Mass. Democrats choose McGee as new state chairman

BOSTON (AP) - State Sen. Thomas McGee was chosen Thursday night to succeed John Walsh as leader of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Walsh, who has held the post since 2007, will become executive director of Gov. Deval Patrick's political action committee, the Together PAC.

Walsh twice helped Patrick win the governor's office and put together the political organization that helped propel Elizabeth Warren into the U.S. Senate last year. His biggest defeat came in 2010 when Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy.

McGee is the Senate chairman of the Transportation Committee and a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Since 2002 he has represented a North Shore district including Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott. He has also served as chairman of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. McGee served four terms in the state House, representing West Lynn and Nahant.

He has been a member of the Democratic State Committee for more than 30 years.

Cox Media Group