The former Lieutenant Governor, who rebuilt the MA state Republican Party in 2002, is taking over the role to lead state party creation and incubation across the country in 2024, building infrastructure that will persist into the future.
1/11/23
The Forward Party announces today that former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Kerry Murphy Healey has accepted a Co-Chairs seat on the Party’s Board of Directors, joining founders Andrew Yang, Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, and Michael Willner. She will serve in the newly created post of Executive Chair of the Forward Party.
Lt. Gov. Healey served as the Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party from 2001 to 2002. During that short period, she was able to restore the party’s finances and set the stage for retaining the governor’s seat in the traditionally blue state. Through fundraising, rebuilding grassroots participation, and a focus on candidate recruitment, Kerry Healey created the framework for electoral success. Her work led to the recruitment and election of Mitt Romney for Governor of Massachusetts, under whom she served as Lieutenant Governor. In that role, she led efforts to recruit and run the largest slate of Republican legislative candidates since 1990.
This unique experience building a party from essentially the ground up will now inform the work of the Forward Party in engaging in these efforts across the country. She will be working to incubate state parties, recruit hundreds of candidates at the state and local level, and build out a nationwide funding network to support the Party’s work across the country.
Lindsey Williams Drath, Forward Party’s CEO, said, “We couldn’t ask for a better leader than Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, who understands the transformational potential of a movement of people coupled with strong, principled candidates. I am confident that she will elevate our movement in a real way in 2024 that will have lasting implications for the American people.”
The Founding Co-Chairs—Michael Willner, former Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and former Governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman—will continue to serve in their current capacity, providing their years of experience in the public and private sectors to the organization. Lt. Gov. Healey is adding to this leadership team her executive expertise in not only party building, but also public policy, fundraising, and non-profit management.
Lt. Gov. Healey is committed to the Forward Party’s values:
BOTTOM-UP, NOT TOP-DOWN
Forward empowers State leaders to prioritize the challenges facing their communities and to find solutions that work locally. We won’t dictate a rigid, top-down policy platform and expect it to work for every Forward member in America.
WE WELCOME NEW IDEAS AND DISRUPTIVE PERSPECTIVES
Forward welcomes fearless, respectful, and balanced conversations around the most difficult issues of the day. We won’t silence debate because it is uncomfortable or refuse to adapt to the modern world.
WORK TOGETHER, NOT AGAINST
Forward strives for collaborative solutions. We believe we are stronger when we are clear what we are working for, and we embrace partners who share our goals.
ALL ARE WELCOME—LEFT, RIGHT, AND CENTER
Forward is creating a political home for everyone willing to work together in good faith to find practical, smart ways to solve America’s challenges.
MORE LISTENING, LESS TALKING
Forward believes that the first step toward reuniting Americans across the political divide is to listen attentively and compassionately to each other’s problems and aspirations.
RESPECT AND DIGNITY
Forward believes in approaching one another with respect for the dignity that lives in each of us. Our policies and campaigns will seek to elevate and empower people to seek their unique version of the American Dream.
WE SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY
Forward supports election reform policies such as ranked-choice voting and open, nonpartisan primaries to bring more competition and better options to the ballot in local elections. No candidate should run unopposed and no voter should feel disappointed by their choices on the ballot.
As more and more Americans grow sick of the outdated two-party system in this country, more and more elected officials are finding a welcoming home in the Forward Party. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of elected leaders reach out to us, tired of being told what’s best for their constituents by out-of-touch party leaders,” said Lindsey Williams Drath, Forward Party’s CEO. “We believe that voters put people in office in order to solve their problems, and the Forward Party is creating space for these public servants to do just that, without requiring them to adopt policy positions they don’t believe in or know won’t work just to toe the party line.”
If you’re interested in interviewing Lt. Gov. Healey about the Forward Party and her new role, please reach out to Matt Shinners at [email protected].
The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better. https://www.forwardparty.com.