“Romney has no ties to that. He is pretty much a clean slate,” he said.

Dearaujo also said that Democrats were making a “mountain out of a mole hill” over the abortion issue, saying Romney has made his pro-choice stance clear.

The Harvard College Democrats (HCD) have also responded to the sudden changes in the gubernatorial race, saying the changes may hurt the Democratic Party’s chances.

President Sonia H. Kastner ’03 said the absence of a Republican primary battle between Swift and Romney puts greater pressure on Democratic candidates.

“It’s going to be harder for the Democrats to mobilize a grass roots effort because of the intense primary fight,” Kastner said.

She said she hoped Romney’s presence in the race would help “maintain some civility” in the Democratic primary race, and that the candidates would close ranks in the interests of the party.

But Kastner said she felt that Romney is perceived as a political outsider, and it would be harder to attach responsibilty to Romney for past Republican policies.

Following spring break, HCD will initiate a “Mitt Romney education campaign,” designed to challenge Romney’s platform.

Kastner said their final push will come following the September primary.