Progressive Massachusetts is a Massachusetts-focused statewide left-of-center advocacy group founded in 2011. The group focuses on issues such as economic justice, racial and social equity, good government, strong democracy, and environmental sustainability. ¹ The group seeks to rally local activists and residents to advocate for left-of-center policies at the municipal and state levels, emphasizing collective action and year-round organizing to promote left-of-center politics and policy in Massachusetts. ¹

Background

Progressive Massachusetts was created to provide a permanent platform for local and state-level engagement, offering training, resources, and a network for left-of-center activists to collaborate on shared goals. ²

The organization is structured as a membership-based nonprofit, with members empowered to vote on issue priorities, nominate board members, and take on leadership roles within local chapters and committees. Membership is open to individuals who make financial contributions, whether through one-time or recurring donations. ³

Policies and Campaigns

Progressive Massachusetts’s 2025–2026 Legislative Priorities outline a set of policy objectives focused on economic, educational, housing, healthcare, environmental, and governance issues. ⁴ The organization’s agenda is structured around proposals aimed at increasing corporate tax compliance, expanding tenant rights, reforming public education management, broadening health care coverage, and promoting environmental and electoral measures. ⁴

Central to its economic agenda is the “Corporate Fair Share” act, which claims to target offshore tax avoidance by large corporations, ensuring they contribute to state revenue. Alongside it, Progressive Massachusetts endorses a $20 hourly minimum wage and reforms to corporate tax disclosure and nonprofit tax contributions. ⁵ The education platform includes legislation such as the “Thrive Act,” aiming to end state takeovers of schools, adjustments to the Chapter 70 funding formula, and proposals for debt-free public higher education. ⁵

The housing legislation it supports includes enabling local options for real estate transfer fees, rent stabilization measures, tenant purchasing rights, and protections against displacement. In healthcare, the organization backs the establishment of a government-run single-payer system through “Medicare for All.” ⁵

Progressive Massachusetts also supports union organizing through measures such as State House unionization, protections for gig workers, and fair wages for faculty and public employees. ⁵ Environmental and climate-related bills, such as the AHEAD bill, advocate for funding affordable housing and climate adaptation through increased real estate taxes. Additionally, the organization promotes transparency, access to legal counsel in housing disputes, and community-based education models. ⁵

1. Progressive Massachusetts. “About.” Progressive Massachusetts, March 1, 2024. https://www.progressivemass.com/about/
2. Progressive Massachusetts. Platform. Accessed June 23, 2025. https://www.progressivemass.com/issues/platform/
3. Progressive Massachusetts. 2025. Membership. Progressive Massachusetts. Accessed June 23, 2025. https://www.progressivemass.com/organize/membership/.
4. Progressive Massachusetts, Our 2025–2026 Legislative Agenda, PDF, Progressive Massachusetts, February 2025, https://www.progressivemass.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-PM-Agenda-PDF.pdf.
5. Progressive Massachusetts, 2025–2026 Legislative Priorities, Progressive Massachusetts, accessed June 23, 2025, https://www.progressivemass.com/issues/agenda/.