LYNN — The Lynn Democratic City Committee convened its caucus on Saturday, when local Democrats gathered to elect delegates who will represent the city at the 2026 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention.
At the caucus, Lynn Democrats elected 47 delegates and 28 alternates who will attend the convention and help shape the party’s platform and priorities for the coming year. The results are still being counted.
Mayor Jared Nicholson said the caucus is a key opportunity for grassroots participation in the Democratic Party.
“It’s an important part of the democratic process, and we’re grateful that we have a strong city committee that is organized,” he said.
The gathering comes amid what many Democrats say is a surge in civic engagement across the state, with residents increasingly seeking ways to participate in political organizing and advocacy.
“Statewide, we’re seeing incredible renewed engagement — Democrats, independents showing up, looking for agency, wanting to get involved,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said. “People are fired up and want to find ways that they can help ensure that we’ve got leaders who are making decisions that are going to positively impact families and small businesses.”
She added that the increased participation is being driven by concerns about national policy and its impact on local communities.
“People are sick and tired and feeling like this isn’t working for them,” she said. “One way to impact different behavior is at the ballot box, and so they’re showing up in droves with high energy.”
Speakers at the gathering also emphasized the importance of community leadership and grassroots organizing in addressing local and statewide issues.
Marblehead immigration attorney Diann Slavit Baylis, who is running for Governor’s Council, said her work representing immigrant children and families motivated her to run for the council.
She said one of the council’s most critical responsibilities is reviewing judicial nominations.
Slavit Baylis said, “The Governor’s Council has to make sure that these judges have knowledge, integrity, and compassion, and I will be a voice for that.”
She said she wants to ensure that judges take into consideration all immigrants, especially those with special circumstances, such as immigrant children.
Jamie Belsito, a Lynn resident running for Congress, said, “We need a representative who’s going to be involving the community, involving the people that they represent, and representing them, not the establishment.”
She added, “Working families and the most vulnerable of our population need to have a voice.”
Others stressed that civic engagement at the local level plays a crucial role in shaping broader policy decisions.
“That’s why people are showing up here today,” Belsito said. “We need leaders who push back and stand up for the community.”
The caucus will determine who represents Lynn Democrats at the state convention, where delegates from across Massachusetts gather to debate party priorities and vote on party business.
