Ihssane Leckey: Candidate Profile 4th Congressional District

BROOKLINE, MA — Nearly a dozen candidates, including nine Democrats and two Republicans, are vying to represent the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District — which runs from Newton and parts of Brookline, Wellesley and Hopkinton and down to the South Coast — as Rep. Joe Kennedy leaves to challenge Sen. Ed Markey for his seat in the senate.

To get to know the 4th District candidates, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary election draws near.

Among those running in the Democratic Primary Sept. 1, is Ihssane Leckey, 35, of Brookline.

Leckey was the first candidate to throw her hat in the race last year and was prepared to run against Kennedy, before he announced he would be stepping away. Leckey first moved to the Brookline area to attend Boston University and returned about 5 years ago with her husband Sean and daughter Nora. Leckey serves on the Brookline Public Schools Parents Advisory Committee, the leadership team of Brookline Racial Justice and Equity, People of Color Coalition, and Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom.

She attended Borough of Manhattan Community College before finishing her undergraduate at Boston University in Economics and Mathematics in 2010. From 2014 to 2018 she was a special examiner at the Federal Reserve. She says no one else in her family has run for political office before.

Here's what she had to say about running:

What politicians have inspired you and might you model your time in Congress after?

For decades, we have been told by corporate-backed politicians that making backroom deals is the only way to get things done. Fearless progressives like Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have proven that there is a better way.

The last few years, these leaders have changed public perception on Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and Racial Justice policies by unapologetically organizing with activists in their communities while building necessary alliances in Congress.

With their fearless leadership, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and strengthen voting rights. As a former Wall Street Regulator, I will also model my work in Congress on Senator Warren’s. I will take on corrupt special interests and fight to build a strong and resilient economy. We don’t have to settle for half-measures in the richest country in the word. People in our district and around the country depend on us to fight for a government and an economy that works for all of us, not just the ultra-rich.

How would you summarize your campaign in 3 words?

Fearless Woman of Color

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Equitable access to resources stands between us and a society where every family lives a high quality life with dignity. Our district is the mirror image of America — the ultra-rich keep getting richer, while working class families and communities of color are disproportionately harmed by toxic waste, poverty wages, healthcare and food deserts, and underinvestment in education, housing, and transportation. The covid pandemic has made our inequality even greater, and greedy corporations keep getting bailouts while millions are losing their jobs, savings, small businesses, and healthcare.

As our congresswoman, I will work to get the immediate health and economic crisis under control and pass a green economic recovery plan that rebuilds our economy while starting the implementation of the Green New Deal.

As a woman of color, I will fight to make sure these policies center front line communities such as coastal cities and towns in our district, communities of color, people who have lost their jobs, retirement savings, and their small businesses, while combating climate change and ushering in a just economy for all. I will fight for a Green New Deal rooted in racial justice that would reshape our society to be more equitable and economically just by creating millions of good-paying jobs, safe housing, universal public transit, and community-led violence prevention.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My story is not the story of the corrupt men who have run Washington for too long. My story is the story of the working class. My experiences as someone who lived through poverty, as an immigrant and as the only woman of color in this race, gives me a unique ability to unite our district in the fight for racial, social, economic and environmental justice.

Over the course of this campaign I have developed a deep understanding of the needs of the communities in our district, which are reflected in our agenda. I was not afraid to challenge the incumbent when he fell short on serving the needs of our district, and I will not succumb to special interests when it comes to boldly fighting for our progressive values and our democracy. As a former Wall Street regulator, I know how to take on corrupt corporations and win. And unlike other candidates in the race I do not accept a dollar of corporate PAC or lobbyist money. If we all use our power we can heal our democracy.

In what way has the current officeholder failed the district? What will you do better?

Working families, immigrants and people of color have been left out of the political process for too long. We have seen complacency on environmental justice, on healthcare, on holding Wall Street accountable, and on impeaching Trump. As congresswoman, I will represent every person and part of this district and fight first and foremost for the needs of vulnerable communities. It is past time that we end the influence of corporate money in our district.

