Ethridge A. King is a man with a plan.

One of 19 candidates for 9 City Council seats, King—who pundits rate as a man to watch, though not a sure winner—has a three-part plan to nab the votes of Cantabrigians on Election Day, although he keeps his get-out-the-vote strategy under tight wraps.

“We have a plan that no one is going to bank on us having,” King says. “In three weeks, you’ll be calling me Councillor.”

Eloquent and confident despite his newcomer status on the Cambridge political scene, King is extremely businesslike.

His campaign insignia—a flashy design with the number “1” formed out of his name on a bright red background—and his flawless dress of crisp gray suits epitomize his optimistic approach to city politics.

A New Man in Town

King literally represents the newest generation in Cambridge. At the age of 9, King immigrated to Cambridge from Barbados with his parents. And last December, he married Astrid King, a Dutch native.

The couple made the decision to run together—which involved putting off having a child until after the election and more generally clearing their calendars to prioritize campaigning, King says.

He and his wife started going door-to-door as a team this summer, talking to Cambridge voters. But the first big project was finding a hard-core staff.

“Getting people committed to helping out at no pay, which is huge, huge,” was the first thing he did last spring, King says.

He’s not your average Cambridge politician—and although current involvement in the political system has been brought up at election forums by incumbents as key to being an effective councilor, King says he thinks the city needs a fresh voice.

“Do you think you have to be an activist or an experienced councillor to make good policy?” King asks with a smile. “We have so many activists in Cambridge that sometimes they work against one another.”

For example, King brings up state funding for the Community Preservation Act—which will bring about $5 million to the city for affordable housing, open space creation, and preservation of historic buildings if voters approve the measure Nov. 6. King says there will likely be quite an activist skirmish over how much money will go to each purpose.

“Whoever has the most stamina will come out the victor,” King says. “I’m not going to shy away from my lack of activism.”