Internship Opportunities Abound in State Rep. Campaigns

The doldrums of summer can present themselves exponentially to out of school teens who have nothing but time on their hands. Enter Needham residents, who are also running for State Representative, with a cure for the summer blues

At least three campaigners, Democrats Denise Garlick and Jerry Wasserman, and Republican John O'Leary, are looking for help this summer as they make a strong push toward the primaries on September. Roles may vary slightly from candidate to candidate, but all would offer important insight into what makes a campaign work and the experience earned would likely look great on many a Needham teen's resume.

"We would love to have more summer interns and campaign volunteers," said Ted Owens, campaign manager for O'Leary. Parties interested in the O'Leary campaign can send information to www.johnoleary2010.com/contact.

In the case of Wasserman, internships are being offered with a commitment of roughly 10 hours per week. Schedules, however, are flexible and will be built around a specific intern's availability.

"The internship is open to all skill sets and will be a great place to learn more about how a political campaign is run," said Wasserman's field director, Matt Wall.

Wall additionally related that tasks would include voter contact, data management, voter targeting, event planning, and staff and volunteer recruitment and management.

"Interns are an important part of any campaign and they will be treated with the respect they deserve," Wall said, adding that applicants can fill out information at www.jerrywasserman.com/contact.php.

Teens who are interested in working on the Garlick campaign are also in luck, as the candidate is seeking help in the form of 10- 20 hours per week.

"(The campaign) is looking for enthusiastic supporters for its Field Operations Internships," said Alex Garlick, communications manager.

Garlick campaign interns would interact with voters and "gain valuable political experience," Garlick said, adding that good communication and interpersonal skills are a must. Interested applicants can visit denisegarlick.com/contact.html.

Needham residents Joshua Levy (R) and Gary McNeil (D) are also running for the 13^th Norfolk District seat. The seat represents the communities of Needham, Dover and Medfield.