From the Ground Up

My vision and plan to revitalize the

Massachusetts Republican Party
By Steve Aylward
Candidate for MA GOP Chairman

Overview

Nothing has every grown from the top down. Nothing ever will. Going forward, we
grow from the ground up.
We will commit to challenge every legislative seat possible, with emphasis on those
districts where top of ticket candidates fared well in recent years.
We will significantly increase the budget for training, not only for candidates but of
Campaign Managers and RTCs.
We will never accept the premise that this is Massachusetts and Republicans cannot
win in great numbers.
We will never at any turn let the Democrats define us.
We will use local ballot questions to help win at the local level, as well as develop
candidates. We will use Statewide ballot questions to ensure victory in 2018.
We will increase our media presence, by using every broadcast and outlet available. We
will hit the airwaves in force, and never stop educating the voters.
We will create a Special Election team using as a grassroots volunteer network.
We will reward hard work and accomplishment, not simply reward loyalty to a person
or persons.
We will always remember that the political enemy is the Democrats!

Where we are today

In 2016, The Ma Republican Party won the unfortunate distinction of putting forth the least
competitive elections of any state in the entire country.
In the House, only 16 out of a possible 126 Democrat held seats were contested by
Republicans. Of those 126, over 40 were in districts favoring Republican candidates, based on
Brown and Baker results. Our pickup was one seat, which offsets the loss of the Peabody
special election earlier this year.
In the State Senate, only 11 out of a possible 35 Democrat held seats were contested by
Republicans. Of those 35 seats, 9 were in districts favoring republican candidates. No gains.
For Governors Council, only 3 of the 8 seats were contested. No gains.
2014 results were equally disappointing
Party Enrollment is at an all-time low of 10%.
Too many towns are still not organized, and many towns once organized for 2012 are not
organized.
In spite of a lot of talk, there is not nor has there ever been a plan for urban outreach, and
minority registration.
The two ballot questions supported by the Party, # 2 and # 4 were soundly defeated, costing
our Governor a good deal of political capital.
We are still recovering financially from a $240,000 legal payout, and the expensive associated
legal costs resulting from a very poorly run State Convention. That money could have been
used to recruit and fund Republican candidates and causes.

Where we are today (2)

Our recent audit identified that we fail in our legal OCPF Records Retention responsibility by
losing as many as 12.5% of our invoices. By extrapolation, as much as $2mm in invoices may
have been lost over a three year period.
We operated 2 business units without a property lease, leaving ourselves open for political
finance problems, insurance/liability issues, rent increases, and a host of other problems too
numerous to mention. Few organizations occupy a space without a lease.
We did not maintain a trial balance for the last three years, and our audit while it may have
made some people feel good, failed to meet the most basic if basic criteria balancing
expenditures to the checking account. Or even reviewing invoicing for reasonability, and to
ensure against duplicate payment or overpayment. That is another reason why losing
invoices is so problematic.
Worst of all our Party is fractured. There are not enough Republicans that we can exclude
anybody! Only effective and fair leadership can change this.

Where we will be after 2018

Re-election of Governor Baker

Challenged every seat in every district with an R+ rating (favorable to Republicans).
Challenged an additional 20 additional house seats, and 4 Senate seats
We will have over 275 town committees organized, as well as 50% of all city ward
committees.
We will have run and won a statewide ballot question to support all 2018 candidates.
We will have implemented a successful urban and minority outreach plan.
We will perform an annual full scope audit of our books, without exception.
We will have run a State Convention which will set the standard for allfuture Conventions
We will have negotiated and signed property leases for any space we occupy.
RTC training will be in full force. All towns will be reviewed to make sure they have
republican representation at the polls, as well as Republican Registrars, and are enjoying
every provision afforded Party through either state law or town/city charters.

