IT’S SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDREA CAMPBELL IS OUR GUEST. LET’S GO "ON THE RECORD." SHE CAME OUT ON TOP DESPITE A SPENDING BLITZ BY HER OPPONENT TO SECURE THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDACY. NOW HER ATTENTION TURNS TO TAKING ON REPUBLICAN JAY MCMAHON TO BECOME THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO HOLD THE STATE’S TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT POST. >> FROM WCVB CHANNEL 5, THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL, ODAY’S NEWS MAKERS ARE GOING ON THE RECORD. ED: WELCOME TO OTR. I’M ED HARDING ALONG WITH NEWSCENTER 5 POLITICAL REPORTER JANET WU. WE’RE PLEASED TO HAVE ANDREA CAMPBELL WITH US THIS MORNING. SHE IS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL. A FORMER CITY COUNCILOR, SHE SERVED DISTRICT 4 FOR THREE TERMS AFTER BEING ELECTED IN 2015. CAMPBELL RAN FOR MAYOR OF BOSTON IN 2021 BUT FINISHED THIRD IN THE PRIMARY. NOW HER SETS ARE SIGHT ON BEING THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE AS A.G. CONGRATULATIONS. NOT DONE YET. JANET: IT WAS NOT AN EASY RACE, BUT YOU ARE NO NEW ONE STEP AWAY AND BEING ALERT ATTORNEY GENERAL. ONE IMMEDATE PROBLEM FACING MASSACHUSETTS IS MIGRANTS FLOWN TO THE SMALL ISLAND OF MARTHA’S VINEYARD BY FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS. IF YOU WERE ATTORNEY GENERAL, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THIS? ANDREA: THE WAY WE ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW. I AM SO PROUD OF NOT ONLY BEING FROM MASSACHUSETTS, LIVING IN MASSACHUSETTS, IT’S A BIPARTISAN RESPONSE, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, OUR CURRENT GOVERNOR, CURRENT ATTORNEY GENERAL WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE SURE IT’S A COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE, MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE SHELTER, HOUSING, IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DIFFERENT PATHWAYS TO CITIZENSHIP THAT THAT HAPPENS TOO. ALSO AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL I KNOW I’M A AG IS TALKING TO AG’S AND OTHER STATES WHO ARE DEALING WITH THIS. I’M PROUD OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IN MASSACHUSETTS. JANET: WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHER REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS TO SEND MORE TO MASSACHUSETTS? ANDREA: I WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS TO LEAD WITH A SENSE OF EMPATHY AND COMPASSION. MOSTLY FOLKS COMING HERE ARE IN NEED OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THIS IS WHAT THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT UPON, IMMIGRANTS. FOLKS FORGET THAT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS TO HONE IN ON THAT MESSAGE OF WHAT COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE VALUES THAT CENTER EQUITY, CENTER HUMANITY, WHICH IS IN STARK CONTRAST TO WHAT WE ARE SEEING FROM REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS. I THINK AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BY THE FEDERAL U.S. ATTORNEY. JANET: WOULD YOU DO IT YOURSELF? WITHIN THE MASSACHUSETTS -- ANDREA: I KNOW THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS TALKING TO OTHER AG’S. MERRICK GARLAND SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO IF THERE ARE CRIMINAL OR CIVIL LIABILITIES HERE. ED: IT IS BEING LABELED A POLITICAL GESTURE, RON DESANTIS MAKING A PUT STATEMENT, NOT FOR COMPASSION, NOT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE TO BE, BUT A POLITICAL STATEMENT. PEOPLE BEING USED AS POLITICAL BONDS. -- PAWNS. ANDREA: THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, A POLITICAL STUNT. IT IS SUPPOSED TO FEED TO A CERTAIN BASE TO RILE THEM UP FOR MAYBE A RUN IN THE FUTURE HE IS THINKING ABOUT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT DEMOCRATS HAVE ALWAYS DONE, LEADING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, CREATING PATHWAYS TO CITIZENSHIP, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TREATING