Harvard Affiliates Lose in Local Races

Two Harvard affiliates—Carolina S. Johnson ’04 from the Green-Rainbow left and David R. Slavitt from the Republican right—overwhelmingly lost their bids yesterday to local Democratic incumbents for Cambridge offices.

Johnson, a recent College graduate, garnered only 18 percent of the vote to incumbent State Rep. Alice K. Wolf’s 82 percent of the vote in the 25th Middlesex District, which comprises Harvard and its surrounding neighborhoods.

“I’m very happy with the way it turned out,” said a tired Johnson last night. “We helped in building the Green-Rainbow party locally, to bring up the issues in the community not being addressed.”

Johnson attributed her loss to large disparities in resources and finances. She claimed she ran on less than $3,000 while her opponent drew $100,000.

“If we had had all that money...I think it would have been possibly a dramatically different outcome,” Johnson said.

But Johnson says that 18 percent for a Green party candidate is still impressive.

“I’m 22. Eighteen percent against an incumbent is by no means a small feat,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who is still mulling over her next move career-wise, was the first to challenge incumbent Wolf since she was first elected to the Mass. State House in 1996.

“Carolina is fairly new to this enterprise,” said Wolf. “I have had long years of experience. I’m a strong Democrat. I’m a good representative.”

In the 26th Middlesex District, six-term Democratic incumbent Timothy J. Toomey defeated Leverett Senior Common Room member Slavitt in a landslide.

Toomey took 87 percent of the vote to Slavitt’s 13 percent in the district comprised of East Cambridge and part of Somerville.

“Tim’s obviously very excited about the victory,” said Kate Glidden, Toomey’s campaign manager.

Glidden said Toomey—a pro-life Democrat facing opposition from Slavitt, a pro-choice supporter of gay rights—had not underestimated his opposition.

“Representative Toomey values his seat in the House and takes every seat seriously,” Glidden said.

Slavitt could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In Mass. State House and Senate races throughout the Cambridge area, popular Democrats fended off Republican challenges and won decisively.

Democrat Anne Paulsen defeated Republican challenger Kevin Cuddleback in the 24th Middlesex District, which includes North Cambridge, taking 75 percent of the vote.

In the 8th Suffolk District, in the seat vacated by Paul C. Demakis ’75, Democrat Marty Walz received 75 percent of the vote to Republican Richard L. Babson’s 23 percent and America First Party’s Thomas White’s 2 percent.

In the 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex Senate seat, Democrat Steven A. Tolman won over Republican Robert Ferencsik 83 percent to 17 percent.

-—-Staff writer Robin M. Peguero can be reached at peguero@fas.harvard.edu.