House battle turns on experience
Challenger says Khan hasn't done enough
By Matt Viser, Globe Correspondent | October 14, 2004

Greer Tan Swiston wants you to know that she is not a career politician. Kay S. Khan wants you to know that she is.

The two are facing off in a spirited debate over the 11th Middlesex House seat in the State House, which Khan has held for the past 10 years, and so far many of the barbs traded between the candidates have been over experience.

Swiston, a computer engineer who has never held elected office, says Khan has overstayed her usefulness on Beacon Hill.

''She's been in office for such a long time and, perhaps out of routine, there are a lot of things she's been taking for granted," Swiston said. ''Maybe what she wants was true 10 years ago, but has she been looking around lately? I've been going door to door, and a lot of people are saying Kay who?"

Khan touts ''a broad-based agenda," citing legislation she's filed in health care, transportation, and the environment.

''If you're going to have brain surgery, do you want an intern or do you want somebody who has experience and has been competent in the field?" Khan said. ''I have no idea why [Swiston] is running except to fill the Romney agenda, which is to get more Republicans into the Legislature. It's not clear from any of her literature where she stands on any of the issues."

So far, the candidates themselves rather than any particular issue have dominated the campaign. Swiston has not made an issue of tax cuts, like Romney and other Republican candidates across the state, and she never mentioned taxes during an hourlong interview.

Her biggest complaint about Khan so far has been that she hasn't done more for Newton on transportation issues.

''The transportation committee has been an area that has been interestingly ignored, particularly by our Newton contingent," Swiston said. ''We've got all these major highways that go through, we have a commuter rail zipping through, and 95 is in a fairly residential area. But we can't get a sound barrier up to save our lives. I don't understand why that's so."

Khan recently lost a battle to put sound barriers along Route 128 in Waban, in large part because the Massachusetts Highway Department deemed the project too costly. ''All I can say is that I attempted to get a sound barrier in that area of Newton for the last six years," she said.

Khan, who is on the Human Service and Elderly Affairs and the Local Affairs and Regional Government committees, said it is not necessary for Newton to have a representative on the low-profile transportation committee because any legislator can bring an issue before the committee.

Swiston also criticizes Khan for having what she considers too narrow a focus.

''I understand that her background is as a nurse and her connections are in the medical field," Swiston said. ''But when you're representing the whole district, there's a lot of issues that you need to be addressing. Most of her bills, you can see a common trend where there's something medical-related."

Khan admits that she has focused primarily on medical issues -- about half of the 19 House bills that she sponsored this year had to do with health care.

''Is there a problem with that? Is there a problem with focusing on health care? That's one of the most important issues that we face right now," Khan said.

In addition to differences over the issues, the candidates have several personal differences, including an age gap of nearly 25 years. Khan, 63, who has lived in Newton Lower Falls for 33 years, is married and has three grown children and four grandchildren. Swiston, 39, who grew up in Canton, has lived in West Newton for 13 years with her husband and their two elementary-school-aged children.

Swiston has coached in several local youth soccer leagues, leads a Girl Scout troop, and is active in several Chinese-American organizations, but she has never run for political office. Her only election experience was running for president of her alumni class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a race she won.

She says she was driven to run for state office by her unhappiness with the way things have been run in the past.

''You always feel like there are a lot more improvements that can be made," she said. ''I've come to a point in my life where I could say, 'Well, we should stop complaining and actually actively do something about it.' "

Khan has been challenged in each of the past five elections, but never seriously. She's never lost a precinct, and she's never received less than 74 percent. In the 2002 election, Khan beat Libertarian Danny Fain with 80 percent of the vote.

Still, political observers say that local races this year may be more competitive than people expect, even in a Democratic stronghold like Newton.

Governor Mitt Romney has recruited 134 candidates for legislative office, the most since 1990. The candidates are more aggressive, better organized, and have more financial clout than in the past, according to those who have been following the races.

''It's a general rule that in these local races, since both candidates are in the area and lots of people already know them personally, almost anything can happen," said Dennis Hale, a political science professor at Boston College. ''A small number of voters can make a big difference, and if you build a strong local network, incumbency loses some of its usual force."

If signs could vote, the race would be tight: Swiston appears to have more yard signs out than Khan.

Both candidates have raised a similar amount of money over the past year -- Swiston $29,175 and Khan $23,676, although Khan already had $23,317 in carryover funds from previous campaigns. But while Swiston has been able to exceed Khan's fund-raising, Khan has broader financial support from those who live in the district: 84 percent of Khan's money comes from Newton residents, compared to 24 percent of Swiston's.

And while Swiston has been critical of Khan's ties to what she calls ''special interests," Swiston has accepted $500 donations from 11 executives at Fidelity, which amounts to nearly one-fifth of her campaign kitty. Only one of Khan's donations came from a corporate executive, the president of Moleculon Research Corp. Occupations are only reported on contributions that exceed $100.

Still, Swiston admits that she has a tall order fighting a Democratic opponent in a city where only 11 percent of registered voters are Republican.

''If people don't know either one of you, they're going to have a tie to the incumbent more than you," Swiston said. ''So there's a burden to establish a connection. I guess that's why they call us challengers -- because we have a bigger challenge."

The League of Women Voters and NewTV are sponsoring public debates between Khan and Swiston at 6:30 tonight, followed by state Senate candidate Matthew Fraser and Senator Cynthia Creem. The debates will be taped at NewTV's studio, 90 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, for later broadcast.Matt Viser can be reached at viser@globe.com or 508-820-4238.

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.