A Political Education: Harvard Grads on the Ballot

With midterm elections almost upon us, pollsters are predicting a tough fight for the Capitol—and as always, Harvard is well-represented at the polls. Two years ago, the election of the 113th Congress saw the number of Harvard graduates in Congress grow from 34 to 43. Many of these alums and their fellows in state government will now be defending their spots from a fresh group of challengers, several of whom also attended the University. Below, you’ll find some of the notable Harvard alumni involved in this year’s midterms.

Massachusetts: Republican Charles D. Baker ’79 is challenging Democrat Martha M. Coakley for the state governorship. Baker, an English concentrator who played junior varsity basketball his freshman year, had difficulty fitting in during his time at Harvard and has stated that it was “four years [that he] would rather forget.”

Alaska: Dan Sullivan ’87, who graduated magna cum laude, has secured the Republican primary and now faces incumbent Democrat Mark Begich in the Senate general election. Sullivan, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, joined the Armed Forces in 1993 and has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Arizona: The son of Hispanic immigrants, Ruben Gallego ’04 was a first-generation college student when he attended Harvard in the early 2000s. Now, he’s a Marine Corps veteran and the current Democratic nominee to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.

Connecticut: Jim Himes ’88 was the Harvard Men’s Lightweight Crew captain before graduating in 1988. Elected to represent Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District in 2009, he is now defending his spot against Republican challenger Dan Debicella, who he defeated in the 2010 midterm.

Minnesota: Former comedian Al Franken ’73 surprised voters when he announced his entry into politics with his candidacy for Senate in 2008. Franken, who graduated cum laude from Harvard, has worked as a stand-up comic and writer for Saturday Night Live and delivered the Class Day address in 2002. He is now an incumbent Democrat facing Republican Mike McFadden, former CEO of Lazard Middle Market, a Minnesota bank .

Virginia: The Libertarian Party has selected Robert Sarvis ’98 as its candidate for Senate. Sarvis, who is also a software developer, was named by Google as a Grand Prize Winner for their Android Development Challenge before moving into politics. His opponents include Democrat Mark R. Warner, a Harvard Law School graduate and former governor of Virginia, and Republican Ed Gillespie.

California: Mark A. Takano ’83 made history as the first non-white, openly gay member of Congress. Now he’s defending his House seat against Republican Steve Adams in the race for California’s 9 District.