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In late May and early June, Allstonia sat down at McKinney Park in Brighton with both Daniel Lander and William Brownsberger, who are running for the position of state senator for the Suffolk and Middlesex Districts, which include Allston-Brighton.
We discussed housing, transportation, their public service journeys and experience, and their hopes for Allston-Brighton in full.
The two candidates will be on the ballot in this upcoming Democratic Primary Election, which will happen on September, 1, 2026. Voting registration has begun and will close on August 22, 2026.
Click below to jump to a particular topic:
- The candidate’s experience with public service
- How the candidate’s prior experiences led them to run this year for office
- Campaign points on housing, with their specific stance on real estate transfer tax and rent control/stabilization
- Campaign points on transportation, including I-90 and West Station project
- How much time the candidate has spent in Allston-Brighton
- Hardest political fight the candidate has led
- The candidate’s theory of coalition-building
- Relationship to Senate and Boston City leadership, including stances on senator stipends, term limits, acting independently from former or current obligations to Senate and Boston mayoral leadership
- If elected, what is the version of the senator that disappoints people
- Favorite place in Allston-Brighton
The candidate’s experience with public service
William Brownsberger
Daniel
Lander
How the candidate’s prior experiences led them to run this year for office
Daniel
Lander
William
Brownsberger
Campaign points on housing
Daniel
Lander
Daniel
Lander
William
Brownsberger
Real estate transfer tax
When real estate property is sold in Massachusetts, a statewide real estate transfer tax — known as the Deeds Excise Tax — is already imposed to generate revenue for the state government. Standard transfer taxes do not typically apply to property transfers resulting from inheritance or government takings like eminent domain.
However, a separate and highly debated proposal called the Local Option Real Estate Transfer Fee, which would allow individual cities and towns to levy an additional tax on high-value property sales to fund affordable housing, has yet to pass the state legislature.
Lander has expressed support for the fee, while Brownsberger has opposed it.
