Our Platform

Massachusetts Democratic Party 2025 Platform

Our Party Platform is a statement of our shared values that outlines the ideals, policies, and solutions that will guide our Party for years to come.

Every four years, the Massachusetts Democratic Party produces a new platform serving as a guide for Democratic activists, candidate and political leaders.  In the wake of Republican gains in Massachusetts in the 2024 election, Party Chair Steve Kerrigan launched a wide-ranging listening tour - in all nine Congressional districts to - to ask local Democrats about their priorities.  The Platform Committee held five hearings and solicited written testimony to determine priorities for the the 2025 platform.  A decisive majority underscored the need for more emphasis on working people: more jobs, more job security, more training opportunities, higher wages.

The proposed Massachusetts Democratic Platform reflected those goals, as well as strong support for civil and human rights; equality for LGBTQ+ residents; accessible, affordable health care, housing and education; protecting Massachusetts immigrant community; and expanding public transportation.

At the Platform Convention in Springfield, on September 13th, delegates committed to the 2021 platform offered a number of amendments and voted to retain much of the 2021 platform.

The current 2025 Platform may be viewed below.   

The Massachusetts Democratic Party encourages discussion and debate. At the same time, now, more than ever before in the history of our republic, Democrats need to become more actively engaged in working together to expand our Democratic voter turnout and protect our democracy.

Onward together!

Click Here: 2025 Party Platform.

On September 13th, 2025, Massachusetts Democrats gathered at a time of the greatest Constitutional challenge in our lifetimes. Many Americans have lost faith in our government and trust in our institutions. Younger generations struggle to believe in a brighter future. Far too many feel left behind, forgotten, and oppressed.

As a result, Americans have turned to a President whose impulse is not to heal divisions, but to exacerbate them. Rather than inspire hope, he chooses to inflame resentments. He flouts the rule of law while a Republican Congress allows him to abuse time-tested constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers, all to satisfy his hunger to amass unprecedented autocratic power.

In any ordinary time, our State Party would come together to celebrate our collective successes, both at the ballot box and in enacting progressive policies that have expanded rights and moved our Commonwealth forward. We are grateful for the trust the voters have placed in our candidates here at home, and we are deeply in touch with the obligations of such trust.

But this is no ordinary time. We convene with deep concern and a keen appreciation that past successes are no guarantee of the public’s future approval. From our elected leaders to our grassroots activists, we commit sincerely and wholeheartedly to listening to the people, because their interests are our interests, and we are committed to taking the actions necessary and appropriate to renew their trust and continue to earn their support.

We do so steadfast in our belief that our Party’s principles and politics are aligned with those of our people. Massachusetts values are Democratic values.

As we mark the 250th anniversary of Massachusetts' fight for independence, we, as Democrats, redouble our commitment to human rights and civil rights for all people. Massachusetts gave the United States the first Constitution, the first framework for democracy. We were the first state to guarantee that health care is universal and that love is too. We will always fight to defend the Constitution, the rule of law, and First Amendment guarantees of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

We believe that each of us has the right to be who we are, believe what we believe, love who we love, say what we think, and live free from fear and repression. We are committed to promoting full participation of people in society of every racial, sexual, social, economic, geographic group, and beyond.

We will always support the rights of Native Americans who founded the first communities in Massachusetts and gave the Commonwealth its name. We stand by the contributions of African Americans, whose sacrifices and role in building this nation must never be forgotten. As Democrats, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing racial justice as a foundational principle that must inform every aspect of our policies, from education and healthcare to housing, the environment, and economic opportunity.

As  Massachusetts Democrats, we recognize the debt we owe to veterans and to seniors, and now, when the current Administration is abandoning them, we pledge to support and advocate for them. As the current Administration becomes increasingly punitive, Massachusetts has been and continues to be a leader in criminal justice reform, providing legal assistance to those who need it and promoting a range of restorative justice options, especially for young offenders.

In addition to Massachusetts’ incomparable contribution to education, the Commonwealth has been a nurturing place and destination for art, music, theatre, writers, libraries, and museums. As Democrats, we are committed to the truth of our history, and we will protect and advance arts and culture throughout Massachusetts. 

