Steve Kerrigan, the chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, said his party needs to listen to voters more, because it cost them elections in during the 2024 campaign cycle.

The headline on a Washington Post column last week summed up the identity crisis preoccupying Democrats these days: “LET US COUNT THE 3,515 WAYS IN WHICH DEMOCRATS ARE LAME.” 

The piece went on to compile a list of the multitude of advice Democrats are getting, things like “go on the offensive,” “find plausible candidates,” “sound less judgmental,” “rethink the words they use,” “take a ‘specific and granular’ approach,” and “nominate someone who is ‘more mainstream.’”

What are Democrats doing different?

WBZ-TV asked Massachusetts Democratic party chairman Kerrigan what he takes away from it all. 

“It’s not surprising to me that that article or those lists come out of Washington,” he said. “The word that matters most to me is win. And if you look at all of the elections that have taken place since November of 2024, Democrats have outperformed and, in many cases, we have flipped seats from Republicans to Democrats in state legislatures all across the country.”

What are they doing differently in from the debacle of the fall of 2024?  

“We’re continuing to organize and talk to people where they are and, frankly, listen more, which is what our party, and any party who wishes to win elections needs to do. You have to be willing to talk to the voters and to listen,” says Kerrigan. “What we didn’t do in the wake of 2016 was listen to why a Trump voter existed in the first place, how he got elected in the first place. I really think we fell down on the job. We took data points throughout time, the midterms of ’18, the win in ’20 and the no-red-wave in ’22 and figured out that we had figured it out, when, in fact, we hadn’t.”

What have they figured out now? The Trump voters “feel like they did not have their voice heard,” Kerrigan said. 

“We’ve got a Washington, DC [where] the last time they fought for or increased the minimum wage, my former boss, Ted Kennedy led that battle, and he died in August of 2009. You’ve got a Congress that doesn’t pass a budget through regular order since 1997. The American people are frustrated, and they’re showing it by saying ‘You’re in power, we now are going to try the other guy,’ even though they knew what the other guy was up to,” Kerrigan said.

Should Maura Healey re-elected?

On the local front, Kerrigan was asked about recent polling showing only 37% of Massachusetts voters believe Gov. Maura Healey deserves re-election next year. He waved off that results and cited other pols that are more favorable for the incumbent.

“Governor Healey is going to earn re-election because she understands Massachusetts people need someone who’s going to fight to lower costs for them, going to fight to increase housing opportunities for them, going to fight back against Donald Trump. And frankly, neither Mike Kennealy nor Brian Shortsleeve [the two announced GOP candidates for governor] are willing to do any of that,” Kerrigan said.

Kerrigan also discussed the impact President Trump and his policies are likely to have on the campaign here, and gave his reaction to recent reporting on the handling of then-President Joe Biden’s decision to seek re-election. 

You can watch the entire conversation here, and join us every Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. for more discussion with political and policy newsmakers on the weekend edition of “Keller At Large.” Next week’s guest will be Massachusetts GOP chair Amy Carnevale.

A report was issued from the National Weather Service on Saturday at 3:19 p.m. for heavy rain and flooding until 6:30 p.m. for Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties.

“A line of Thunderstorms stretching from eastern CT, through northern RI, into Eastern MA will bring heavy rain and street flooding for the next few hours. Rain rates are estimated to be around 1-2 inches per hour with very slow moving storms,” states the weather service.

Navigating rainy roads: Safety tips for wet weather

Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding if prolonged or if there is excessive runoff. Excessive runoff can be a result of saturated ground and/or rainfall intensity. Follow these recommendations from the weather service to stay safe in heavy rain:

Beware of rapid water flow:

• During heavy rain, avoid playing near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.

Maintain safe driving distances:

• The two-second rule for following distance is your ally in heavy rain. Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.

Slow down and drive with care:

• On wet roads, reducing your speed is crucial. Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.

Choose your lane wisely:

• Stick to the middle lanes to minimize the risk of hydroplaning. Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water.

Visibility matters:

• Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.

Watch out for slippery roads:

• The first half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mix of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period.

Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:

• Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely.

Mind your windshield wipers:

Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots. When stopping roadside, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails. Keep your headlights on and activate emergency flashers to alert other drivers.

In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

Navigating rainy roads: Safety tips for wet weather

Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding if prolonged or if there is excessive runoff. Excessive runoff can be a result of saturated ground and/or rainfall intensity. Follow these recommendations from the weather service to stay safe in heavy rain:

Beware of rapid water flow:

• During heavy rain, avoid playing near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.

Maintain safe driving distances:

• The two-second rule for following distance is your ally in heavy rain. Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.

Slow down and drive with care:

• On wet roads, reducing your speed is crucial. Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.

Choose your lane wisely:

• Stick to the middle lanes to minimize the risk of hydroplaning. Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water.

Visibility matters:

• Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.

Watch out for slippery roads:

• The first half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mix of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period.

Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:

• Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely.

Mind your windshield wipers:

Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots. When stopping roadside, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails. Keep your headlights on and activate emergency flashers to alert other drivers.

In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

Federal data shows that driving under the influence in Massachusetts is a growing problem.

The number of drivers under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication at the time of a fatal crash “increased steadily” from 2020 to 2023 in the Bay State, according to AAA Northeast, citing the latest available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Over the four years, the Commonwealth recorded 141 total such incidents, increasing from 17 in 2020 to 55 in 2023, according to data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Mary Kate DePamphilis, program director for the Massachusetts chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says that one death is too many because of impaired driving, and fatality numbers “don’t consider the many others who have been injured; some severely.”

Dozens of community members gathered in Franklin on Thursday for a vigil in memory of the state’s most recent victims of impaired driving: 5-year-old girl Krisha Patel and her 38-year-old mother, Minaben Patel.

Suspect James Blanchard, 21, of Franklin, is accused of drinking Tito’s Vodka straight out of a 1.75-liter bottle behind the wheel when he plowed a pickup truck head-on into a sedan driven by Atulkumar Patel, Krisha’s father and Minaben’s husband, the evening of May 24.

“MADD is heartbroken over the Memorial Day crash that happened in Franklin,” DePamphilis told the Herald. “An innocent child and her mother are no longer with us because of someone’s careless decision to drink and drive.

“Impaired driving crashes are 100% preventable,” she added, “which makes this even more tragic.”

Locally, DePamphilis said her organization is working “every day to prevent these senseless deaths” in partnership with law enforcement, by providing education in schools for children and parents, while “working on strengthening impaired driving legislation.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is also “working diligently” to advocate for the federal HALT Act, legislation that would mandate impaired driving prevention technology in all new cars, DePamphilis said.

Reducing the number of impaired driving incidents in the Bay State is also the mission of traffic safety grants awarded through the state Office of Grants and Research. This fiscal year, the program issued more than $12 million in federal funding to nonprofits, municipal police and state agencies to bolster safety for all users of the road.

Data provided to the Herald shows that the Massachusetts State Police conducted 26 sobriety checkpoints and 40 saturation patrols between December 2023 and September 2024, totaling 7,187 hours of enforcement activity and issuing over 11,000 citations and written warnings to drivers.

“Every day, we serve victims of impaired driving, free of charge,” DePamphilis said of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “We are there for families in their darkest days to help navigate through grief and the criminal justice system, eventually getting to a place in their healing journey where they can cope. I urge anyone who has been a victim of impaired driving to reach out to 1-800-MADD-HELP.”