College Dems Prepare for Primary with Barbecue

The Harvard College Democrats gathered at a barbecue Saturday afternoon to begin planning for next fall’s Democratic gubernatorial primary election.

The meeting was originally intended to provide a forum for the gubernatorial candidates’ staff members to woo potential student supporters, but due to a lower-than-expected sign-up among students, the club told the staff members not to attend.

Staffers from the campaign of former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich did show up to the event, however—not having received word of the cancellation in time.

Kevin Depodwin, Reich’s field coordinator for the campaign, said the staffers hoped to recruit students to be interns during the summer.

In some ways, the appearance of Reich staffers was appropriate, as the former labor secretary appears to have drawn the most interest at Harvard thus far in the campaign.

Christopher J. Lewis ’02, the Harvard campus coordinator for the Reich campaign, said Reich has the largest and the most active campaign group on campus, with approximately 140 supporters.

“Robert Reich has the name,” said Matthew M. Chingos ’05, who attended the barbecue. “He’s brilliant. He’s Robert Reich, how could you not vote for him?”

Sonia H. Kastner ’03, the president of the College Democrats, said the club hoped to “build a strong community of Democrats” at Harvard and get students from other states registered to vote in Massachusetts.

“The whole reason we exist is to organize and become activists to help our candidates win,” Kastner said.

Kastner said the voting drive was a response to what is expected to be a tight election.

Michael B. Firestone ’05, campaign director for the College Democrats, said campaign strategy has shifted since the entrance of Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

“With Mitt Romney in the race, the focus has changed from inward to outward,” Firestone said. “Everyone thought they could beat [Acting Gov.] Jane Swift, so they were campaigning against each other. But now that Mitt Romney is in the race, they are campaigning against him.”

Not everyone in the club is backing Reich, however. Firestone said he supports Thomas F. Birmingham ’72, who is president of the State Senate. Firestone called Birmingham an effective leader, a strong advocate for working people and a candidate who has shown his dedication to Massachusetts.