Harvard Freshman To Lead College GOP

A Harvard freshman will serve as chair of the Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans, a student organization that aims to spread the ideas of the Republican Party.

Joshua S. Chmara ’15 was elected at the end of April during the MACR’s annual spring convention—making him the youngest student to lead a statewide college Republican organization in the nation right now, he said. Chmara said he looks forward to inciting excitement about politics and political campaigns among Bay State college students.

“What I really want to see is college Republicans across the state be excited to be college Republicans,” Chmara said, pointing to the large college student population in Boston as evidence that students can have a major impact in politics. “I want them to be excited to be a part of the state-wide organization.”

One of the biggest changes Chmara plans to make is allocating funds to fledgling Republican clubs. Under his plan, clubs would earn dollars by participating in political activities such as campaigning.

Chmara described developing a sense of camaraderie as one of the keys to boosting interest in campaigns. To that end, he said he plans to organize group events such as a state-wide outdoor barbeque.

“I think this is a year where we can truly rebuild the organization,” Chmara said.

While the MACR does not openly endorse candidates, Chmara said that members help out on many Republican campaigns. Currently, the MACR is pushing for Republicans to be elected on the local, state, and national level.

Chmara said members are concentrating manpower on U.S. Senator Scott Brown’s campaign for reelection by participating in phone banks to drum up votes. He said he hopes to get students interested in helping with Mitt Romeny’s campaign for presidency as well as the campaign of Richard Tisei, who is running for Congress in the Massachusetts Sixth District.

“We can be a very powerful voice in Massachusetts,” Chmara said. “The organization needs someone who can bring all the different chapters together, and I think I can do that.”

—Staff writer Nathalie R. Miraval can be reached at nmiraval@college.harvard.edu.