Yesterday we announced that Progressive Mass will be opening up the Endorsement Vote for Attorney General next week, beginning on Monday, June 2, and closing on Monday, June 9, 5PM. (Join our email list to get the most timely updates from us)
This race for Attorney General catches our attention first and foremost because it is a critically important statewide office that concerns the enforcement and expansion of civil rights, consumer protection, and public safety, and, we hope, criminal justice reform.
In addition, we have seen how both Maura Healey and Warren Tolman are working hard to court the progressive vote, both with their outreach efforts, and their ideas. We believe that our endorsement process, whether it results in an endorsement or not (endorsees must reach a high bar — 60% of the vote), is an opportunity to clarify the race.
Our Attorney General questionnaires from both Democratic candidates can be reviewed here, and there have been several good threads on Blue Mass Group about the candidates. We are eager to continue the dialogue with the Progressive Mass and the BMG community!
Our Endorsements Are Different
Progressive Massachusetts was created with the central premise that to create the kind of transformative progressive change the Commonwealth (and the nation) needs, we must build, sustain and invest in grassroots infrastructure.
We’re not in this for one cycle. With you, progressive activists and citizens, we’re trying to build a movement.
And this is why we do endorsements a lot differently from other organizations. A small executive committee of political insiders, horse-trading alliances, doesn’t make the decision to endorse. Instead, our sustaining members, who are invested in our long term vision, choose whom — if anyone — deserves the Progressive Massachusetts endorsement.
Not only do we think this member-driven decision-making is crucial to our long-term commitment to a truly grassroots statewide organization, we also think that our endorsement represents a much more relevant and accurate perspective into electoral races. Our grassroots endorsement voters take us outside the bubble of the political insiders, and offer a better evaluation of candidates’ principles and values
A Grassroots Organization Must Be Funded by the Grassroots
Electoral races are just one part of the work we are doing to build a progressive Massachusetts and restore our Commonwealth as the leader for the nation. Voting in endorsements, and hence deciding the direction of our work over the next few months, is one reason to join as a dues-paying member, but there is another, even bigger reason.
We are a movement-focused organization. Members’ contributions sustain the organization and make our work possible. As politics becomes increasingly driven by an ever smaller percent of billionaires, professionalized political insiders and corporate interests, we cannot stress enough how important it is to fund grassroots organizations with a broad base of smaller contributions.
We are proud of the work that Progressive Mass has been engaged in over the past two years. We’ve advocated for the highest possible minimum wage, pushed back against punitive welfare law changes, helped lead a coalition for a comprehensive election reform bill, and took a stand for a progressive tax package this legislative session, while also creating a legislative scorecard to help voters see where their legislators stand on crucial progressive votes.
And yes, we have also gotten involved in various elections, from endorsing Elizabeth Warren, to helping out progressive candidates like Senators Jason Lewis and Linda Dorcena Forry and Representatives Jay Livingstone and Mary Keefe win their elections, to our most recent endorsement of Don Berwick for Governor.
And that’s just some of the highlights.
All of this grassroots organizing, campaigning and issues work don’t just happen on its own. It takes labor and resources. In addition to myself, we have our tireless Field Director, Shaina Kasper, we rent an office in downtown Boston, and we pay for all of the usual things that a political organization pays for.
With all this in mind, I hope you will join Progressive Mass as a grassroots supporting member, and perhaps even make a large donation, if you like the work that we’re doing.
Will you support our work and help build a truly grassroots organization working for a progressive Massachusetts?
progressivemass.com/membership
Ben Wright
Exec. Director, Progressive Massachusetts
twitter: @progressivemass
I’m disappointed that your questionnaire did not include any questions about the candidate’s views on protecting the privacy of Massachusetts residents from government and private electronic surveillance.
You’re right, there are incredibly important topics that we didn’t ask about, and privacy/surveillance is a significant one, particularly for the AG race.
As we grow as an organization, we aim to have more tailored questionnaires for the given races. For now, in order to get the breadth of responses from the maximum number of candidates and races, we chose to use the same questionnaire (based on our Shared Prosperity agenda) for all the races.
I hope you’ll continue to press the candidates on these topics personally, and share what you learn with the broader progressive community, and I definitely appreciate the feedback.
I say this as a member of the Endorsement operations team, sorry; I should have clarified. (that “no editing’ thing gets me every time)
As a (new!!) member of the ACLU Mass. Board, I’m with you S’Tom on the centrality of these privacy questions.
