Alan Khazei: the Public Servant Running for Ted Kennedy’s Senate Seat
Alan Khazei is a candidate for the Democratic nomination to fill Edward Kennedy's open seat as Massachusetts Senator. A lifelong public servant, Khazei co-founded the program City Year as a model domestic Peace Corps to engage young Americans in a year of service.
Khazei's prominence in the nonprofit and social entrepreneurship fields has generated a lot of support for his campaign, and Change.org recently asked him a handful of questions about his plans were he to be elected to the Senate. The Democratic primary is being held this Tuesday, December 8.
Change.org: If you are successful in your bid to fill Senator Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, you will join the U.S. Senate during a very tumultuous and contentious time. With so many big issues being debated – health care, Afghanistan, immigration, etc. – what issue or issues do you want to personally champion?
Khazei: The number one issue facing America today is job creation. Our nation is recovering from economic crisis, but with unemployment and foreclosure rates as high as they are, we need swift action. I have thought a lot about solutions for the economy and have a plan that you can read on my website, www.alanforsenate.com.
Aside from the economy, an issue that has always been close to my heart is education. I founded City Year with the belief that every American child deserves the best education in the world, and I think the quality of American education will be what defines our nation's success in the 21st century. I wholeheartedly support President Obama's plans for education reform, and I want to see it through.
Change.org: This January, Change.org will launch our “Ideas for Change in America” competition where we’ll ask Americans to contribute new and innovative ideas for solving our societal ills. Give us an innovative idea that you’ll be advocating for in the U.S. Senate when it comes to a major problem facing Massachusetts and America?
Khazei: That sounds like a great competition, and I applaud your efforts. Having worked in the nonprofit sector for 25 years, I have a lot of faith in the innovative ideas they can create and foster. In fact, perhaps one of the most innovative ideas I'm hoping to put into practice is the creation of a Social Innovation Fund. It would establish a network of funds that would direct resources to nonprofits with new and creative solutions for societal ills. I think we can get a lot done as a nation by putting faith in these great organizations.
In particular, I am very passionate about the myriad clean energy solutions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote energy efficiency. I think we're at a moment in our history where we need to embrace alternative energy and energy-reducing innovations wholeheartedly, and Massachusetts, home of the best educational institutions in the world, is the place to lead clean energy technology. Investing in clean energy won't just improve our environment; it will create jobs, too. We have to commit to this.
Change.org: Filling Ted Kennedy’s seat in the U.S. Senate would be no easy task. His legacy is one of fighting for the voiceless and those without entrenched power. When your career in the Senate is over, what do you want your legacy to be?
Khazei: I'd like to be remembered as a reformer. Our system is broken in many ways — special interest money blocks change; political aspirations prevent dialogue. I'm trying to be different, to set myself apart from the system's flaws so I can work to change it.
Change.org: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your years in service that you’ll bring to the Senate?
Khazei: That big citizenship can change the world. It's an ideal I've tried to live by and encourage in others. We wouldn't be anywhere, in this country, without the dedication and energy of community-minded citizens with big dreams. Too much of our political process has been bogged down by cynicism and special interests. It's time to move past that. I want real solutions for our problems, and I think Massachusetts citizens do, too.
The special Democratic primary vote is this Tuesday, December 8. In the final hours before Tuesday's vote, the Khazei campaign is still looking for volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls, and donors to help keep TV commercials on the air. For those readers in Massachusetts, make sure you know where your poll location is, and make sure you talk about your support for Khazei with your friends and neighbors. Learn more at Alan For Senate.
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