Boston University alumnus David Kazis, who will appear on the Democratic primary ballot on March 6 as a candidate for the Democratic State Committee, said he hopes to redefine what his position means.
As the potential male representative for Second Suffolk & Middlesex, Kazis said he will support members of the party running for office and make the committee well known.
“A lot of people take on the role and attend the meetings, but I think with my candidacy, I’m trying to do a lot more,” Kazis said. “Heading into the 2012 elections and even beyond that, there’s obviously a need in some communities for more communication and coordination.”
Kazis said he is trying to make people more knowledgeable about what a Democratic State Committee actually does.
“It’s an important apparatus that can localize support for nominees,” he said. “That’s another big characteristic of the state committee, obviously we support our nominees once people go to the polls.”
Kazis said many current and “critical” issues the committee will need to address include supporting Democratic candidates and developments in both national and local 2012 elections.
These, he said, include President Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren, as well as the Cleveland Circle development project and the possible construction of a Walmart in Watertown.
He said these issues are on the minds of BU students as well.
“This is a great opportunity for me to hopefully [do more with] the community, help those who need support, help our local reps to make sure that they’re hearing constituent concerns, and obviously learn more about the party apparatus,” he said, “and to keep fighting for the average guy who needs a helping hand in these economic times.”
A focal point in Kazis’s campaign is strengthening the Ward 21 committee. The Greater Boston area consists of 22 wards, each with their own committee to better the community and support residents.
The Ward 21 committee, serving residents in the Allston-Brighton area, needs to be “re-strengthened,” Kazis said.
“It exists right now, they have some meetings occasionally,” he said. “The Ward 21 committee used to be very powerful and really had an important message and people would communicate with them frequently, so I’m trying to revitalize that in our district.”
Kazis also said he will reach out to younger voters in the college community, especially with the college Democrats, to “get people more in tune with what the party is doing” and “galvanize the youth.”
“I would encourage youth students and people throughout the district to make sure their vote is cast,” he said. “Obviously it’s important for me because my name is against someone on the ballot, but anytime you have the opportunity to voice your opinion and vote is something a lot of people take for granted.”
Besides being a BU graduate, Kazis is a lifelong resident of the Boston area. Self-described as “passionate about public service,” Kazis said his experiences at BU shaped his path to help him get where he is today.
“It was definitely the education system at BU that added to my convictions,” he said, “or helped me rather to solidify my convictions and give me a broad framework to make arguments and support my arguments and become a fighter for issues that I’m passionate about.”
Other factors that influenced Kazis to commit to public service include spending time in AmeriCorps and meeting with former President Bill Clinton. He said Clinton is the person who steered him toward public service in AmeriCorps.
“I went down and helped the victims of [Hurricanes] Katrina and Rita,” Kazis said. “I was promoted within a year to become a service leader.”
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