With Nov. 4 only three weeks away, the 2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial race is still too close to call. Democratic candidate Martha Coakley leads Republican candidate Charlie Baker by a mere 1.6 percent of voters, according to a Sept. 20 compilation of various polling data by RealClearPolitics. The race thus far has been defined by only a few key issues. Although both Coakley and Baker are pro-choice and support marriage equality, fiscal and education policies have drawn the sharpest differences in their campaign platforms. 

This board endorses Martha Coakley for governor of the state of Massachusetts. We believe that Coakley’s extensive platform on key issues will best serve both Massachusetts residents and the student population. Specifically, we have limited our assessment of the gubernatorial race to the issues that we find most compelling and important—education, health care, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer rights and gender equality. We feel that these issues best speak to the interests and needs of Brandeis students. On all of these topics, Coakley stands out as a strong candidate. 

A key platform of Coakley’s campaign has been to promote universal early education, especially in the state’s poorer “Gateway” cities. Coakley has called on the state to provide gap funding for children forced to leave preschools due to a parent losing his or her job. As a board, we recognize the significance of early education—students in preschool programs are two and half times more likely to enroll in college later in life, according to the American Youth Policy Forum. These benefits are most needed in low-income homes, as the American Psychology Association reports that children from poor families are 10 times more likely to drop out of high school. Coakley’s focus on expanding early education for low-income cities will ensure that all students have a greater chance at achieving a high school diploma and a college degree. Coakley’s education platform also addresses key issues in some of Massachusetts’ poorest cities: according to her campaign website, only 30% of three and four-year-olds in Lawrence, Mass., for example, are enrolled in early education programs. 

In addition, Coakley plans to institute a full-need financial aid program for students attending any of Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges. According to her plan, if a student enrolled at a community college demonstrates clear need and cannot afford school with traditional financial aid, the state will pay the remaining expenses. Coakley has also called for families contributing to Massachusetts’ 529 College Savings Plan to receive $5,000 in tax deductions. Both of these proposals will significantly assist the people of Massachusetts in affording to receive a college diploma. According to Coakley’s campaign website, by 2020 70 percent of jobs in the state will require a college degree. Coakley’s prioritization of higher education is a worthy investment in the future of Massachusetts.

As for Coakley’s health care platform, she hopes to bring down the cost of healthcare for working families and businesses while upholding the high-quality care for which Massachusetts is known. Specifically, this board recognizes Coakley’s dedication and previous work for expanding access to mental health care. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s latest report, one in five Americans suffer from some form of mental illness. Even more people go untreated every year—making universal access to mental health care even more important. While serving as attorney general, Coakley implemented a $1.7 million Access to Mental Health Services Grant, which provided funding to five non profit organizations working in this field. Coakley has spoken about the profound impact of her brother’s suicide, and how it has motivated her to fight for stronger mental health care for the people of Massachusetts. 

Coakley’s platform also addresses civil rights—more specifically, rights and equality for the LGBTQ community. We strongly support Coakley’s affirmative stance on this issue and support her campaign platform that calls for fighting against unequal treatment in the workplace, advocating for the rights of transgender individuals and implementing bullying prevention programs in schools. While Baker is also supportive of gay marriage, Coakley comes to the issue with a strong history of fighting for equality. As attorney general, Coakley filed an influential lawsuit against the federal Defense of Marriage Act that helped the Supreme Court strike down the law. Coakley has also received the endorsement of MassEquality, an advocacy organization that that fights against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Coakley’s campaign platform also highlights gender inequality and the unequal treatment of women in the workplace. She has worked for greater protection of sexual assault and domestic violence survivors since the 1990’s, most recently coordinating with law enforcement to provide greater resources to fight perpetrators and support survivors. She also worked to implement a law that criminalized human trafficking for both sex and labor purposes. 

Despite Baker’s health care and managerial experience as the chief executive officer of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, we have concerns about his campaign promise to freeze state taxes at their current level. 

The Massachusetts tax rate has consistently increased over the past 20 years, and especially given Baker’s proposed expansion of social services like addiction therapy and veteran’s affairs, it is dangerously naive to assume taxes will not need to be raised. Coakley has made no such promise, and as she also prioritizes critical social issues, her willingness to face the hard fact that taxes will need to continue rising in Massachusetts shows a realism that this board applauds.

This board is not alone in favoring Coakley on education and health care issues. A WBUR poll found voters prefer Coakley over Baker on health care by a five point margin, despite the latter’s experience in the health care industry. Additionally, voters favor Coakley on educational issues by a 16-point margin, a wide lead in an extremely close race. While Baker’s experience in executive business roles is a laudable trait for a governor, this board endorses Martha Coakley in the race for governor of Massachusetts, hoping she will follow through on campaign promises and will continue to improve governance in the issues this board finds most relevant.