Leading up to the 2014 general election, the Boston University College Democrats and Republicans put their campaign efforts into high gear to drum up support for their respective candidates.
Over the Halloween weekend, Madeline McGill, a member of the BU College Democrats, went door-to-door in the cold to encourage residents to get out to vote on Tuesday for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley.
“Most people we talked to already made their decision to vote for Coakley,” said McGill, a sophomore in the College of Communication. “The key is to make sure they get out and vote.”
BU College Republicans Vice President Ava Mack said the group worked at phone banks at Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker’s headquarters in Brighton to target different groups of voters, as well as to stuff envelopes with information to send out to voters.
In addition to campaign involvement, both groups looked to reach out to student voters through social media and tabling at the George Sherman Union Link to express that voting is important no matter what age demographic someone falls into.
Despite Massachusetts’ reputation as a Democratic state, Baker made a comeback in the polls and ramped up the intensity of the race in the last few days of the campaign, Mack said.
“He’s grown as a candidate,” said Mack, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. “He’s honest, and he stands behind what he believes in.”
Alexandra Blankman, political director for the BU College Democrats, said Coakley’s history of public service and dedication to Massachusetts made her a great candidate.
“She is on the right side of every issue and has a track record of being there for the most vulnerable,” said Blackman, a junior in CAS. “She dedicated her entire life to the people of Massachusetts.”
Coakley’s challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed states to refuse the recognition of same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states, is just one example of this drive, Blankman said.
Despite recent polls in the days preceding the election showcasing Baker’s lead over Coakley, Mack said the spot for governor came down to the wire and all the votes of Massachusetts residents mattered in determining the outcome of the election.
After a very tight race, Baker won the election with 48.4% of the vote with 99 percent of precincts reported, according to the Associated Press at press time. Coakley did not concede the race, and spokespeople for her campaign said the candidate would wait until all the votes have been counted.
Michael Neminski, president of the BU College Republicans, who was present at Baker’s election party Tuesday night, said he was ecstatic by the results and looks forward to the changes Baker will bring to Massachusetts.
“It was a big night for everyone,” said Neminski, a senior in CAS. “The crowd never lost enthusiasm and every time poll numbers went up, people cheered. It was great to be a part of that. Baker laid out a straightforward campaign, and Massachusetts [will] do better with him.”
Members of the BU College Republicans volunteered at the party by helping people with registration and running polling data, which lasted late into the night, Neminski said.
Victor Vuong, secretary of the BU College Democrats, said while he hoped Coakley would pull through during the tight race, he commends Baker from learning from his loss in 2010 during the gubernatorial election where he lost to current Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
“It’ll be interesting to see what he does as governor,” said Vuong, a sophomore in CAS. “Baker is certainly not a super crazy Republican, but there are some sore spots [in terms of his policies]. Going forward, I’m not going to rule Baker out because people can change.”
Coakley’s lack of a concession speech at her election night is understandable considering the closeness of the vote, Neminski said.
“It was a tight election, and it came down to a lot. Every vote had to be counted, and it was so close,” he said. “I am not surprised if she waits until morning to make her concession speech.”
Mina Corpuz contributed to the reporting of this article.