I enthusiastically support your organization, and offered this as constructive feedback rather than criticism. I’m glad it was taken in the same way.
Progressive Mass is playing such an important role in Mass politics between sharing these fantastic endorsement questionnaires, their policy conferences, their ballot question work and more. There’s even a thriving local chapter of Progressive Mass on the conservative South Shore where I live.
Although I had to step down from the board of PM due to time constraints, I’m so proud to be able to say I was a founding board member of Progressive Massachusetts. The organization has grown so much over the past few years it’s amazing – if you’re not a member yet I hope you’ll join to participate in this endorsement process: Become a Member
As for me? I look forward to casting my endorsement vote for Warren Tolman on June 2nd.
I want to second Chris’ comments about Progressive Mass. As founding Executive Director, I am proud of the work the organization has done thanks to great volunteers like Chris.
But one of the great things about this year’s elections is that progressives have a choice. And my choice for AG is Maura Healey.
Over the last couple of months I have really gotten to know Maura. Daily, I see her grit and determination. I am excited about the work she has already done as a progressive leader. And I think she really GETS that the AG’s office is the peoples’ law firm – the place where justice is truly served.
As head of the Civil Right Division, Maura argued and won the Massachusetts challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) when so many politicians stood on the sidelines.
As head of the Consumer Protection Division, Maura took on and shut down predatory lenders and she also oversaw a team that has worked directly with homeowners to help make their loans affordable.
Maura is the only candidate to take a courageous stand on casinos – she opposes casinos and believes the voters should decide. And she has just put out an amazing criminal justice reform plan that won praise from experts in the field.
I know Maura will make a great Attorney General – and I hope you will join me in voting for Progressive Mass to endorse Maura Healey.
I support Maura because she is a new voice on the political horizon. She is well equipped for the office she seeks given that she has been working there for 7 years. She is bright, personable, thoughtful in her approach to decision making. She supports causes that are important to me such as civil rights, children’s rights, consumer protection. On the person front, I support any 5’4″ person who plays basketball well enough to play professionally. That takes true grit and determination.
We disagree on the candidate, but I appreciate the tenor of your endorsement.
For your hard work building this organization. I use the scorecards all the time and it really makes a difference on educating the public and informing the voters. Obviously all the other work is also helping build a great organization.
There are at least three outstanding liberals (I much prefer that term over “progressives”) in the race for governor. However, Progressive Mass endorsed only one of them, which was particularly important to Berwick since he needs to cross the 15% threshold at the convention in order to go on to the primary. I have my own reasons for supporting Grossman, but I can understand and appreciate the endorsement for Berwick.
But there are only two candidates for attorney general, each of whom is assured of crossing the 15% threshold, each of whom has a demonstrated record of effective activism for liberal causes, and each of whom is extremely likely to win the election if nominated in the primary. It would be a cruel and unnecessary slap in the face to one of them if he or she failed to receive the full appreciation and recognition deserved for a lifetime of liberal advocacies and leadership. That’s why in the race for attorney general I believe it to be a mistake to endorse either candidate without the other, and I hope Progressive Mass won’t do it.
60% is required for the organization to endorse, so there won’t be an endorsement if the voting members are split anything close to evenly.
Tell that to the Healey supporters who keep insisting that Tolman is Mitt Romney incarnate. I’ve long argued that both candidates are liberal, both will win the general, and either would do a good job. I just happen to think Tolman has a stronger record on the issues I care about. But those making this out to be a lesser of two evils election are going down a dark path.
So I think it is very fair in a state where the general elections are not as important in down ballot races.
I agree with your point, Mel, that there may be cases that the candidates are either both so great, or both so mediocre, that there should not be an endorsement.
And that’s why the 60% threshold AND the “No Endorsement” options are so important to remember.
A candidate won’t be endorsed just by beating out the other opponent by one vote. The endorsee has to clear 60%, which isn’t going to be easy in a race with strong progressives, to begin with.
And, for those voters who come to your same conclusion — both are equally deserving of liberals’ support — “NO ENDORSEMENT” is absolutely a valid choice. “No Endorsement” is, in effect, a third candidate in this race.
And I’ve already told you, call me liberal, call me progressive, call me Shirley; just don’t call me late for dinner. 🙂