Enter the Era of Progressive Reform in Massachusetts

On January 6th Amherst attorney Peter Vickery was sworn in as the first new governor's councilor from Western Massachusetts in over 30 years. The Governor's Council is an eight-member elected body that confirms or rejects judicial nominations in Massachusetts, among other functions. Vickery takes the seat of the late Eddie O'Brien, an old school patronage pol, master of the backroom deal, and father of unsuccessful 2002 Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Shannon O'Brien. Vickery ran as a pro-choice, pro-labor, pro-marriage equality, pro-clean elections candidate. He first prevailed in a tight four-way primary, and then went on to win the general election against a patronage Democrat, running as an independent -- with the backing of some prominent Republicans and conservative Democrats. This was a significant event in recent Massachusetts politics. We are entering an era of progressive democratic reform.

The Vickery victory against the combined efforts of conservative, status quo factions in both parties, was one of a number of notable victories for progressives last year. There were challenges in the democratic primaries and in the general election against supporters of marriage equality. Not a single incumbent supporter of marriage equality lost. In fact a vociferous opponent of marriage equality, Rep. Vincent Ciampa lost his seat representing Medford and Somerville to
Carl Sciortino a 28-year-old, gay, political neophyte, who won with the backing of a broad progressive coalition. The tide is turning. And the old guard knows it.

There will be three special elections for state representative seats coming right up that may provide opportunities for progressives to increase their numbers in the House. Three conservative Democrats allied with authoritiarian House Speaker Tom Finneran have resigned their seats. And one of them is Tom Finneran. The Democratic primary for all three seats will be held on March 15th. They all will be multicandidate fields. (The filing deadline is February 1.) The general election is April 12th.

-- House Speaker Tom Finneran of Matttapan, facing a growing resistance to his leadership, not to mention a grand jury investigation into allegations that he committed perjury in a federal racial gerrymandering case, resigned his seat to become a the president of a biotech lobby.

-- Rep. Brian Golden a two-termer, representing an oddly shaped district including parts of Allston, Brighton, and Brookline resigned, (after being reelected unopposed), to take a job with the Romney administration before he could even be sworn in to his new term.

-- Rep. Peter Larkin of Pittsfield, one of Finneran's lieutenants, resigned on January 11th.

The new Speaker, Salvatore F. DiMasi, is not only far more progressive than his predecessor -- he is pro-choice and pro-marriage equality -- but he promises to run the House in a very different manner. Finneran, who was originally elected speaker eight years ago by a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans, ran the house with an iron fist. DeMasi has promised to lead in a far more democratic, open and inclusive fashion.

Finneran, it will be remembered, was so despised by party activists that he was routinely booed at state party conventions. I happened to be present for one such memorable occasion at the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention of 2002. Finneran was hanging out in the back of where my delegation from Northampton was sitting -- high up and way back -- in the Worcester Centrum. I was sitting next to a friend, the president of the United Auto Workers local. I said to him, "Hey look - there's Tom Finneran," -- at which point he leapt to his feet, whirled around, pointed at Finneran and shouted: "Get the fuck out of here you son of a bitch!" As everyone around us saw who was there, they started hissing and booing. Needless to say, Finneran fled.

Finneran may be the last of the old school, conservative Democratic pols to wield such power in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, Peter Vickery is but one of a new breed of activists, politicians and elected officials in the Commonwealth. He is a member of Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts, an outgrowth of the 2002 Democratic gubernatorial primary campaign of Robert Reich. He is the first PDM member elected to high public office, but he certainly won't be the last. Vickery told The Springfield Republican on the occasion of his swearing-in ceremony, "I'll vote my conscience. I won't follow anybody's cue."

Its hard to imagine a newly elected high public official saying something like that in the hey day of Finneran and his ilk. But then we don't have to. Those days are over.