News from the convention
The Chatham Delegation
Visible Security was the order of the day at the 2025 Massachusetts Democratic Convention held in Springfield, MA on Saturday, September 13.
Taking place at Springfield’s Mass Mutual Arena just a few days after the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, concerns for security were high, as evidenced by bomb squad vehicles, drones and heightened police presence.
In the days leading up to the convention, Congressman Richard Neal told Western Mass News that security was on the minds of many of those participating in the convention. “You have to be concerned about this today. I know many members of congress have cancelled appearances in coming days and I also think when the FBI and the policing service of Congress report that there have been 14,000 threats to public officials just in the last few weeks, it tells you where the national discourse is headed.”
In spite of the threats and the heightened security concerns, delegates and lawmakers alike seemed more concerned with getting to the work at hand than in any perceived security threats. Some Massachusetts Democratic officeholders did participate through video messaging, but this presumably was due to scheduling conflicts.
The purpose this year’s convention centered around debating and settling on language for the state’s Democratic Party platform. Ahead of the convention, delegates were presented with the 2025 platform, which, according to Steve Kerrigan, Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, “was written from the ground up to reflect today’s challenges and opportunities.”
Drafting of the platform began in January and consisted of meetings, hearings and conversations with grassroots activists, union members, healthcare providers, educators, civil rights leaders, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigration activists, local leaders and young people. Platform subcommittees worked deliberately and independently, issue by issue, to draft planks rooted in justice, equity, and dignity.
On convention day, the first segment of the meeting was packed with speeches and rallying cries from lawmakers throughout the state, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey; Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll; Attorney General Andrea Campbell; Auditor Diana Zoglio; Treasurer Deb Goldberg; Secretary of State Bill Galvin; and many other accomplished officeholders around the Commonwealth.
Key State Democratic leaders made impassioned speeches, expressing great concern for the nation’s future and what must be done to defend against what many referred to as the president’s “autocratic regime.” The convention featured harsh criticism of the current administration, with few choosing to mince words, often bringing the crowd to their feet in agreement.
In a lively and impassioned speech that drew cheers from the crowd, Senator Ed Markey blasted the president, stating that, “Donald Trump has declared war on our state. He is a walking, talking constitutional crisis every day.” He continued on to declare support for ending the war on Gaza, protecting trans rights, veterans, unions and health care.
Governor Healey made a plea for “peaceful advocacy of our ideas and ideals” while railing against the president’s policies that target the best our state has to offer—medical research, health care, higher education, vaccines, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration sanctuary and veteran care.
Healey cautioned Massachusetts voters that in the upcoming gubernatorial election, “None of the Republican candidates will stand up to Donald J. Trump. If they’re afraid to stand up to Trump, they won’t be standing up for you.”
After hearing the speeches and disposing of a proposal to amend the Party’s constitution, the business of debating the platform and its amendments, led by Chairman Steve Kerrigan, finally came to the fore. At the outset, the proceedings temporarily became entangled in procedural minutiae, largely having to do with concerns that copies of the amendments hadn’t been made available to all of the hundreds of delegates in attendance.
Once the procedural issues were ironed out, the majority voted for a return to the 2021 platform. Despite assertions by the drafting committee that “This was one of the most inclusive processes our Party has ever conducted, ensuring the platform reflects the full spectrum of Democratic voices in Massachusetts,” the vote landed in favor of adhering to the 2021 platform, citing concerns that the new one was “watered down.”
Jennifer Baker Jones, a teller and delegate from Woburn, stated that she was in favor of the 2025 platform, and though she was disappointed that it was abandoned for now, she was glad to see the added amendments for collective bargaining support for State House staffers, as well as an amendment put forth by the Young Democrats of Massachusetts that promises to strengthen the party’s commitment to youth engagement.
“I know a few people who were on the platform committee and appreciated their take on the process and language. I liked the way the 2025 one was written, I thought the language was strong. As one person said to me, ‘They are kidnapping people off the streets, we don't need to fight with Democrats, we need to fight the fascists.’”
