The Massachusetts Democratic Party has a new leader. Steve Kerrigan is succeeding Gus Bickford, who had been in the role since 2016. Kerrigan was elected to the position during a party meeting in Newton. Kerrigan is CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and a former nominee for Lieutenant Governor. The leadership change comes at a bullish time for the party, which won back the governorship after eight years, has an all-Democratic Congressional delegation, and overwhelmingly controls Beacon Hill. So, what is on Kerrigan’s to-do list? Let’s ask him.
So, what's your vision for the state Democratic Party right now?
Well, first, I'm just honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside such great Democrats as the governor, lieutenant governor, and so many others who have really built this party into the position of strength that it exists in right now. And I want to thank my predecessor, Gus Bickford, for his time as chair and that leadership and for the decades before that of the work he has been doing for Democrats across Massachusetts and around the country. We could not be doing the work we are doing now without that strong foundation. And for me, this is really about electing, reelecting and supporting Democrats supporting city Ward and town committees, amplifying the message of our elected leaders, growing our support, talking with voters across Massachusetts about the value of being a member of the Democratic Party and what the party can deliver for them. And then, as I've often said, Massachusetts has two great exports, cranberries and political activism. And it's also a critical time in our country where we need to take that activism and bring it across the country to help reelect President Biden and Vice President Harris and deal with critical races all across the country while we're doing a good work here at home as well. So, there's lots to do.
Let's table 2024 just for a minute. I'd like to follow up on something you just said. And that is trying to increase enrollment and make a case for why voters should become Democrats. Massachusetts has a lot of unenrolled voters. What is that case?
Yeah. So, I understand full well that partisan politics in the current atmosphere in our country has become even more divisive than ever before and so young voters, and frustrated voters are finding it hard to pick a party at all. Although if you look at their voting records, they vote significantly with Democrats because we speak to the issues that they care about and I think we're going to see that more and more with Gen Z voters in the next elections. So, it's not necessarily about growing a number, an arbitrary number, it's really about talking with voters about the value of being a Democrat and what Democrats stand for. We're the party that's brought health care access, workers’ rights. We’re the party that allowed me to marry the man I love. We're the only party fighting for reproductive freedom rights for women across the country, for environmental issues, and on and on. And so, having those conversations with voters is really, really important. But it's building that infrastructure so that they can put their activism into action here in Massachusetts and around the country. That's really, really important.
How would you characterize your relationship with Governor Healey?
I am a huge fan. I was lucky enough to be campaigning for the lieutenant governor when she started her campaign for attorney general. I was able to watch her throughout her entire campaign, not grow because she's always been this incredible lead dynamic leader, but I've been able to watch her as she connects with voters at all levels and all across the Commonwealth. I'm just thrilled to have an opportunity to help her make a difference with people Massachusetts. She is a once in a generation leader and I'm grateful that she's asked me to take on this responsibility. I'm grateful to have the chance to live alongside her.
What do you make of the argument that Republicans have been making both in Massachusetts and frankly, in New York, that one-party rule is just not good for residents of a state when Democrats control both sides of the legislature and a governorship; that's too much power?
I don't believe it, but voters make their own determinations as to why they make a decision. When I ran from lieutenant governor, we lost that election in 2014 by nine votes a precinct. That was not decided based on divided government, that was decided based on resources and boots on the ground and being able to communicate your message stronger to folks. Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll cracked that code this year by talking with voters all across Massachusetts about what it means to be aligned with their vision and aligned with the goals of the Democratic Party. And so, I don't buy the argument of the divided government piece because voters now, particularly Gen Z, they're voting on issues. And so, it's not about whose party registrations in the corner office or not, although that has a huge impact on advancing their issues, so that's how they that's how they make a decision when it comes to voting. But there's a lot at stake in these next elections, and no one understands it more these days than the Gen Z generation and so you're talking to them and working with them about the value of voting and supporting Democrats is really, really troubling.
Former Governor Charlie Baker was a bit of a unicorn in national politics. Do you think Massachusetts has had its last Republican governor?
If wishing me it so, but I doubt it. I just hope for a very long time. That is up to the voters to decide. My guess is if we continue to do the great work that that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have done, as well as everybody else was on that historic ticket in November. If we continue to do that work, we'll continue to hold the positions that we do and we will deserve to. If we fall short of that or lose our mark, then the voters will remind us and make a coarse adjustment so to speak. I can't imagine we've seen our last Republican governor, but I will say, they've got decisions to make about what direction their party is going in. They had this struggle with their state party race, and it was a much tighter race for their chairmanship between extreme Trumpism and Trumpism. And that's not where voters of Massachusetts are. They are not in that camp at all and they're trying to decide between what degree of Trumpism they're going to be. So, until they fix that and square that circle, they're going to face more and more challenges than they should.
