Paul Bass Photo
Matt (left) & Matt (right).
Democratic mayoral candidate Matthew Nemerson turned up at Tuesday night’s debate with another Matthew in tow — the latest young campaign manager to turn up in town.
The other Matt is Matt Zagaja, a 26-year-old 2012 UConn law grad who lives in Wethersfield.
Zagaja said he got to know Nemerson’s wife, Yale professor Marian Chertow, when they both volunteered for a state representative race in 2008 (for candidate Elizabeth Esty, who would go on to win a U.S. Congressional seat in 2012).
Nemerson recently called him to recruit him as manager, Zagaja said.
“I have a lot of interest in technology. He has a lot of interest in technology. I think entrepreneurship is important. He thinks entrepreneurship is important,” Zagaja said. “I thought it was a really good match.”
Asked about his political experience, Zagaja said he served president of the College Democrats of Massachusetts as an undergraduate at Worcester Polytechnic and volunteered for Dan Malloy’s 2010 gubernatorial exploratory committee.
“Matt is somebody who has a technology background, which I respect and which is something I was looking for. He started out as a computer science major. But his real expertise now is creating field organization. He did that with Esty and Malloy. That’s clearly going to be one of our goals,” Nemerson said.
Zagaja is two years older than Kyle Buda, the former Dan Malloy campaign field organizer whom Justin Elicker brought to town to manage his campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination. Read about Buda here.
The Kermit Carolina campaign plans to hire Darryl Brackeen, a 2006 Hillhouse High grad and current Lincoln Bassett social studies teacher, as manager. Click here to read about Henry Fernandez campaign manager Jim Doumas and here to read about Gary Holder-Winfield campaign manager Chris Campbell.
So a person who volunteered on Malloy's and Esty's campaigns created their Field Programs? That to me shows Mr. Nemerson doesn't understand campaigns, not to mention the slap in the face to those programs Field Directors just embarrassing Matt. Just another stumble out the gate for Nemerson.