A huge turnout across the state marked last Saturday's events held by Massachusetts Democrats to elect delegates to this year’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC.  

Mansfield residents Joseph Kaplan and Randall J. Tatum were selected as Fourth District delegates during the convention.
Convention delegates will cast their votes to officially nominate President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for a second term and approve the Democratic Party platform.
Massachusetts delegates to the Democratic Nation Convention are selected in three ways: At this weekend’s caucuses, registered Democrats in each congressional district elected four men, four women and one alternate delegate. On May 5, the Democratic State Committee will elect a slate of delegates to represent party leaders and elected officials. Finally, some Democrats are automatic delegates by virtue of holding leadership positions in party organizations or high elected office.
This year’s caucuses saw a huge turnout of grassroots Democrats enthusiastic to begin the process of electing Barack Obama to another term as President this November.
In Congressman John Tierney’s 6th congressional district, over 300 people came out to make their voices heard.
“The fact that so many Democrats here in Massachusetts are fired up about Barack Obama’s reelection is not surprising,” said Tierney, “The massive turnout in my district and throughout the state only confirms the fact that Massachusetts Democrats know that this country cannot afford to spend four years under the failed leadership of our former Governor, Mitt Romney, or even another two years under this extreme right-wing Republican Congress.”
In the 4th congressional district, about 200 Democrats came out to a caucus hosted by Newton Mayor Setti Warren. Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, Treasurer Steve Grossman and congressional candidate Joe Kennedy III addressed the fired up Democrats.
“The enthusiasm in the air at this event was palpable,” said Mayor Warren, “We not only elected a set of committed delegates to represent Massachusetts in Charlotte this September, but we also began a process of getting our supporters excited and energized for the fall campaign and the hard work that must be undertaken to prepare for it in the months ahead.”
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair John Walsh commended both the elected delegates and the elected officials who organized and lead the caucuses.
  “We have elected an impressive and diverse group of delegates who I know will represent Massachusetts with great honor at the Convention this fall,” Walsh said.  “Thousands of fired-up  grassroots Democrats came out to participate in the delegate selection process because we know how important it is to reelect President Obama and we understand the hard work that lies ahead to keep the Commonwealth and our nation moving forward.”