Let me ask you a question about the primary process. Your predecessor was involved in a very closely watched primary in Western Massachusetts when the then Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse was challenging Congressman Richard Neal in the primary and Bickford later admitted violating party bylaws for his role in trying to influence the outcome of that primary. What will be your role in Democratic primaries? Will you make endorsements? And how do you envision your role when there is a Democratic primary?
So, the role of the party is to help elect, reelect and support Democrats. And so that will be the role of the state party when it comes to primaries. Providing resources to Democratic candidates to help them get elected and reelected. I will say right now, and I think it's safe to say, all my colleagues who are party chairs across Massachusetts, or across the country, rather, are very excited about Joe Biden running for re-election. He has a primary but I think that one is a safe one to call. But otherwise, I think we play it by the balls and strikes and follow the rules and everything will work out.
Is it fair to say in your own view that incumbent Democrats will have your support, by and large?
Democrats who do the work and are active, strong members of the party, incumbents or not will have our support, but it is not the role of the Democratic Party to decide primaries. The role the Democratic Party is to support Democrats. So, that being said, there are a lot of incredibly talented, hardworking Democrats in elected office across Massachusetts and I look forward to supporting them.
Let me ask you about 2024. You've mentioned President Biden a couple of times. I was talking to your colleague in New York, Jay Jacobs, and put the question to him about President Biden's age if he were to win a second term. Do you have concerns about somebody in their mid-80s being president?
No.
And why not?
Because it's the results. He has spent his entire career focused on getting results for the people of the United States of America and a very clear reading of his first term so far has shown him to be one of most consequential presidents in the history of the country. I don't have a concern about his age at all. I'd say watch the results and judge for yourself. He is hitting his prime and he's going to do an incredible job finishing his job as president and continue to help restore the soul of our nation.
Why do you think his polling has lagged?
Politics is in a weird spot right now and I don't know that folks are as focused as they should be or will be. This is a difficult time for folks. The economy is coming back. We've got record low unemployment, and all these things. I think, as the President and his team talk about what they've been able to accomplish. Even on prescription drugs and moving the cost of insulin down, I mean, all those things are having an impact on people's lives. So, once you piece all that together, those numbers will come back. And in the end, this is about folks voting for who is the strongest leader for our country moving forward and who shares their values and who is focused on the things that matter most in their lives and that is Joe Biden.
Let me follow up on something you said a few moments ago. You talked about both expanding the party within Massachusetts, but also using the Massachusetts Democratic Party and other key areas in the country. I think it's probably fair to say that Joe Biden will carry Massachusetts in 2024. What will the Massachusetts party do about other closer states?
What we've done for generations. It is a rite of passage in Massachusetts if you're a Democrat in politics to spend a lot of time in New Hampshire, knocking on doors making phone calls. Technology has changed in such that our reach into the communities around our country is much deeper and more impactful. Just this past spring thousands and thousands of calls were made from Massachusetts into Wisconsin for that Supreme Court race. Having a strong impact on that election, we're going to continue to do that in swing districts, swing states, in critical races. We have some of our warden city committees who are partnered with other democratic committees and other states in the South and in the Midwest to give them the benefit of their resources. It doesn't do us any good to be really strong, fantastic Democrats in Massachusetts, and not export that talent and knowledge to other people who may be trying to turn their community red to purple or purple to blue. And so that, I believe is a big strong responsibility of the message Democratic Parties to share the knowledge that we have and the strength that we have and it'll be akin to everything we've done every four years, which is cops in a Hampshire and engage with voters. But it'll be all across the country. And it has been we have thousands and thousands of phone calls and voter contacts into Georgia for their runoff election. We did again in Wisconsin. We're focused on ballot questions, you name it all around the country, we're going to be engaging Democrats, Independents and Republicans to make sure they're voting for a better future for their community with our help,
Do you support the move by the National DNC to basically remove New Hampshire from its first in the nation primary status in the Democratic presidential primary?
Well, to be clear, they're still in the same spot they were in there. Iowa always went first; they were in the second spot. So, they're still in the same spot that they were in and I do believe the DNC is shaking things up. This is a suggestion that the President and his team made, I think it's always a worthy opportunity to look at how we do these things. Just because we've always done a certain way doesn't mean we need to continue doing them. A number of years ago, I wrote a piece about how we could restructure our primary process based on democratic voter turnout, and shaking it up every four years and looking at how we give people opportunity to choose their slot in the calendar. I think it's a responsibility of a modern political party to always look at how we can change things and find more ways to engage voters. And again, to me, my mind New Hampshire was always in the second slot and remains in the second slot, now with Nevada, and I'm looking forward to getting up there myself.
Do you think there's one Republican on the presidential primary side that President Biden fares best against?
I like his odds against all of them, but I'll let them figure out who their nominee is going to be and we'll be ready to go when that happens.
Steve Kerrigan is the new head of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us and we'll keep the conversation going.
Thank you, Ian. Appreciate it.
