The Tufts Republicans have high hopes for Tuesday's midterm elections, though they have found little support from conservatives among their peers.
While the group found itself too small to effectively campaign on the Hill, individual members have been active in gearing up for the upcoming elections and expressed optimism about their party's chances for success.
Republican students have not encountered much shared support for Republican candidates in the state elections within a largely liberal atmosphere at Tufts, but across other parts of traditionally blue Massachusetts, more red than in the past is being observed this year.
"Republicans are coming out in bigger numbers this year ... riding off the tailwind of Scott Brown," Tufts Republicans Vice President Kevin McDonald, a senior, said, referring to Brown's (LA '81) upset victory in a Massachusetts special election to the U.S. Senate in January.
"Republicans of Massachusetts have a very good year this year. We have a U.S. senator and two strong candidates for Congress," McDonald said.
Brown's victory in a state with a deep−seated reputation for voting Democrat captured national attention and reflected an evolving political climate in Massachusetts.
Freshman Brian Yi, a member of the Tufts Republicans, believes that Brown's support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and other local candidates has the potential to influence voters.
"Massachusetts is more receptive to Brown because he stated he would be an independent, moderate voter, and he's done what he said he'd do," Yi said. "He's looked at every bill, and he's voted with Republicans, and he's voted with Democrats."
"It takes a certain type of Republican to win in Massachusetts," McDonald, who has been campaigning for Massachusetts State Rep. Daniel Webster (R−Pembroke), said.
Yi compared Baker's political ethos to Brown's, saying that the former's more moderate stances on social issues can attract independent and Democratic votes.
"Charlie Baker is a very good candidate for Massachusetts," Yi said. "He's not ideologically stagnant and pretty moderate. He's very electable in Massachusetts."
Yi has been volunteering for the Baker campaign since last year, largely phone banking at the Boston campaign headquarters. He said Massachusetts voters could be swayed in Baker's direction on the basis of both the candidate's own merits and the record of incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D).
"Patrick has done some very good things, but his record doesn't say much," Yi said.
The governor made a campaign promise to increase the number of Massachusetts state troopers but made cuts to the police force when in office, Yi said. He added that Patrick has not sufficiently addressed the state's economic issues.
McDonald agreed, adding that Massachusetts still has record unemployment rates that need to be addressed. "We need someone to come into office and get the job done," McDonald said.
For Yi, Baker offers this hope for economic improvement.
"He became the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim [Health Care] when it was bankrupt, and he turned it around," Yi said. "He has private and public sector experience. He has a strong record."
In conversations with Tufts classmates of various political affiliations about Baker and the elections, Yi said he did not garner much support for the Republican side, but students were mutually respectful about differing opinions.
"People have been receptive when talking about Baker," Yi said. "They listen to what I have to say, take it into account and decide for themselves whether or not to vote for Baker. Many are ideologically opposed, and that's fine."
The Tufts Republicans' small group size makes it clear that conservatism is not the norm at Tufts, Yi said.
"I do feel like a minority," Yi said. "Our Republican club is smaller than other Republican clubs at other schools."
He named Boston College (BC) and Boston University as two local universities with strong Republican constituencies. The Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans (MACR) hosted a rally at BC, at which both Baker and Brown addressed students. Tufts is not a member of the 10 area schools that make up the MACR.
Senior Michael Hawley, a former president of the Tufts Republicans, said that while Tufts was barely represented at the MACR rally, the fact that the rally happened is a positive sign that Republicans will be getting a solid turnout of college voters.
"Perhaps Republican candidates are not as used to tapping resources available to them at colleges as Democrats are," Hawley said. "But I think they're learning. Republicans will try to pool resources, putting organizations together with conservative leading students involved."
The Tufts Republicans agreed that Republicans in Massachusetts have managed to make the upcoming elections close contests.
"I think the elections will be closer than people think," McDonald said.
Based on poll data and his own experiences, Yi called the Republicans' chances promising.
"Lately we've been getting a pretty positive vibe about Charlie, especially among independent voters," Yi said. "It will be very, very, very close."
