Entering governor's race, Ben Downing stresses urgency, need for 'a fairer, stronger Massachusetts'
NORTH ADAMS — Once considered a rising star in the Massachusetts Senate, Ben Downing surprised many when he walked away in 2016, fulfilling a promise to serve no more than 10 years, despite colleagues’ pleas for him to stay.
Few expected Downing, now 39, to leave public service for long. Downing’s entry into the 2022 race for governor, which he announced Monday, doesn’t shock anyone who knows him well.
Downing says he is running with a sense of urgency to tackle economic inequality, climate change and wide-ranging racial disparities.
In Downing’s vision for “a fairer, stronger Massachusetts,” the state would set a higher minimum wage, commit to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, raise taxes on top earners and invest more in public infrastructure, he told The Eagle.
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