A Name Synonymous with the Massachusetts Republican Party … Larry
Novak
FROM OUR JUNE 1, 2019 PRINTED EDITION
by Lonnie Brennan
I thought it would be interesting to catch up with Larry Novak and
share a bit of his legendary activist work with readers who may not
know him, but might find inspiration from his more than 50 years of
Republican activism.
Novak, a retired attorney, started working for candidates when he
was 16 years old, supporting Republicans and working in the local
Party headquarters. Larry is best described as tenacious, tough and
shrewd – in anything he does – either in politics or in law.
First, his work for the Republican Party is legendary. He has awards
all over his home that show how grateful Republican candidates and
organizations have been to have his support. He holds the record as
the longest-serving chairman of the Brockton Republican City
Committee. He’s the former vice chairman and treasurer of the Mass.
Republican Party, and served as a Republican state committeeman from
1984 to 2009.
Approximately 18 months ago, Larry was recruited again to take the
helm of the Brockton Republican City Committee in its darkest hours.
In a Democrat-dominated city, the committee had suffered a decline,
dipping to just 16 members on the ballot, and a reported $67 in the
treasury. Seldom did the committee even get a quorum to a meeting.
Today, with Larry’s stewardship, the committee has seen a rebirth,
hosting a welcoming winter social (which I enjoyed speaking at and
introducing the Boston Broadside to so many members), and today the
committee stands at more than 120 members.
Every ward in the city of Brockton is organized thanks to Larry
Novak. The committee leads in fundraising in the Senate district. In
the totals for 2018, Brockton raised $5,096. Easton raised $0. East
Bridgewater raised $236. Halifax raised $0. Hanover raised $407.
Hanson raised $15. Whitman, home to former Senate candidate Geoff
Diehl, raised $3,100.
It’s a pretty amazing feat that the poorest and the most Democratic
community in the Senate district (the 2nd Plymouth & Bristol)
outraised all of the other communities combined, a city where only
7% of residents are registered Republicans.
Most importantly, Novak is working on a plan to bring 5,000
unenrolled voters who used to be registered Republicans back to the
Republican Party.
Novak’s house, which is on the west side of Brockton, sits on an
acre of manicured lawn. On the walls of his 10-room house sit his
citations, one from the Massachusetts Senate which caught my
attention recognized Novak’s work for the Republican Party. This
citation reads: “In recognition of your service and dedication to
the Republican Party of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Signed
by Thomas Birmingham, President of the State Senate, offered by
Brian Lees, May 14, 1998. Next to that is an award from the Brockton
Republican City Committee naming Novak the Man of the Year.
Novak’s house is adorned with pictures showing his work with former
Republican presidents and Republican leaders. He was a close
political ally of former Congresswoman Margaret Heckler who served
as President Reagan’s Secretary of Health and Human Services and
Ambassador to Ireland. With regret, he noted that he was unable to
attend Mrs. Heckler’s funeral recently, as he was taking care of his
94-year-old mother.
Novak served on the Brockton School Committee in the ’80s, becoming
the first Republican on the Committee in 30 years, a seat that’s
remained for the most part in Republican hands for the next 25
years. It is presently occupied by a Republican. Novak’s common
sense and dedication to constituent work has made this seat remain
Republican in Brockton, one of only two seats that the Republican
Party holds in the city. But Novak is most proud of a saying on the
wall by Winston Churchill, and I quote: “A political party which
goes down to defeat fighting will rise again from the ashes of
defeat. A political party which surrenders its belief will disappear
into the pages of history.”
Time for a Republican Party Rebirth
Larry Novak believes that the Massachusetts Republican Party must in
August fill all of the ward and town committee positions in Brockton
and beyond. “By filling these seats, it encourages voters to see
that the Party is organized and shows candidates that there is a
support system or mechanism to help them if they decide to run. It
shows the voters that the Republican Party should be taken seriously
and is on the road to becoming a major force again,” Novak said.
“I served with the legendary Ray Shamie, who was the chairman that
rebuilt the Republican Party in the late ’80s, early ’90s, where
2,300 votes swung the other way to help the Republican Party,” Novak
said. “That model used by Ray Shamie, of filling the town committees
and increasing the role of the activist helped us grow. While we
almost captured the state Senate in 1990, we did, however win 16 or
17 seats and came very close in three or four others. We won two
Governor Council seats. The model shows that the more activity the
Party creates, the more electable the Party becomes.”
