John Brockelman '92

By Jonathan E. Kaplan '94

John Brockelman '92 is a Massachusetts Republican who, less than a decade out of college, has kept the state's party machinery humming by doing anything from orchestrating legislative campaigns to playing Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry in a mock debate against then incumbent Governor William Weld. He is gregarious, articulate and blessed with political savvy. By turns he can be conciliatory or partisan as the situation requires. "I enjoy being a political operative even if the title gets a bad rap," he said.

It was a career choice move off the track of his of his pre-Colby plan, which was to major in math and science. That choice was derailed when Brockelman took a course on the American presidency taught by Professor Anthony Corrado (government).Brockelman was hooked.

"Tony taught not just how presidents governed, but how they got to be president," he said in an interview at a Boston café. "He could relate his own experiences,too-usually about losers, though," he added, unable to resist a friendly jab at the Democrats.

Like many Colby graduates working in politics, Brockelman's first political experience came during a Jan Plan- a sophomore-year internship for his local state representative.

Then in 1992 Brockelman helped a Republican candidate take on an incumbent, Democrat Robert Wetmore, a politician with 30 years experience. The race was important because Governor Weld's ability to sustain vetoes depended on holding all 16 Republican seats in the state Senate. The seat was so crucial that Brockelman met with the controversial political consultant Dick Morris , the one-time advisor to Bill Clinton .

"I love debate prep," he said."It is the only time I spent beating up my boss with no repercussions." At one point, Brockelman said, he got so into his Kerry impersonation that Weld started to complain to the other aides and consultants."He's lying about his record!" Governor Weld shouted,according to Brockelman.

"Sir, this is not the Harvard debating society," the aides responded."This is national politics."

Weld lost, but Brockelman soon returned to the campaign trail. He ran Paul Cellucci's 1998 gubernatorial campaign and then took charge of the lackluster, inactive and indebted Massachusetts GOP. As party chair he erased a $250 million deficit. He also managed to get under the skin of many of the state Democrats by attacking their policies.

His run in politics ended in December 2000."I spent a few days examining military ballots in Florida for the Bush campaign," he said. "But my wife and I were about to have a baby and there was no way I was hanging around."

Brockelman recently left his post as executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party for a position with Fidelity Investments, but looks back good-naturedly about his experience. "You take your lumps in the press," he said. "You can't take it personally. You have to enjoy it because it is part of the business."

Indeed, upon learning that he was leaving his job, the Boston Herald State House reporter couldn't resist one last zinger and described Brockelman as the "bad boy of Massachusetts politics."

Brockelman didn't take offense. "Aw, that's just his last attempt to have fun with me," he said.