A graphic of a triangle with one dark blue, one light blue, and one red side. The red side is labeled "Elect Progressive Champions", the dark blue side is labeled "Build a progressive party' and the light blue side is labeled "Win Progressive Policies". In the center is a white circle tht says "Building Local Progressive Powerhouses". Beneath that text is the Our Revolution logo and the motto "Organize to Win"

A brief history of ORMA 

Our Revolution Massachusetts (ORMA), formed by Massachusetts supporters of Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, includes local campaign groups, delegates who had represented Sanders at the Democratic Convention, labor representatives and individual supporters across the state.

ORMA today is made up of 13 local affiliates and is governed by a council of representatives from each affiliate and two, at-large elected members. Statewide working groups focus on specific areas such as Housing, Climate, and Racial Justice.

 

Winning on Progressive Policies

Our Revolution Massachusetts members embrace the progressive policies identified by Our Revolution and the Bernie campaign and prioritized by our grassroots membership. Of these, affiliates determine their own priorities. ORMA’s working groups and caucuses are organized around statewide issues,consistent with OR, as above, identified by ORMA members who are willing to devote time and energy to mobilize and organize around them.  Committees and caucuses provide opportunities for ORMA members to be active.

Recognizing that we cannot be experts on every issue, we collaborate with like-minded groups and individuals to form movements, when it is judicious, to strengthen our efforts for change. We both activate and mobilize others to support those movements, issues, candidates and policies by letter writing, phone banking, testifying, and demonstrating.

Electing Progressive Champions

Our Revolution Massachusetts members support progressive champions who are already officeholders, or candidates who run for office, and demonstrate a commitment by continuing to build the movement and advocate for our priorities.

ORMA suggests the best practice, especially for candidates and campaigns for local ORMA affiliates, is to encourage members to become candidates and when possible, to run together on a slate. Progressive champions organize, mobilize and activate others to join our statewide and local organizations to support candidates and campaigns, help formulate policy, carry out agreed-upon actions, and work to sustain the organization. 

Building a Progressive Party

Our Revolution Massachusetts believes that to effectively exercise political power we need to have a functioning progressive political party, capable of competing for power. In the existing two-party electoral system we are working to revitalize our democracy by building grassroots political power – both inside and outside – the Democratic Party. We work to transform the Party’s leadership at the state and local level to include more working-class members and those excluded by racism, sexism, ageism, and other forms of discrimination. Members also work to change the existing Party culture, focus, and structure.

We are advocating for a progressive platform in the tradition of the New Deal and FDR’s “Second Bill of Rights”, holding elected Democrats accountable to it, countering the influences of the corporate and wealthy funders of the status quo, and establishing the Party as a defender of all workers, as well as all people in poverty, and all people regardless of race, gender, or sexual identity.

At the local level affiliates are building the infrastructure to support progressive issues and elect progressive candidates, both inside and outside of the Democratic Party. Additionally, we continue to fight for Ranked Choice Voting to allow voters to vote freely regardless of party and prevent the risk of “spoiling” and throwing an election to a conservative opponent. In the long run, our goal is to influence existing, or establish new, political structures to exercise political power by winning elections and holding elected officials accountable to a progressive agenda.