The two Democrats running for Massachusetts attorney general touted their leadership skills and experience in a NECN Broadside debate Wednesday evening before what seems to be a close primary election.
Warren Tolman, a former state senator, and Maura Healey, a former assistant AG, will face of in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Sept. 9; the winner will face Republican attorney John Miller in November.
In the debate, Healey hit Tolman's record on casino gambling, saying that she believes casinos are one of the biggest consumer issues facing Bay State residents. On his connection to a gaming company, Tolman countered the business never got off the ground and that it worked with lotteries.
When it came to youthful offenders being tried as adults, Tolman said he supports it on a case-by-case basis. Healey said she would support trying 14-year-old offenders such as Philip Chism as adults.
Debate moderator and Broadside host Jim Braude asked the candidates if they would have launched an investigation into the Florida shooting death of Ibraghim Todashev, who had reportedly just confessed to committing a triple homicide in Waltham, Massachusetts, with Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, which current Attorney General Martha Coakley declined to do. Both Tolman and Healey said they would have opened an investigation into the shooting death.
"I believe sunshine is the best disinfectant," Tolman said.
A report from the Boston Globe points out a mostly-white police force in Massachusetts' most diverse communities. Healey and Tolman said this is something as attorney general they would like to change.
Politics
"It's important to get people in the pipeline," Healey said.
Democratic gubernatorial candidates Don Berwick, Martha Coakley and Steve Grossman will meet for a televised debate on Thursday night at 6 p.m., Sept. 4, while the Republican candidates for governor, Charlie Baker and Mark Fisher, will face off in a debate on Friday night at 6 p.m., Sept. 5.