Path to accomplishing goals

At every turn, treat the Democrats not as friends, but as our political enemy, sworn to
destroy us. Do this through messaging, legal action, and constant attack. Never let their
criticism and lies go unchallenged.
Increase the expectation of the Chair for Republican outreach. The Chair will hold Monthly
meetings with RTC officers, at various locations throughout the year. Additionally the Chair
will be available to personally attend at least 4 RTC meetings each month. The Chair will
confer with Regional Chairs at least once every month, and will provide those Regional Chairs
with any support they need to accomplish their goals.
Regional Chairs will be expected to have monthly conference calls or face to face meetings
with all SC members in the region. The goal of each meeting will be to work to 1) establish
new RTCs where needs 2) increase RTC membership in already established RTCs, 3) ensure
election day coverage 4) ensure all Republican positions, establishes by MGL or twin charter
are filled 6) seek local candidates 7) clean up voter rolls and 8) create local ballot questions to
support Republican membership growth and successful local elections. The Regional Chairs
will report results back to the Chair on a Monthly basis.

Path to accomplishing goals (2)

Use local cable TV shoes, local newspapers and most of all social media. We will teach our RTCs how to
use facebook ads to promoted events and grow membership, how to use instagram to generate
enthusiasm for our candidates, and how to use blogging as a tool to spread our message.
We will hire only the very best employees through large scale job searches.
We will joyfully engage in high visibility charitable work to broaden our reach, and soften our image in the
community.
The Gas Tax Ballot question, coupled with our efforts to fight the Olympics in Boston has yielded an over
1000 member Republican grassroots network. We will tap into that resource for many things, but
especially to make special elections a priority.
We will use every resources which the law allows to clean up voter rolls and minimize voter fraud.
As do the Dems, we will develop talking points on specific and general issues, and train our people how
to stay on message and talk to specific points. This will be accomplished by hiring a public relations
director at Headquarters, and expecting him/her to train our people how to be effective with the media,
and how to stay on message.
We will broaden our use of College/Summer Interns, asking the to work remotely, and work for and with
Regional Chairs as the responsibilities increase. And we will ask that when they return to campus, they
stay engaged. We will also ask they organize like-minded students, with the support of State Committee
members in the district.

The new Culture at Headquarters

Every MA GOP employee, from the Chair down to all staff will serve at the pleasure of the
State Committee members and their constituents.
All phone calls form State Committee men and women will be returned with 4 hours.
All calls and inquiries from RTC officer will be returned within 24 hours.
A Monthly Progress will be delivered to every State Committee member.
Every State Committeeman or women without exception will be provided pinpoint access, as
well as pinpoint training.
The Chair and staff, in everything they do, will work to heal any and all wounds that may exist
on the committee. This can and will be done by listening, communicating, and treating
everybody with courtesy and respect. And because we will do this, State Committee
meetings will be transformed into productive events, where we work together to defeat the
Democrats. Because we must always remember that the Democrats are the enemy, not
other Republicans.
At the end of the day, this new administration will take pride in being known as innovative,
professional, above-board, hard working, respectful, responsive and yes - thrifty!

Chairman Compensation
Rather than a flat annual salary, the Chair salary will be incentive based. As the Chair
succeeds, so does the Party. As a starting point to negotiations with the State Committee,
the following is offered for consideration:

Base $40,000 plus expenses.

Incentive Bonus to be negotiated with State Committee, not to exceed $50,000 in total for
measurable and attainable goals, up to and including but not exclusive to

RTC growth
Legislative candidates on ballot
Legislative candidates winning
Local candidates on ballot
Local candidate winning.
Voter outreach

All of these goals and any other goals will be measurable, and all will be negotiated by and
subject to the approval of the State Committee.

Quick Resume - Aylward

Business
Vice President and General Manager Cass information Systems ( 1994 to 2014)
Assistant Vice President, Bank of Boston (1974 to 1994)
Managed large scale business units, with P&Ls in the millions. Negotiated with high levels
executives at numerous Fortune 100 clients. Oversaw prolific increases in B2B sales as well as
the implementation of expansion into Europe and Asia.
Political
Chairman Make MA Great Again Pac raised $24,000 for signs, banners etc
Chairman Tank the Automatic Tax Hikes raised over $100,000 and won the ballot question
saving taxpayers millions, and bringing out Republican voters.
Former Chair Watertown RTC
Civic
Chairman, Watertown School Committee
Watertown Licensing Board Member
Founding President, not-for-profit Watertown Cable Access Corporation
Nominated in 2009 for BBBS Boston Big Brother of the Year