In his newly elected position as president of the club, Porter said he hopes to increase the club's membership further and increase the club's political visibility. As former chair of the Bush campaign and membership director of the club, Porter was optimistic but not overly confident about the results of the election.
"I was hopeful," he said. "You never know what to expect, but I was excited about giving a speech, answering questions and really promoting the Republican spirit at Harvard and really thrilled about getting elected."
Both Porter and Smith are interested in expanding the influence of the club on campus, in spite of what Smith says he perceives as the stigma associated with being Republican on campus. Smith has plans to start an internship program for members in the future as well as to increase the membership of club and visibility, a goal parallel to Porter's.
"The thing that I most want to see is a growth in prominence and political activism on campus," Porter said. "I want to...lead the Republican intellectual movement here and all around the country."
-- Vinny Vacanti and Brendan J. Reed contributed to the reporting of this story.