PEOPLE WITH A SENSE OF DIGNITY. I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE DOING THAT IN MASSACHUSETTS AND A BIPARTISAN WAY WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT. JANET: THERE IS A BALLOT QUESTION ON THIS NOVEMBER’S BALLOT THAT WOULD BASICALLY PREVENT THE STATE FROM GIVING DRIVERS LICENSES FOR NONRESIDENTS, IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE UNDOCUMENTED. DO YOU THINK WHAT IS HAPPENING ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD WILL AFFECT THAT QUESTION? ANDREA: I HOPE IT AFFECTS IT IN A POSITIVE WAY. I HOPE THAT FOLKS VOTE YES ON 4. THIS IS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE. WE DON’T NEED ADDITIONAL REPORTS TO TALK ABOUT, IF YOU GIVE FOLKS ACCESS TO A DRIVER’S LICENSE AND THEY BUY INSURANCE, THAT PROTECTS ALL OF US. IN ADDITION, I HAVE HAD PAINFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST LOVED ONES IN CAR ACCIDENTS, YOU ARE GRIEVING, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHO KILLED YOUR LOVED ONE. IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THEM TO GET JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. ED: THE NEXT ITEM I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, THE PRIMARY THAT YOU JUST WENT THROUGH. IT WAS A HARD-FOUGHT PRIMARY CAMPAIGN ON THE STREETS AND ON THE AIR. THERE WERE ADS ON THE AIR. MANY BELIEVE YOUR MAGIC POTION WAS MAURA HEALEY. IS THAT FAIR TO SAY, IS THERE ANY LIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU? ANDREA: EXTREMELY PROUD TO HAVE THE ENDORSEMENT OF OUR CURRENT AG IN THIS RACE. IT IS SIGNIFICANT, SHE EXERCISED TREMENDOUS POLITICAL COURAGE BEING WITH ME OUT THERE, PUSHING FOLKS TO VOTE FOR ME. BUT THIS IS A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN. WE GOT OUT AND WE WORKED. I DIDN’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. WE CRISSCROSSED THE STATE NUMEROUS TIMES, PEOPLE MOBILIZED, PHONE BANKED, THEY INVESTED IN MY CAMPAIGN WITH THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY. I AM PROUD OF THE GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAVE BUILT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AS WE WORK TO FINISH THE LINE IN NOVEMBER. JANET: WHERE WOULD YOU GO THAT SHE HAS NOT GONE? WHEN YOU DIG INTO ISSUES THAT PERHAPS SHE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN? ANDREA: I’M ASSUMING YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT MAURA HEALEY? I WOULD FOCUS ON CRIMINAL REFORM. MOST KNOW MY STORY, MY BIOLOGICAL PARENTS ARE DECEASED, MY TWIN BROTHER IS DECEASED, A LOT OF THAT CONNECTED TO THE PRISON SYSTEM. THESE ARE NOT JUST ISSUES THAT AFFECT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. AS WE COME IN ALLIES THE OPIOID CRISIS, MENTAL HEALTH, IT AFFECTS ALL COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION TO THAT, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, MAKING SURE WEALTH GETS INTO OUR GATEWAY AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. AND THEN MENTAL HEALTH. WE HAVE HAD AN EPIDEMIC IN THIS COUNTRY FOR DECADES. WE REALLY NEED TO CENTER MENTAL HEALTH ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. JANET: YOU AR A BIG SUPPORTER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS. AS A RESULT, MANY UNIONS, LIKE THE TEACHERS UNIONS, ENDORSED YOUR OPPONENT WHO WAS A LABOR ATTORNEY. IN MASSACHUSETTS, IT’S HARD TO LEAD WITHOUT UNION BACKING. HOW DO YOU REPAIR THAT RELATIONSHIP? ANDREA: I DON’T KNOW THAT IT WAS EVER BROKEN. I WAS JUST WITH THE TEACHERS UNION YESTERDAY. I WAS JUST AT AFL-CIO. THEY HAVE ENDORSED ME IN THE RACE, WHICH IS A BIG DEAL. SPEAKING TO THE AFFILIATES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT HARD-WORKING PEOPLE. I AM PROUD OF THAT. FOR ME IT’S ABOUT LOOKING AHEAD AND DOING THE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP. I AM PROUD OF THOSE UNIONS THAT ALSO SUPPORTED ME ALONG THE WAY. LOCAL 175, SEIU, THERE ARE SO MANY, THEY STEPPED UP AS WELL. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND SA