Political Profile: Megan Duckworth, Candidate for State Senate in District 14
Monday, August 29, 2022
Megan Duckworth is running for State Senate in Rhode Island. Here's what she has to say.
1. What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Rhode Island?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBased on my experience knocking doors and talking with my neighbors, the biggest political issue this campaign season in East Providence is the cost of living, with an emphasis on housing. Voters are citing the rising cost of food, gas, utilities and rent and have to decide where to cut corners to keep the roof over their heads.
2. What do we need to do to improve Rhode Island's economy?
Individuals and families are struggling to make ends meet here in Rhode Island. To improve the economy, we need to support workers and families. For workers, we need to ensure a livable wage by raising the minimum wage to $19, eliminating the tipped minimum wage, and ensuring that the minimum wage increases as the consumer price index increases going forward. When the minimum wage rises, salaries and wages trend upwards across the board, which will address the reality that the cost of living has risen faster than wages for years. We need to support working families by providing resources like universal pre-k and by decreasing the cost of housing. Rhode Island is last in the country for new housing construction, making home ownership out of reach for many families. Rhode Island also ranks fifth in the nation for rising rents, which is why I support a 4% annual cap on rent increases. Eviction is the leading cause of homelessness which is why we need to prioritize keeping families in their home to prevent a host of economic and health issues caused by housing insecurity.
3. What is the greatest challenge facing Rhode Island as a state?
The greatest challenge facing Rhode Island as a state is our current government. Rhode Island has faced climate change, a housing crisis, inaccessible healthcare, and a crumbling education system for years. Why haven’t we acted with urgency to address these issues? The current leadership has prevented major progress because many of our legislators have ties to corporations and lobbyists. These conflicts of interest prevent the legislators from being accountable to the voters. Instead, they are beholden to private interests, including fossil fuel industries and private insurance companies. Rhode Islanders deserve a government that is solely accountable to them and their interests, not to lining the pockets of the wealthy.
4. Why are you running for office? What makes you uniquely qualified?
Personally, I suffered a miscarriage a few months ago and the grief was overwhelming. Politically, we learned about the overturning of Roe and the gutting of the EPA. Professionally, I was seeing my patients unable to afford medications they needed and being discharged from the hospital to the street because of the housing crisis. This confluence of loss and sorrow brought me to my knees. I wondered what kind of world I was bringing a child into, and how I could practice medicine (I plan on going into OB-GYN) with reproductive healthcare under attack, and my patients unable to afford their basic needs. When a strong woman I admired asked me if I would consider running for State Senate, I felt hope about the world we could build, and knew I had to pursue it. I am uniquely qualified because of my experience in medicine, my experiences as a daughter, partner, and aspiring mother, and my lack of experience or ties with political lobbyists and industry. I have no ties to anyone other than my constituents, so I will always vote honestly and transparently. East Providence deserves someone who will do that and who might spread some hope around, too.
5. Who is your inspiration?
There are many, so this is hard! Right now, during this election, I am leaning on two of my inspirations. The first is my mom. She is the most resilient and brilliant person I know. She survived immense trauma as a child and was able to put herself through college– the first in her family to go. I try to emulate her strength and empathy. The second is Cynthia Mendes. This woman has sacrificed so much to stand up for what is right for her community and represent her neighbors how they want to be represented. She shares her joy and her energy with others despite being pulled in many directions. She seeks to mentor other women who could change the face of power. This is what it means to be a leader and so she is an inspiration to me.
You can read more about Duckworth's campaign here.