I support:

Green New Deal, Medicare for all, Healthcare for all, Eliminating the filibuster, The 1619 Project in schools, Transgender troops in the military

I do not support:

Repealing the second amendment.

What should Congress do to help the economy?

We need relief, recovery and resiliency.

First, Congress must provide immediate relief from the COVID-19 pandemic through $2,000 monthly checks, keeping workers on payroll, supporting small businesses, and guaranteeing paid family and medical leave for all.

Second, we must pass a green economic recovery plan that builds on the principles of the Green New Deal. We must create millions of good-paying jobs, combat climate change and create an economy that works for all. We must transition to a Medicare-for-all health care system that includes long-term care, reproductive justice, dental, vision and mental health care. We must make the ultra-rich and large corporations pay their fair share in order to guarantee free pre-k and affordable housing.

Third, we need to take a proactive risk assessment and preparedness approach to build a resilient economy that can stand strong in the face of future crises.

As a Wall Street Regulator, my job was to assess the systemic risks facing our country, from the backlog of student loans to the environmental crisis. In Congress, I will continue that work of holding the biggest banks accountable for their actions and working to prevent crises that cause pain for the American people.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

As a mother and as a daughter, in Congress, I will fight for a family-first governing agenda that ends unnecessary suffering and systemic injustices.

We must ensure that all our children can fulfill their potential and all elders can age with dignity. That means 36 weeks of paid leave for new parents, free and high-quality universal childcare, high-quality universal pre-K, and baby bonds to close the racial wealth gap.

We will fight for new funding for our public schools, free public colleges and universities and fair pay for our teachers. We must enact a homes guarantee to guarantee affordable housing for all, Medicare for All to guarantee health care for everyone as a right, and expand Social Security so our seniors can retire with dignity.

Next, we must reinvigorate our democracy, end systemic racism and protect the most vulnerable. We need campaign finance reform to get big money out of our politics. We must move away from the current punitive approach toward a society built on restorative justice and compassion. That means investing in education, health care, mental health services and housing, so we can create healthy and safe communities that serve everyone no matter the color of their skin or where they were born. And we must protect and expand reproductive rights, and the rights of LGBTQ+ people, Native Americans and people with disabilities.

We must also overhaul our cruel immigration system to create a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented people, and we must end gun violence in this country.

Third, we need a just economy. We must make the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes, raise the minimum wage to a living wage, double union membership in the net four years, and pass a Green New Deal to combat climate change and create millions of good-paying jobs.

What accomplishments would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

The only thing standing between us and the progressive change we need are corrupt corporations that have had too much influence over our government. I know how to take on these corporations and win. As a Wall Street regulator I took on the biggest banks on Wall Street. I launched and led inter-agency task forces to protect jobs and consumers from national and global threats to our economy. I served along dedicated public servants across federal agencies to hold the biggest banks accountable, and to ensure they hold rainy day funds to survive and continue lending during unprecedented economic shocks.In Congress, I will take on the NRA, fossil fuel corporations and the pharmaceutical industry so that we can finally create a government and an economy that works for all of us.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Don’t listen to the people who tell you not to run for Congress because you are a woman, because your hair is too ethnic or because you don’t come from a wealthy family. Congress needs more immigrants, more women of color and more people who have experienced poverty. If you are serious about ending corporate corruption and greed, step up and run.

My favorite aspect of this district is...

Our district has the spirit of the working class that I grew up in. We’re resilient and will fight for each other.

What else would you like voters to know about you and your positions?

Our fight for economic, racial, social, and environmental justice is personal to me. As the only woman of color in this race and as the only candidate who lived through poverty, I will work hand in hand with vulnerable communities and the working people of this district to end unnecessary suffering in America.

Campaign Website and Social Media:

https://ihssane.org/ Twitter: @ihssaneleckey, Instagram: @ihssaneleckey, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ihssa...

Read more:

• Ihssane Leckey Of Brookline Runs For Congress
• Leckey Launches $300K TV Ad In Crowded 4th
• Arrival VR: Ihssane Shares Her Immigration Story

Other candidate profiles for the 4th Congressional District:

• Jesse Mermell
• Chris Zannetos

Are you running for office in Brookline? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Brookline Patch.