MARSHFIELD — September 28, 2026 — State Sen. Dylan Fernandes and Republican challenger Kari MacRae agreed Monday that Pilgrim’s wastewater should stay out of Cape Cod Bay and that the state’s local aid formula shortchanges the district, but split on taxes, spending and immigration at a WATD 95.9 FM forum, with Fernandes citing his record and MacRae urging voters to “change the policymakers.”
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Taxes and spending. MacRae, of Bourne, opened by saying, “This election comes down to three things, affordability, accountability and safety,” and asked voters whether they were satisfied with the state’s direction during Fernandes’s nearly a decade on Beacon Hill. Asked where she would find savings, she read a list of electric bill charges she said the Legislature drives and said, “There are plenty of ways that we can reduce the taxes.” She said voters who rarely turn out have “the ultimate power to bring change.”
Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat, said he led the effort to raise the estate tax threshold from $1 million to $2 million, which he called “a huge deal for middle class families who are home rich, but cash poor.” He also cited an end to the tax on building materials and said more housing supply would lower costs.
Fernandes said savings could come from administrative efficiencies in health and human services. MacRae said the state first needs to “find out where the money is being spent,” and said there is “so much fraud” in Medicaid.
Auditing the Legislature. MacRae said voters had backed letting the state auditor review the Legislature: “She’s the auditor. We need to let her do the job.” Fernandes said he supported the audit and that the Senate sent the auditor the four categories of documents she sought after a Supreme Judicial Court ruling. Of the Senate’s own budget, he said, “It’s really minuscule and she should audit that.”
Local aid. “The formulas are profoundly unfair,” Fernandes said, saying Medford receives about $15 million in unrestricted aid and Plymouth, a similar-size community, about $5 million. He said he passed reform through the Senate and named it his first priority. MacRae agreed but asked why it was not addressed during his eight years in the House, saying “nobody wants to ruffle the feathers of the leaders that are up there.” Asked about her own first priority, she said, “It would be to reduce some of the crazy stuff that’s up here now.”
