The Massachusetts Forward Party held its inagural convention over the weekend, where members selected new state leadership and formally adopted bylaws. Until now, the organization was overseen by a state leader associated with the national organization.
Forward Party members met in Waltham on Sunday for the state group’s first-ever annual convention. According to a summary of the afternoon published in the Boston Herald, the party reported that approximately 100 people attended the event, which was hosted by former Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, who also serves as executive chair on the national Forward Party board.
Spencer Morin Reynolds was elected to be the party’s first official state chair, defeating challenger Cole Nardone. Sean Diamond, a former candidate for the state legislature, was elected vice chair. Nardone, Max Asker, Mark Warner, and Keoni Aricayos were also chosen to serve as at-large members of the state Executive Committee. Additionally, the party formally adopted bylaws and began work on drafting a platform.
Aricayos, a national Forward Party state coordinator, had previously overseen party operations, taking over from Diamond who stepped back in early 2024 to focus on his campaign for the state legislature.
The party’s earliest supporters first began organizing in 2022. Under Aricayos’ leadership, the group gathered and submitted enough signatures to be recognized as a political designation in Massachusetts, allowing unenrolled candidates to appear on the ballot with the Forward Party label.
Since qualifying for designation status, only Diamond has appeared on the ballot under the Forward label. As a candidate for the 9th Middlesex District, he received 1,219 votes, or 6.6% of the total in a three-way race.
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