ease regulations on certain businesses to bring people in.

11. Do you support increasing the tipped minimum wage from $6.75 to $15 per hour by 2029?

Both candidates support this.

12. What would you do to help attract and retain large businesses in Newton?

Both candidates agree on implementing tax incentives for businesses. 

13. Do you support eliminating the MCAS requirement for graduation?

Sangiolo: No. She thinks some standardization is needed to ensure graduates have a basic education level, citing experts, including former Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley and Governor Healy, who oppose removing the requirement.

Jablon: Yes. He believes it leads to a narrowly focused curriculum and disadvantages students who struggle with standardized tests. He cites teachers who recommend eliminating it as a requirement.

14. There’s a ballot question for allowing the state legislature to be audited. Yes or no?

Both candidates support auditing the legislature, with some reservations. 

15. Do you think a raise in tolls on roads around Massachusetts should be off the table? And how to increase revenue for the MBTA and public transit in general?

Both candidates seek to consider all options, including tolling, and seek to increase MBTA revenue through the Fair Share Tax and by spending wisely.

Bella Ishanyan is a Fig City News intern, Massachusetts High School Journalist of the Year, and off to UMass Amherst in September.