The chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party was arrested on a drunk driving charge after police said they found him straddling two lanes shortly after midnight. Stephen “Steve” Kerrigan, 54, was stopped June 13th in Southborough while driving a gray BMW SUV westbound on Turnpike Road. Court records show the case was resolved two days later with an admission to sufficient facts, probation, an impaired-driving program, and a 45-day license suspension.
Kerrigan has led the Democratic Party in one of the nation’s bluest states since 2023. He was also the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014 and has held several prominent political and nonprofit positions. The arrest did not become public until more than a month after the traffic stop, when court documents and the police report were obtained by local news organizations.
According to the police report, an officer saw Kerrigan’s vehicle “driving in the middle of both lanes” and traveling directly over the dotted white line. The officer stopped the SUV and said Kerrigan was alone and heading home to Lancaster after leaving a restaurant. The report said Kerrigan’s eyes appeared “glassy and bloodshot red,” while his speech was described as “slow, thick tongued, and slurred.”
As CBS Boston reported, the officer wrote that he could not initially detect the smell of alcohol because of an “overwhelming odor of cologne.” Kerrigan reportedly told police that he had consumed two beers at about 6 p.m. before dinner. Police then administered field sobriety tests before taking Kerrigan into custody.
Court records cited by Boston 25 News showed that an initial roadside breath test registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.117 percent. Later tests at the police station reportedly produced readings of 0.089 and 0.086 percent. All three readings were above Massachusetts’ legal limit of 0.08 percent for adult drivers.
Kerrigan was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a marked-lanes violation. On June 15th, he entered an admission to sufficient facts on the OUI charge, meaning he acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to support a guilty finding. The court continued the charge without a finding through June 15th, 2027, rather than entering a conviction at that time.
The judge placed Kerrigan on probation for one year, ordered him to complete the Massachusetts Impaired Driving Program, and suspended his driver’s license for 45 days. He was also ordered to pay $600 in fees and assessments. The negligent-operation charge was dismissed, while Kerrigan was found not responsible for the marked-lanes violation.
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Kerrigan acknowledged the incident in a statement released through his attorney. “In June I was pulled over for a marked lane violation and blew a .089 on the breathalyzer,” he said. “I regret and take full responsibility for my actions and their consequences and appreciate the Southborough PD and Westborough Court for their professionalism and service.”
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who supported Kerrigan’s campaign to become state party chairman, publicly rebuked him after the arrest became known. “Driving under the influence is never acceptable,” Healey said in a statement reported by GBH. “I’m relieved that no one was hurt. I have spoken to Steve and told him how unacceptable this is. He has taken responsibility for his actions and committed to making sure this never happens again.”