Election 2020: Tram Nguyen And Jeff Dufour On The Issues

ANDOVER, MA — Incumbent Democrat Tram Nguyen and Republican challenger Jeff Dufour are facing off in the 18th Essex District state representative election, to represent parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover and Tewksbury.

With early in-person and mail-in voting underway ahead of the Nov. 3 election, many voters may have already cast their ballots. Wondering how to vote this year? Check out our voter guides:

• Election 2020: Tewksbury Voter Guide
• Election 2020: North Andover Voter Guide
• Election 2020: Andover Voter Guide

Curious where the two candidates stand on the issues? Patch asked them about their views on a number of pressing policy questions in the state. Their responses are collected below.

How would you rate the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic on a letter-grade scale (A, B, C, D or F), and how would you explain that rating?

Dufour

C+ : I give the state a passing grade for acting quickly and continuing to monitor the situation. However, while the state has responded aggressively to the health aspects of the issue, other areas have not received adequate attention. The impact of forcing people out of work has long-term economic and social implications, and the state has failed to address the issue of reopening schools.

Nguyen

A letter grade is a drastic oversimplification of the circumstances. This unprecedented outbreak wrought tragedy and heartache on so many families across the Commonwealth; we cannot overstate the harm for those who lost loved ones. I believe once the severity and breadth were established, the state, with concerted pressure from the legislature, acted swiftly to control the spread by making rapid scale testing available and distributing PPE to frontline workers. Our contact tracing program became a model for the nation. I do wish certain mandates came sooner, particularly for masks, which remain critical for minimizing risk. For what lies ahead, I would like to see a more rapid and proactive response, anticipating challenges for parents with pre-school and school aged children whose ability to return to work is dependent on schools or reliable childcare.

Is Chapter 40B, the state's affordable housing law, working, and if not what would you change?

Nguyen

Chapter 40B is a 50 year old law that no longer meets the reality of the Massachusetts housing market. There are some great proposals on Beacon Hill that would address housing affordability issues, such as lowering the super majority currently required for certain zoning changes, investing in public and private sector partnerships to support workforce housing ownership programs, helping seniors ages in place, and considering the broad definition of "affordability" across communities.

Dufour

Chapter 40B often creates a contentious environment within communities and fails to account for the long-term impacts of the population increase. Housing affordability should be addressed locally through the reduction of costly regulations.

What steps, if any, should the state take toward police reform?

Dufour

The legislature went too far with the so-called "Police Reform" bill. Our local police are not the problem, yet the state, including the incumbent, treated them as if they were. Our police consist of thousands of highly trained, highly skilled professionals doing an often thankless job for often ungrateful citizens. This has never been more evident than the past few months. Similar to most other professions, they require continuing education and training to keep up with their ever-changing responsibilities but defunding them doesn't make sense. If anything, they need additional resources to allow them to obtain the tools and training necessary to meet the increasing demands of their jobs.

Nguyen

Supporting the police and supporting policing reform are not mutually exclusive, as my opponent would have you believe. Throughout this debate, I was in regular communication with police chiefs and officers from my communities, and I greatly valued their input and willingness to answer my questions. I believe additional training in de-escalation tactics, creation of a POST system setting minimum standards for hiring and conduct of officers, specialized training for officers dealing with persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as additional resources for mental health services, would benefit our officers by providing them more tools. I equally valued the perspectives that I heard from my colleagues from the Black & Latinx Caucus and members of communities of color, who have borne the brunt of discriminatory policies. The House bill that I voted for is about community resources and using current funding towards training and tactics that are proactive and build trust between community members and law enforcement. I hope the conference committee reaches consensus soon and these reform efforts are signed into law.

As a point of clarification, there is nothing in the House version that would "defund" the police.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Dufour

The economic impact to Massachusetts associated with the COVID-19 shutdowns is devastating. State revenue is down over $6 billion. Families are hurting. We need to trim the state budget and limit taxes. We also need to help small businesses that create most new jobs.

As the next State Representative, I will focus on reviving the economy, holding the line against taxes, and strengthening public safety.

Nguyen

After listening to and learning from constituents across the district during office hours, phone calls, emails, town hall meetings, these are the issues that I prioritize:

Environment Protection & Climate Change - I am committed to working on climate and environmental protection, and I believe that everyone should have access to clean air, safe water, and healthier communities. I strongly promote environmental justice for low-income residents and communities of color. I also believe that we need to do everything we can to fight against the climate crisis by working toward 100% renewable energy, addressing carbon emissions, increasing funding for enforcement of environmental laws, promoting transportation solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, investing in the development of green technologies, taking necessary steps to protect our air, water, and natural resources, and expanding our access to open space.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - I am a steadfast defender of human rights and have dedicated my career to promoting and protecting civil and political rights as well as fighting for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights. I stand in solidarity with marginalized communities in dismantling institutional racism, fighting for racial justice, economic justice, criminal justice, environmental justice, and advancing protections to ensure that all people are treated fairly, with dignity and respect.

Employment & Economy – I am passionate about protecting the rights of workers. I believe that all workers should have the opportunity to earn a living wage from their work and that all workers deserve to have adequate job protections, safe work environments free from harassment and other unfair treatment; and fair compensation. Additionally, I understand that small businesses are the backbone of our communities and strongly advocate for resources and relief for small businesses, especially during this pandemic, to enable them to continue to provide local jobs, add vibrancy and character to our towns, and enrich our communities by enabling our neighbors to showcase their unique craftsmanship skills and services.

Public Health & Health Care - I prioritize rapid response to COVID-19 to address the health and safety of our residents. I am committed to combating the opioid crisis, affirming that mental health is an essential aspect of health, advocating for universal access to quality and affordable health care, and supporting healthy relationships education programs for young people. As a defender of reproductive rights, I am also dedicated to protecting women's rights to make personal decisions about the full range of reproductive health care options.

Read more on this race:

• Tram Nguyen: Candidate Profile 18th Essex District
• Jeff Dufour: Candidate Profile 18th Essex District
• Nguyen Holds Massive Money Edge Over Dufour In 18th Essex Race

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.