Mass. Dems look for their Trump-era message
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
👋🏼 Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.
Democrats are searching for a path forward following their epic 2024 election losses, with Massachusetts leaders offering strategies for reconnecting with mainstream voters.
Why it matters: Though Republicans gained ground in working-class areas here in 2024, Massachusetts is still a Democratic stronghold. And Bay State Dem leaders have advice for how the national party can get back in the game.
- Two of the state's top elected Democrats, Gov. Maura Healey and Congressman Jake Auchincloss, recently aired their thoughts in in-depth interviews with the New York Times.
The big picture: In her sit-down with "The Interview" podcast, Healey argued Democrats need to return to "delivering for everyday Americans" instead of being distracted by the culture war.
- Instead of abandoning cultural issues, Dems must better articulate their values on issues such as diversity and inclusion, Healey said, and fight Republican characterizations on issues where polls suggest the public would side with Democrats.
Auchincloss sat down with the Times' Ezra Klein in his own interview last month and warned of Democrats becoming the "Diet Coke" versions of Republican populism.
- Instead, Auchincloss wants to focus on the economy and developing an "abundance agenda" focused on increasing supply rather than subsidizing demand.
- The Newton Democrat wants the party to be "liberal, but not condescending about it."
Between the lines: As a prominent Democratic governor who's challenged Trump in the past, Healey could be in the mix for a potential national run down the line.
- Auchincloss, likewise, has carved out a moderate liberal profile that could play well before statewide voters.
By the numbers: Trump received 1.25 million votes in Mass. in 2024, up from 1.17 million in 2020.
- The Harris/Walz ticket got 2.13 million votes, down from Biden's 2.38 million in 2020.
- Registered Democrats declined from 31.9% in 2020 to 25.8% in 2025. GOP registrations also went down from 9.9% in 2020 to 8.42% this year.
State of play: The Massachusetts Democratic Party is also searching for a new message.
- The party conducted post-election listening sessions around the state to come up with a new agenda.
- The Dems found a growing Republican influence outside Greater Boston, particularly in central, western and southeastern Massachusetts.
The intrigue: The party, too, found a need for more effective economic messaging toward working-class voters.
- But they couldn't find consensus among Dems who want to aggressively attack Trump's Republicans and those who prefer a more conciliatory approach.
Bottom line: Democrats remain in soul-searching mode ahead of 2026, but at least two of the Bay State's more vocal Trump critics are sharpening their messages in the hope that local and national voters will swing back blue.