As Democrats, we are committed to making Massachusetts a place that people can afford to call home. We believe in addressing the affordability crisis facing so many of our families by bringing down costs and expanding economic opportunity for people wherever they live in the Commonwealth. Healthy public revenues and untold wealth in certain sectors should not obscure the fact that prosperity remains just out of reach for many, when families struggle to pay the rent, buy a house, heat their homes, or hire child care. We all benefit from dynamic investment in our economy, guaranteeing sustainable living wages and protections for wage-earners while supporting local businesses that drive our economy and help build our future.

As Democrats, we advocate for more affordable housing throughout the Commonwealth. Creating a sufficient number of affordable homes is an ongoing challenge in our state. Massachusetts is a great place to be, and people want to live here to take advantage of all we have to offer. That demand has had a significant impact on the cost of housing. Meeting our housing needs is essential in promoting the quality of life and the economic health of our state. We support eliminating barriers to new investments in housing that is more affordable and accessible to all.

As Democrats, in the birthplace of public education, we will work to ensure that every child has access to a comprehensive, high-quality education and that educational opportunities include both academic and technical options. Massachusetts is the center of the academic universe for students from around the nation and the world, who contribute to our vitality and innovation. In a rapidly evolving technical and academic world, we must press and work for a higher quality of education everywhere, in every community: urban, suburban, and rural.

As Democrats, we believe that accessible, affordable health care is a basic human right. In the face of dramatic cuts in federal health care funding, we will work to guarantee that all residents have access to health care and support initiatives that expand care. Massachusetts has been the focus of major advances in health research. These achievements have been of incalculable benefit to our nation and humankind. At the same time, they served as a principal driver of our state’s economy. We join with the Commonwealth’s fight to restore the funding on which human lives and our research centers depend.

As Democrats, we believe in leaving future generations an environment that is cleaner and safer. Environmental justice and climate change impact every Massachusetts resident and every living creature. Massachusetts Democrats commit to taking responsibility to work within our communities, as well as with state and national leaders, to expand measures that protect the environment and reduce the dangers of pollution.

Now, as never before, as a Party and as individuals, we are united in preserving, protecting, and expanding the rights of all people. Notwithstanding the unique history and experiences of Indigenous and African American people, most of us are descendants of immigrants or are immigrants. As such, we embrace the challenges facing people who were not born in the U.S., but who live, work, and raise their families here in the Commonwealth. As a nation of immigrants, we support expanding legal pathways for those not born in the United States who choose to come to the Commonwealth in search of a better life, and support full integration, protection, and opportunity for our immigrant neighbors.  Massachusetts Democrats assert their commitment to strengthening local and state laws protecting immigrants who are our neighbors, who work hard and abide by our laws.

As Democrats, we are committed to preserving and strengthening voting rights for all citizens. While the current Republican administration is threatening the right to vote, we believe that every citizen has the right to vote and that voter registration and voting should be easily accessible in a variety of ways and settings, including mail-in voting. As Democrats, we will fight to preserve open elections in our communities, in the Commonwealth, and in the nation.

As Democrats, we believe that public transportation is one of the necessities of healthy and thriving community life. The first means of public transportation began in Boston in 1630 with the first ferry system. Since that time, we have learned that public transportation is critical to the environment, the economy, education, and accessibility throughout the Commonwealth. As Massachusetts Democrats, we will redouble efforts to expand and improve public transportation across the Commonwealth, in urban, suburban, and rural communities.  

As Democrats, we believe that community safety is a shared responsibility rooted in fairness, trust, and respect for human dignity. Safety is not achieved by fear or force, but by building strong relationships between communities and the institutions entrusted with protecting them. We are committed to approaches that prevent harm, address its root causes, ensure justice is applied equitably, and uphold the rights of all people.

Democracy and democratic principles are being threatened as never before in modern history. Massachusetts Democrats are united in ensuring that all our residents are safe, protected by the rule of law, and benefit from economic opportunity, education, health care, housing, and a safe environment.  In these next four years, Massachusetts Democrats will work together, united in the fight to defend the rights we have secured, prepared to defend our shared values and principles, and determined to protect all that is at risk under the current Republican administration.