Gov. Baker, Challenger Gonzalez Face Off In First Debate

Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez and Governor Charlie Baker (R) take part in the WBZ/WSBK Debate on October 9, 2018.

BOSTON (CBS) – Incumbent Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and his Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez met in their first debate Tuesday night in the WBZ studios.

Gov. Baker and Gonzalez sparred over a number of issues in a wide-ranging discussion moderated by WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller. Topics included abortion rights, transportation and the recent gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley.

Baker said abortion rights are why he was concerned with Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. He said the bipartisan work he has done in Massachusetts “will not be compromised by changes in federal policy.”

Gonzalez went after Baker for endorsing State Rep. Geoff Diehl over Sen. Elizabeth Warren, saying he would be a rubber stamp for the Trump agenda. “By backing Geoff Diehl, Governor Baker is supporting an anti-choice agenda as well as an anti-LGBTQ, pro NRA agenda,” Gonzalez said.

Baker pointed out that he has received a poor grade from the NRA and he supports Massachusetts’ strict gun laws.

The governor criticized Gonzalez’s decision to cut early childhood education by $85 million when he served as Secretary of Administration and Finance for Gov. Deval Patrick. “That’s the decision he made when he actually had to make a choice,” Baker said. “We’ve increased spending on early childhood education over the past four years, by over $100 million, that’s the choice we made.”

Gonzalez said Baker may not have done enough to prevent the gas explosions that occurred in the Merrimack Valley north of Boston last month. “The federal government told the Baker administration weeks before the Merrimack Valley incident that they did not have enough inspectors,” Gonzalez said. “I would hire multiple times the inspectors and make sure we are being proactive.”

Baker responded that safety is his number one priority and the federal government reviewed the state’s pipeline safety program and issued a perfect score. “In addition to that, in 2017 DPU (Department of Public Utilities) did 1,100 investigations which was far more than they’d done in any of the previous five or six years,” Baker said.

The state recently ordered National Grid to stop all non-emergency gas work as they investigate what caused the system to be overpressurized in Woburn. A fill-in technician is believed to be responsible for this mistake. About 1,200 union employees with National Grid have been locked out since the summer.

Baker said he put the union and the utility in the same room to mediate and wishes it was successful. Gonzalez says the state should have stepped in sooner.

The election is Nov. 6.