Taking place at Springfield’s Mass Mutual Arena just a few days after the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, concerns for security were high, as evidenced by bomb squad vehicles, drones and heightened police presence.
In the days leading up to the convention, Congressman Richard Neal told Western Mass News that security was on the minds of many of those participating in the convention. “You have to be concerned about this today. I know many members of congress have cancelled appearances in coming days and I also think when the FBI and the policing service of Congress report that there have been 14,000 threats to public officials just in the last few weeks, it tells you where the national discourse is headed.”
In spite of the threats and the heightened security concerns, delegates and lawmakers alike seemed more concerned with getting to the work at hand than in any perceived security threats. Some Massachusetts Democratic officeholders did participate through video messaging, but this presumably was due to scheduling conflicts.
The purpose this year’s convention centered around debating and settling on language for the state’s Democratic Party platform. Ahead of the convention, delegates were presented with the 2025 platform, which, according to Steve Kerrigan, Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, “was written from the ground up to reflect today’s challenges and opportunities.”
Drafting of the platform began in January and consisted of meetings, hearings and conversations with grassroots activists, union members, healthcare providers, educators, civil rights leaders, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigration activists, local leaders and young people. Platform subcommittees worked deliberately and independently, issue by issue, to draft planks rooted in justice, equity, and dignity.
On convention day, the first segment of the meeting was packed with speeches and rallying cries from lawmakers throughout the state, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey; Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll; Attorney General Andrea Campbell; Auditor Diana Zoglio; Treasurer Deb Goldberg; Secretary of State Bill Galvin; and many other accomplished officeholders around the Commonwealth.
Key State Democratic leaders made impassioned speeches, expressing great concern for the nation’s future and what must be done to defend against what many referred to as the president’s “autocratic regime.” The convention featured harsh criticism of the current administration, with few choosing to mince words, often bringing the crowd to their feet in agreement.
In a lively and impassioned speech that drew cheers from the crowd, Senator Ed Markey blasted the president, stating that, “Donald Trump has declared war on our state. He is a walking, talking constitutional crisis every day.” He continued on to declare support for ending the war on Gaza, protecting trans rights, veterans, unions and health care.
Governor Healey made a plea for “peaceful advocacy of our ideas and ideals” while railing against the president’s policies that target the best our state has to offer—medical research, health care, higher education, vaccines, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration sanctuary and veteran care.
Healey cautioned Massachusetts voters that in the upcoming gubernatorial election, “None of the Republican candidates will stand up to Donald J. Trump. If they’re afraid to stand up to Trump, they won’t be standing up for you.”
After hearing the speeches and disposing of a proposal to amend the Party’s constitution, the business of debating the platform and its amendments, led by Chairman Steve Kerrigan, finally came to the fore. At the outset, the proceedings temporarily became entangled in procedural minutiae, largely having to do with concerns that copies of the amendments hadn’t been made available to all of the hundreds of delegates in attendance.
Once the procedural issues were ironed out, the majority voted for a return to the 2021 platform. Despite assertions by the drafting committee that “This was one of the most inclusive processes our Party has ever conducted, ensuring the platform reflects the full spectrum of Democratic voices in Massachusetts,” the vote landed in favor of adhering to the 2021 platform, citing concerns that the new one was “watered down.”
Jennifer Baker Jones, a teller and delegate from Woburn, stated that she was in favor of the 2025 platform, and though she was disappointed that it was abandoned for now, she was glad to see the added amendments for collective bargaining support for State House staffers, as well as an amendment put forth by the Young Democrats of Massachusetts that promises to strengthen the party’s commitment to youth engagement.
“I know a few people who were on the platform committee and appreciated their take on the process and language. I liked the way the 2025 one was written, I thought the language was strong. As one person said to me, ‘They are kidnapping people off the streets, we don't need to fight with Democrats, we need to fight the fascists.’”