The Socialist Party of Massachusetts (SPMA) is a

democratic socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within a ...

political party in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. Since the 1970s, it has been the state chapter of the

Socialist Party USA The Socialist Party USA, officially the Socialist Party of the United States of America,"The article of this organization shall be the Socialist Party of the United States of America, hereinafter called 'the Party'". Art. I of th"Constitution o ...

(SPUSA), after previously having been affiliated with the

Socialist Party of America The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of Ameri ...

. It was re-organized in the 1970s, after the formation of the SPUSA by activists who had been members of the much larger Socialist Party of America. In 1993, SPMA activists were able to establish "Socialist" as an official political designation, the culmination of a campaign started in 1986. The Socialist Party of Massachusetts engages in both electoral politics and non-electoral activism. Electoral activities include Eric Chester's campaign for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and support for ballot questions on

instant run-off voting Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is a type of ranked preferential voting method. It uses a majority voting rule in single-winner elections where there are more than two candidates. It is commonly referred to as ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the Un ...

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...

, and public finance of elections. Non-electoral activism includes support for unions and unionization (often in cooperation with the

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines genera ...

), anti-war and anti-imperialist agitation (including annual public Anti-Imperialist Fourth of July Picnics), and support for

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

and women's rights (including annual demonstrations to mark

Rosie Jimenez Rosie Jimenez (August 5, 1950 – October 3, 1977), also known as Rosaura Jimenez, is the first woman known to have died in the United States due to an unsafe abortion after the Hyde Amendment was passed, which, in 1977, cut off Medicaid funding fo ...

Day, October 3). The Socialist Party of Massachusetts has one chartered local, in the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area.

Notable members

* James F. Carey (1867-1938) Haverhill City Council member and state legislator *

John C. Chase John Calvin Chase (1870–1937) was an American trade union activist and politician. Chase was elected to two terms as mayor of Haverhill, Massachusetts, on the Social Democratic ticket. He is considered the first socialist to elected mayor of ...

(1870-1937) Mayor of Haverhill, Massachusetts and first elected socialist mayor in U.S. history * Eric Chester (born 1943) Socialist Party USA 1996 vice-presidential nominee *

Adolph Germer Adoph F. Germer (15 January 1881 – 26 May 1966) was an American socialist political functionary and union organizer. He is best remembered as National Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America from 1916 to 1919. It was during this pe ...

(1881-1966) SPMA state secretary and national secretary of Socialist Party of America * Helen Keller (1880-1968) SPMA member from 1909-1921 * Ellen Hayes (1851-1930) SPMA candidate for Secretary of State in 1912, first woman to run for statewide office in state history

References

External links

Official Web siteNortheast Mass. SP local organizing committee
{{Authority control

Political parties in Massachusetts State and local socialist parties in the United States Socialism in Massachusetts