POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica

"Here am I; send me". -- Isa. 6:8.

by David Trumbull

January 13, 2006


April 29th the Massachusetts Republican Party will convene in Lowell to a nominate candidates for state-wide offices. You can be there! Interested in politics? Ever wonder how a major party picks its candidates? Never been involved in politics before but you think you'd like to try? You are welcome to run for delegate or alternative delegate to the Massachusetts Republican State Convention.

Later this month, and running through the first week in February, Republican Ward and Town Committees across the Commonwealth will be electing delegates to the convention. A total of 3,644 delegates will be elected, plus several hundred alternates. Add to that the many Ex Offico delegates -- members of the Republican Party State Committee, Republicans who hold elected office in Massachusetts, and present and former Party officials-- and this spring convention in Lowell will be the biggest Republican event in the Bay State.

The apportionment of delegates is generous. Each Ward or Town may send one delegate for every 300 votes that Governor Romney got in that area in the 2002 election. Here in Boston's Ward Three (West End, North End, waterfront, Financial District, Chinatown and parts of Beacon Hill and South End) we can send twelve delegates, plus two alternates. East Boston and Charlestown each may send nine delegates. The only qualifications for running for delegate are that you are resident in the Ward from which you seek election and are (and were as of December 1, 2005) a registered Republican.

I have seen persons show up at a delegate election caucus as their first political meeting and get elected to represent that ward at the State Convention. The Republican Party is open to all!

For the date and location of the caucus to elect delegates in your area contact the Massachusetts Republican Party at (617) 523-5005 or contact me at chairman@ward3boston.org or (617) 742-6881.

David Trumbull is the chairman of the Boston Ward Three Republican Committee. Boston's Ward Three includes the North End, West End, part of Beacon Hill, downtown, waterfront, Chinatown, and part of the South End.

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