If you’re looking for some local Boston or New England flavor in political convention speeches, you’ve got more to look forward to this week than last—unsurprisingly, given the lopsided partisan makeup of the region and its elected officials these days.
The Republican National Convention barely even had Bay State speakers in 2012, when the party’s nominee was the state’s former governor, Mitt Romney.
But this week’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) won’t exactly feature a parade of New Englanders either. While there are plenty of Democratic officeholders to choose from, there isn’t much need to pander to states that are (with the possible exception of New Hampshire) expected to be solidly in Hillary Clinton’s corner already.
There is also relatively little urgency to promoting up-and-comers on Massachusetts’s Democratic bench—the way, for example, the national party gave Sen. Elizabeth Warren a good speaking slot in 2012, to raise her profile (and help her raise money) during her close race for U.S. Senate against Scott Brown.
Perhaps, if Attorney General Maura Healey or Rep. Seth Moulton was openly planning to challenge Republican Charlie Baker for governor in 2018, the DNC would have found a place in the schedule for them.
As it is, however, Monday is the big day for the locals in Philadelphia.
Warren, whose national popularity has soared, particularly among the populist progressives disappointed by the end of Bernie Sanders’s longshot Presidential bid, has been awarded the keynote speaking slot. She will appear during the coveted 10:00 p.m. hour when the broadcast networks join the cable news networks in coverage.
So will Sanders, the Vermont senator. Originally slated to speak earlier in the evening, he has negotiated his way past 10:00 for what is expected to be a strong plea for his followers to vote for Clinton.
And introducing Warren will be a former student of hers at Harvard Law School: Rep. Joe Kennedy III.
Though he won’t speak long, this is a significant step into the limelight for Kennedy, who has tried to balance between showing he’s a head-down, hard-working representative and the temptation to use his inherent family celebrity to further his career and his policy goals.
Also making his first big DNC speech is Marty Walsh, mayor of Boston. He is scheduled to appear during the 7:00 p.m. hour, and is expected to speak in part about his battle with alcoholism—part of a general theme in today’s program, highlighting problems that ordinary people face, and need help overcoming.
One of the nonpoliticians addressing that theme hails from the area: Pam Livengood, a New Hampshire woman who will speak on the human costs of the opioid-addiction epidemic.
Another familiar face, now also a political civilian, former Rep. Barney Frank was one of the very first speakers on Monday’s program, appearing in his role as DNC Rules Committee co-chair.
From elsewhere in New England, look for Monday speeches from New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy.
The other three days of the convention, however, will be relative dry spells for New Englanders on stage in Philadelphia.
A few will be seen on stage together on Tuesday, along with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in a planned display of the Democratic women of the U.S. House.
As of now, I am told that Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts—whose profile is riding high since the recent House floor sit-in on gun control—will speak as part of that segment of the program. Others, including Reps. Niki Tsongas, Ann Kuster, and Chellie Pingree, are expected to appear but not speak. I have not been able to confirm yet whether New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan will appear Thursday along with other Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.
Not all the speeches this week are given on the big convention stage. In fact, the DNC is always surrounded by many gatherings and events, taking advantage of so many like-minded people in one city.
This happens at both parties’ conventions, but in my experience far more at the DNC—which tends to be a rather more crowded affair than their Republican counterparts. The Democrats have far more actual delegates, for one thing: 4,764 this year, plus alternates, compared with 2,472 at the Republican National Convention.
In addition come the labor unions, minority and women’s rights groups, activist organizations, community organizers, and others.
Several area pols will take part in events with those types of organizations during the week.
Sen. Ed Markey is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the Caucus for Addiction Solutions, and Wednesday at an event sponsored by U.S. Against Alzheimers.
Clark has plans to appear on panels during the week on gun violence, and affordable child care—the latter held by the Service Employees International Union. Kennedy is scheduled for a Voto Latino panel, and a Future Forum panel about millennials.
Others will make the rounds as well. And, keep an eye out for more added to the speaker list—my experience suggests that the DNC speaker lists are always very much subject to change.
