Watertown's Aylward Takes Race for GOP Committee Man

Watertown's Steven Aylward said a group of hardworking supporters who seek to bring the Republican Party back into prominence in Massachusetts helped him win the election for the Republican State Committee Man in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District.

The former School Committee member received 2,329 votes in Tuesday's election and defeated long-time incumbent Robert Semonian, also a town resident, who got 1,787 votes in the district that includes Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston.

Aylward ran on a platform of returning the Massachusetts Republican Party to its traditional values. He and others seeking to change the direction of the party also want to and groom them for higher office.

"The party is not irrelevant, but it is on the verge of being irrelevant," Aylward said.

Aylward said he is just one of several candidates who won election to the Republican State Committee for the first time. He thanked his supporters.

"I had a lot of help from a lot of good people," Aylward said. "It really is a group effort from supporters in Watertown and Belmont. I am thankful."

While he ran against Semonian, Aylward said he has a lot of respect for the man who has been part of the Republican State Committee since the early 1970s.

"Bob Semonian did a lot for the party. He is a good man," Aylward said. "I don't think anyone loves the Republican Party or has done more for the party than Bob."

Aylward said he spent a lot of time meeting people in Belmont, which has a larger number of registered Republicans than Watertown, and he said he was more well known in his hometown. He hoped to break even in Boston, which he did.

Votes in GOP State Committee Man Race

Other State Committee Races

Each party in each Senate District in Massachusetts has a State Committee man and a State Committee woman.

Watertown's Rachel Kaprielian, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, ran unopposed for the Democratic State Committee Woman. In the race for Democratic State Committee Man Boston's Joshua L. Dawson defeated David A. Kazis of Boston 2,009 to 1,263.

Belmont's Elizabeth K. Mahoney ran unopposed in the race for GOP State Committee Woman.