The Governor's Council votes on appointments to the state judiciary and of justices of the peace, decides on all acts of clemency and grants of pardon, and votes on all the discretionary funding of the governor.
"The purpose of the governor's council is to advocate for the people, to meet with the governor and talk about the desires, concerns, and wishes of the people," Moriarty said.
Moriarty is running against Democratic incumbent Eddie O'Brien, who has held the office for over 30 years. According to Moriarty, O'Brien is campaigning for the first time in 20 years.
"Brien was in office when the Beatles were broken up. He was in office during the Vietnam War. I think it's time for change," Moriarty said.
"With everyone's help we can unseat him," Moriarty added. "People are now talking about replacing things. It's time for a change in that direction. There has been a major change in how people have looked at Republican politics."
Moriarty was particularly optimistic about Western Massachusetts, the district in which he is running.
"We can move Western Massachusetts from predominantly Democratic to a predominantly Republican area. There's been a change in the wind," he added.
Because of its strong Democratic tradition, Massachusetts is a difficult state for Republicans to win office in. 22 out of 24 statewide offices are held by Democrats. Moriarty added that Republicans are not taken seriously in Massachusetts and that they are portrayed as "lightweights" by the media.
"Massachusetts is sick of a one-party system. It certainly doesn't work here," said Moriarty. "Provide Massachusetts with a viable choice and the choice will be seized. You have to first get elected before you can govern."
Moriarty's closing remarks addressed the national presidential elections and the role college students played in them. He told an anecdote about a Republican straw poll vote in Maine for former president George Bush. Bush was expected to come in last, and as a result of tremendous cheering and rallying by college students, won the vote.
"You do have a lot of power. You can change the course of history," said Moriarty.
Students found Moriarty's discussion insightful. "It was really interesting to hear about the Republican effort in Massachusetts," said Rob Dumitrescu '03, "and how hopefully such a Democratic state is becoming more bipartisan."
While at Amherst, Moriarty was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and rowed crew. He majored in political science and is currently a lawyer in Springfield, Mass.