“My daughter dragged me here. No comment,” said registered Independent Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68. Lewis’ daughter, Annie M. Lewis, a senior at the Winsor School for Girls, worked as a debate and opposition research intern for the Romney-Healy Campaign since June.

“At the end of the day, it’s getting the ground troops out that matters,” said Annie Lewis. “With Mitt, we are very fortunate because he is doing it for the right reason. He’s in it for the state.”

“Mitt Romney is hot,” she added.

Annie’s mother, Dean of Admissions Marlyn McGrath-Lewis ’70-’73 also a Republican, joined her for the event.

Other students journeyed from farther afield than from Cambridge. Christopher J. Peters, a first-year at George Washington University and the former town captain of the North Reading Romney team, flew from Washington D.C. for the event.

“I’ve always been conservative, it’s my ideology,” he said, casting off his Democratic heritage—he is related to former Gov. Michael Dukakis. Peters remained optimistic throughout the night’s tense moments.

For Bill Donovan, a retired union-worker and a dedicated Romney volunteer, last night was the sweet victory for the hours he had spent stumping for Romney. He sported 13 pins and stickers and a hard hat— “It keeps Democrats from hitting me on the head," he said.

Georgia M. Gibbons, chair of the Rockport Republican town committee, said, “The Olympics was a global event that had the ability to get a CEO from anywhere in the world and they chose Mitt Romney. Massachusetts has now exercised its chance to get that global leader as well.”

—Staff writer Ronaldo Rauseo-Ricupero contributed to the reporting of this story.