A candidate for Massachusetts governor with Island ties is hosting a meet and greet on Tuesday, May 5, to connect with voters about key issues.
Andrea James, who is running as an independent, will discuss the rising cost of living, housing, and the unique challenges that Islanders face at the Oak Bluffs library on Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 pm.
James is a seventh-generation Massachusetts resident and owns a home in Oak Bluffs, where her family seasonally visits. She is a former criminal defense and real estate conveyance lawyer.
The 2026 Massachusetts gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 3, and James is running against current Gov. Maura Healey and seven other candidates.
“Too many people who live and work on Island are being priced out,” James stated in a press release. “We can’t keep asking people to hold this place together without giving them a real path to stay. I’m showing up to listen first, and to talk honestly about what it will take to make Massachusetts work for the people who call it home.”
Other topics to be discussed are listed as universal healthcare, protections from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and childcare, all issues that Vineyarders have directly faced recently.
Islanders spoke out about their rising healthcare premiums to The Times this year after federal policies affected the Massachusetts health insurance marketplace. It’s also almost a year to the day since federal agents arrested 20 people for allegedly not holding U.S. citizenship. Childcare costs have continued to be of concern for young families, especially after some incidents with care providers ended in arrests and the death of one child.
After what she described as a mistake in judgement, according to an essay she wrote for Time, James ended up in a Connecticut prison. James was sentenced to two years for fraud in 2010, just a few months after the birth of her second child. She wrote in the essay about the ways her incarceration gave her a new outlook on life, responsibility, and freedom.The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but space is limited, according to the release. Prospective attendees are encouraged to confirm a space at ajforma.com/oak-bluffs-meet-and-greet.