Novak has raised money for a diverse range of Republican candidates
and committees, including but not limited to: Governor Weld,
Governor Paul Celluci, Treasurer Joe Malone, Congresswoman Margaret
Heckler, Senator Edward Brooke, Arthur Chase, Peter Forman, Bill
Sawyer, the Brockton
Republican City Committee, the Mass. Republican Party and the Mass.
Republican Lawyers Association.
I asked Novak when he had time to practice law! He said he spends a
lot of time on politics and has a good staff, a true and committed
Republican.
According to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, Novak is
the largest donor to Republican causes in the 2nd Plymouth District.
He has donated over $194,000 since 2002. Novak is always in motion.
He’s having a fundraiser for the Brockton Republican City Committee
on June 19, 2019 at Thorny Lea Country Club in Brockton.
Most interesting, he’s now writing a book on the 1982 race between
Congresswoman Margaret Heckler and Barney Frank, hoping to have the
book published in late fall. I asked Novak about that race and why
Margaret Heckler lost. He gave one reason: We were outspent two to
one.
Why Recognize Larry Novak?
One of the things we would like to do now is to showcase candidates
who will be running for office and perhaps, just as importantly,
showcase those who support the candidates. Novak has been involved
in every aspect of political life from stuffing envelopes to running
a campaign as a campaign manager for governor. He has assisted
Republicans at all levels from city school committee to governor to
president. He’s a doer and not a talker. (Well, OK, he does talk,
certainly to me, and at length on multiple occasions, but he walks
the walk!) While at his home, I saw one of his old campaign slogans
– Performance and Not Promises. That is a slogan that fits Larry
Novak well.
In addition to serving as chair of the Brockton Republican City
Committee, Novak has been doing a radio program on Saturdays from
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on 1530 AM radio (you can catch his
streaming online if you’re not in the area). It’s one of the most
talked-about Republican shows on the South Shore and snagged our
newspaper’s attention.
On his radio program, Novak doesn’t back away from the fact that
he’s a Republican. He continues to promote the Republican agenda.
He’s led the fight against Sanctuary Cities which is a hot issue in
the city of Brockton. He opposes Sanctuary Cities and realizes that
we must do more to dislodge radical left-wing Democrats from the
City Council seats. It is a growing concern to him how the
progressive left is taking over local government. There are
candidates running for mayor in his city promoting an aggressive
left-wing agenda. Larry is trying to organize the Republicans into a
unified voting-bloc push-back, and stop the takeover.
Elected Office?
Ah, how the rumors can fly. Mr. Novak is being urged to run either
for the state Senate or Congress or some political office by various
local Republicans. When asked about it, he was uncharacteristically
coy, and I let him off the hook. He said, he has made no decision to
run for anything “as of yet.” He wishes to rebuild the Brockton
Republican City Committee and rebuild the Party in the Senate
district. He will be opening up a political action committee called
the 2nd Plymouth Bristol Political Action Committee to give money to
local candidates. He said, “Our biggest shortfall is we don’t field
candidates at all offices. We’re disappearing in key areas of the
state. The long-term prognosis is not good for the Republican Party
unless we run candidates and have a grassroot operation. You get
people because they believe in ideas. They become involved.”
“In 1990, we ran a full slate of candidates. The candidates that
lost,” Larry said, “well, individually, they have remained active in
the Republican Party for 20 to 25 years so far. We must continue to
do that: running candidates at every opportunity and filling the
grassroots. They become your future. They become your sign
locations, your future donors, and they become more involved in
helping the community.”
I asked Larry what his biggest fight has been. Surprisingly, he said
it was about trying to get extra help for students. He explained
that when he was chairman at Massasoit Community College, he had a
fight with the unions over requiring the teachers to be in their
offices for students where they could come to get extra help. That
apparently turned into a major battle. Novak said “we must continue
our fight. Our cause is right and just.”
♦
Please send your suggestions for worthy Republican activists to
showcase in future editions of
The Boston Broadside to:
editor@BostonBroadside.com.