2022 MA Primary Elections: Get to know the food insecurity policies of candidates running for Lt. Governor

In advance of the state primaries, Project Bread and the Food Bank Coalition of Massachusetts invited all five candidates running for Lieutenant Governor to attend a virtual forum to go on the record and answer important questions for voters regarding policy and food insecurity in the Commonwealth. 

Three of the five candidates accepted the invitation:

• Mayor Kim Driscoll
• Representative Tami Gouveia
• Senator Eric Lesser

The attendance of these candidates for Lieutenant Governor is further proof that a coalition of anti-hunger organizations as well as activists are opening and centering conversations around food insecurity and serious policy to address this issue of injustice.

We see leadership on so many levels working to tackle this basic human right, and we find it exciting that more and more electeds are seeing the seriousness of food insecurity.

• State Primary Election: Tuesday, September 6th
• General Election : Tuesday, November 8th

Make sure you are registered to vote, and encourage your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and communities to do the same so that Massachusetts Votes Against Hunger this fall.  

Each question has the video timestamp for you to watch the video and hear the candidates responses:

1. (3:39) What do you think the state government does well to address food insecurity and what could be done differently? 
2. (9:20) Given the specific role of Lt. Governor, how would you lead on food insecurity?
3. (15:01) How would you use your role as Lieutenant Governor to convene the relevant state agencies and community stakeholders and uplift those with lived expertise to prioritize ending hunger in MA?
4. (22:38) How will you ensure the Commonwealth serves these families so that they can support their households now and in the future?
5. (30:00) What can you do as Lt. Governor to ensure we’re moving forward in ensuring school aged children have access to healthy meals during the school day and beyond? 
6. (35:42) How would you work with state agencies, farms, and people to build on the success of this innovative program to reach more families and support more farms?  
7. (44:32) How will you and your running mate work to preserve and enhance this nutrition program, which also supports the Commonwealth’s growers, producers, and distributors? 
8. (51:42) How would you use your platform as LG to ensure successful implementation of developing a common application?
9. (58:01) How would you as Lieutenant Governor support these multi-stakeholder efforts to end hunger on qualifying public colleges and minority serving institutions? 
10. (1:04:36) How do you plan to use your platform to dismantle systemic racism and xenophobia, particularly in ways that advance equity in accessing basic needs such as food, employment opportunities, and increase generational wealth?

1. (1:10:51) Western Massachusetts is often not prioritized as much as other parts of the state. Hampden County has among the highest rates of food insecurity in the Commonwealth and large parts of the region are considered food deserts. As Lieutenant Governor, how would you make sure Western Mass gets the resources it needs to combat food insecurity especially when it's compounded by other issues facing the region?
2. (1:15:31) A 2020 report by the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative recommended that the state add a cabinet-level position to coordinate food system planning and development. What role could the lieutenant governor play in creating this new position?

1. (1:20:42) What else would you like to share about your plans to address food insecurity and its root causes?

The forum was hosted by Project Bread and the Food Bank Coalition of Massachusetts, including The Greater Boston Food Bank, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Worcester County Food Bank, and Merrimack Valley Food Bank.