Bay State Dems tout ‘energy in grass roots’
Convention leans further left
Many of the Massachusetts Democrats who spoke at the state Democratic convention in Worcester yesterday, including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, called on their members to heal the divides exposed by unexpected losses in the 2016 election by moving the party even further to the left.
“The problems we face as a country are too great for politics, and they’re too great for half measures,” said Andrea Burns, an organizer with Our Revolution MA, a group formed and inspired by Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
“We believe the Democratic Party, if it sticks to those principles, if it sticks to that vision, if it sticks to those policies, we believe we will prevail.”
Warren, who urged the convention to continue to resist the policies of President Trump and the Republican-led Congress, said the most promising path forward for Democrats is to continue to push for even more progressive policies and proposals.
“The progressives, the grass roots, are not just where the energy of the Democratic Party is, they’re where the energy of democracy is,” Warren said. “The energy of our party is in the grass roots, and the grass roots of America are progressive grass roots.”
Burns said of the more than 3,000 delegates at the convention, about 700 were part of Our Revolution MA, many of whom were first-time delegates. The group has about 3,000 members and 20 chapters across the state, she said. A number of amendments to the party’s platform forwarded by Our Revolution MA were adopted yesterday, including support for ranked choice voting — which allows voters to list candidates in order of preference — and an amendment to support canceling student debt.
Also approved in the platform was support for an additional tax on state residents making more than $1 million a year and boosting the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
The convention also offered the three Democratic candidates for governor, Newton Mayor Setti Warren, former Deval Patrick budget chief Jay Gonzalez, and entrepreneur Bob Massie, their first highprofile opportunity to take aim at Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.
“We have always been a leader. But not now. Not under Gov. Baker,” Gonzalez said. “I’m frustrated by how little Gov. Baker has accomplished, but I’m even more frustrated by how little he has even tried.”
Warren said he was preparing to challenge Baker and was also ready to “challenge my own party.”
“Don’t accept Charlie Baker’s idea that just getting to next year’s budget is the best we can do,” he said. “Don’t hesitate to say clearly we need new revenue.”