Dear LexObservor and readers,
2024 is a historic year for US elections. In our little corner of the US we too serve our democracy in many ways. This past Saturday, a recent Lexington High School graduate and student at Northeastern University, Kaveesh Pathak, was selected to serve as a member of the Electoral College from Massachusetts. He is nineteen, just about legal to vote, however has been an active campaigner since his middle school years at Diamond.
The field for the slate of electors for the MA Democratic party was very competitive with about fifty candidates, ranging from the very well known and experienced veteran members to young students from college energized by the historic nature of the upcoming election. Lexington was well represented by Bob Peters, Mabel Amar (with Sean Osbourne speaking on her behalf!), Kaveesh and me, all trying for the available 11 electors and 2 alternates slots.
Each candidate had been given the chance to communicate with party members beforehand, and canvassing for support continued at the event prior to the official start. While people were greeting each other, candidates were busy looking for support from voting members through earnest conversations, handing out flyers, stickers, and even candy wrapped in special packaging with candidate logo and name. The hall felt alive, bustling and engaged.
Each candidate was given 30 seconds to speak in alphabetic order. Kaveesh was towards the last one third of candidates. He gave an energetic and humorous recap of his service* to the party and got cheers from the audience. It was clear that the members valued his efforts and were encouraging.
After the paper and online ballots were signed and collected we all waited for the count while they were counted. Meanwhile, past electors shared their experiences of the electoral college process. Finally, when Kaveesh Pathak’s name was read, it was a very proud moment to have a recent Lexington Public School graduate serve as one of the 538 electors for the 2024 US Presidential election. It is an honor and responsibility which Kaveesh Pathak deserves and will fulfill admirably.
Deepika Sawhney
*From Kaveesh Pathak’s communications
Political Campaigns:
- Served as a Fellow on Senator Markey’s Campaign for US Senate and worked as town’s local community captain.
- Worked on the 2020 coordinated campaign that helped elect President Biden and Vice President Harris.
- At 16, was the first staffer on Dr. Tami Gouveia’s Lieutenant Governor campaign, served on her leadership team, managing communications and the fellowship program throughout the 2022 campaign cycle.
- Volunteered for swing seat races to help Democrats expand their majority in the Senate and prevent a red wave in the House.
- Served on campaign teams for local candidates like Dr. Sarah Neville in Chelsea and Ayesha M. Wilson in Cambridge, both of whom won their races.
Climate Advocacy:
- A passionate climate organizer, led school’s climate strike and founded local Hub of the Sunrise Movement. Wrote and passed Lexington’s Climate Emergency Declaration, setting new goals to lower carbon emissions.
Gun Violence Prevention:
- Led middle school walkout in response to the Parkland Shooting.
- Served as the Massachusetts Field Director for March For Our Lives.
- Appointed to the Community Council (Advisory Board) of the MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, served for three years.
Democratic Engagement:
- Associate member of the Lexington Democratic Town Committee as a Junior at Lexington High School and now a full member.
- Proudly represent the communities of Lexington, Woburn, Arlington, Burlington, and Billerica as a Caucus Member of the DSC.
- Former Joe Moakley intern at MassDems and served on the JFK Scholarship Subcommittee during first term on the DSC.