FORUM SHOWCASING THE THREE CANDIDATES FOR CHAIR OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN MASSACHUSETTS: For those interested in activism within the Democratic Party after the current hideous election cycle, there may be no more important event than this one in Massachusetts. When there is a non Democrat holding the Governorship especially, the party Chair, in our very hierarchichal state really does set the tone and the agenda. While I personally have a conflicting commitment such that it is unlikely I will attend this event, others may choose to do so – and may not otherwise have heard about this event:
Senator Tom McGee will be stepping down as Chair of DSC after the November election, and there are three candidates currently seeking the Chair, DNC Member Gus Bickford, former candidate for Lt. Governor Steve Kerrigan, and Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins.
There will be forum next week in Concord hosted by the Concord Democrats and the Third Middlesex Area Democrats to hear from all three candidates.
Tuesday, November 1, 7:00 pm
Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main Street, West Concord
All Democrats are welcome.
Best,
Bob Peters
As an aside, many thanks to Bob Peters for organizing this event, making it known, and for his positivity and ceaseless service in trying to make Massachusetts democratic in the universal and global sense.
Wednesday November 2nd at 6:30 PM at National Black Doll Museum of History & Culture at 288 North Main Street in Mansfield
Thursday November 10th at 7PM at Framingham Library, McAuliffe Branch, at 746 Water Street
Saturday November 12th at 10AM at Mid-Cape Democratic HQ at 386 Main Street in Hyannis
Sunday November 13th at 2PM at JFK Middle School Community Room at 100 Bridge Road in Florence
Activists are welcome to attend, but the election itself is internal to the DSC which will meet Monday, November 14th at Quincy High School at 7PM for that purpose.
It is shameful that Democratic primaries in this state continue to be dominated by white male candidates, even in diverse districts. Studies have shown that women and candidates for color considering running for office have to be asked and recruited to run in order to get them over the hedge. I hope the next State Chair makes that his (too bad I can’t say or her) top priority.
…and I was supporting her until she withdrew for personal reasons. I think candidate recruitment should prioritize compatibility with the district in question over demographic characteristics.
Maybe if this were the D triple C or the DSCC I would agree with you, but this is the Massachusetts legislature. One of the whitest and most fiscally conservative in the country despite an overwhelming Democratic supermajority. What we need is more candidates that look like their districts, and more candidates of color and women representing white districts.
Studies have shown that legislatures with more women in them tend to be more progressive on family economic issues. Studies have shown that legislatures, even local ones, with more people of color on them tend to be more receptive to hearing those communities when they have concerns with local government (schools, policing, housing). I would take a smaller and more diverse majority over the one we have now, though I actually think you are more likely to get a Democrat in the Corner Office if people of color and women think the Mass Democratic party is empowering them.
…in the last sentence of your first paragraph. You say candidates should look like their districts, but then want people of color representing white districts. If we strictly adhere to the former (and I in no way suggest we should) doesn’t that mean that white people should represent white districts? Personally as a voter I care much more whether my legislator thinks like me than whether s/he looks like me. I actually think it’s a bit patronizing to assume that people who look alike think alike. As for overall composition each district makes its own choice. I don’t care if the legislature is all men, all women, or some combination. I don’t care if it’s all white, all black, all Hispanic, all Asian, all Native, or some combination. There are subcommittees of the party which I’m sure would be interested in demographic recruitment, but I still don’t think that should be the chair’s focus.
Our democratic (small d) promise isn’t fulfilled until half of all legislators are women, and minorities are represented at proportional rates per population. I am saying there are far too many majority minority districts represented by white Irish Catholics in this state. There are zero white majority districts represented by a person of color. Both of those facets have to change, and yes it will mean a more progressive and responsive legislature over all. And having downballot candidates of color and women on the midterm ticket will drive up turnout that is currently depressed for those elections.
I want more Michelle Wu’s and Ayanna Pressley’s and Lisa Wongs across the state and that has to be a priority for the chair. Women and POC will not run unless they are asked, and the chair should deliberately ask and dedicate real resources to recruitment.
Small d democracy means districts choose their legislators and let the chips fall where they may. Wu, Pressley, and Wong would all be excellent candidates and I would encourage them to run. Surely you know by now that I refuse to categorize people by race, color, etc. We are all human and ultimately that is all that matters. I also don’t want to achieve progressivism by manipulating the demographics, but rather on the merits of the ideas, and I certainly don’t care whether it is white or colored people casting those progressive votes.
I am not proposing quotas or reserving nominations for women or minorities. Statistics show most voters actually think like you do, they pick the best candidate regardless of race or gender. The issue isn’t racist voters, it’s the fact that there aren’t enough women or candidates of color encouraged and trained to run in the first place. I want recruiting women and minority candidates to be a top priority of the next chair, I hope you can join me.
And I want the party chair to make encouraging and recurring candidates like that to run a top priority. I would argue it’s a safe bet, but to the extent it’s a risk it’s surely one the party can afford to take more of. Jordan Berg Powers and Emerge do a great job, but actively finding those candidates and encourage them to run is exactly what the next party chair should do. It’s exactly what John Walsh did.
Once again I’ll plug Twilight of the Elites by Chris Hayes – for a great explanation of how so-called meritocracies tend to favor those who already hold the power. Equality of opportunity means nothing if outcomes don’t change. There is so much institutional and societal bias that one has to work against.
As an example, one might think that given that we’ve elected a black man and are close to (hopefully) finally electing a woman that those advances would be inspiring to other minorities and women to consider elected office. But I can just as easily imagine someone looking at all of the racist crap Obama had to endure and the sexist and misogynistic crap Clinton has been putting up with – not to mention the ugly that has been exposed by Trump’s dog whistles – and have them think, “you know, I don’t have to put myself through that”. That’s not something a white guy has to worry about.
The party needs to not only ask (as jconway points out) but also encourage and promise that the party “has their back” when the inevitable happens.
Meant to write “tend to favor those who mostly resemble those who already hold the power”.
This was for many reasons, including health issues – but also I have no joy in the party as it is in the state – and a decade was as much as I choose to put into trying to get issues like access to justice traction. I do not feel like there was any success or that it is where I want to put my limited energies. Can the barge be turned? I truly do not know. Where the Democratic Party is in this state, though it is considered “progressive” is to the right of where the Republican Party was in my home state in my youth on almost all issues.