Bickford leaving MassDems chair, Healey backs Kerrigan
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Gus Bickford plans to step down in April, roughly midway through his four-year term, following a run as party chief during which Democrats made significant gains on Beacon Hill.
In concert with the news about Bickford’s plans, Gov. Maura Healey said she supports longtime party operative Steve Kerrigan to serve as the next party chair and Kerrigan said he was grateful “for her confidence in me to lead our party.”
Kerrigan is president of Worcester’s Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor (2014) and state rep (2008).
The party announced Bickford’s plans on Saturday, saying he will step down at the next state committee meeting on April 24. Bickford was first elected chair in 2016 and reelected in 2020.
With the election of Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Democrats in November took back the governor’s office and swept the six statewide constitutional offices as well as nine U.S. House races. Democrats also built on their legislative supermajorities, pushing Republicans to Beacon Hill’s fringe.
Democrats flipped 19 legislative, county and statewide seats from Republican to Democrat over the last six years, Bickford said. In addition, while some Democrats have had trouble with primary opponents, no Democratic incumbent has lost a general election for a legislative or statewide race during Bickford’s tenure, which overlapped with a period of Republican Party infighting and struggles under former chairman Jim Lyons.
“Under Gus’ steadfast leadership, Massachusetts Democrats made history up and down the ballot time and time again” electing more women and people of color than ever before,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “As one of the most data savvy campaign strategists in America, he’s a political mechanic who fights from the heart and knows how to win.”
Said Bickford: “I am so proud to be able to step down as chair with more Democrats in the Legislature than when I began, and with an incredible team of Democrats in every statewide office, but especially with our historic Governor Healey. This is not goodbye. I will continue to be engaged in Massachusetts and national politics, and hope to see many of my fellow Democrats on the campaign trail.”