Gordon M. Nelson (August 18, 1941 – July 21, 1993) was an American political activist who served as chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee from 1976 to 1980.
[1] After Goldwater's loss, Nelson stayed out of politics for five years, but returned to oppose the policies of Governor Francis W. Sargent.
[3] In 1976 he was a leader in Massachusetts in Ronald Reagan's campaign against incumbent president Gerald Ford for the GOP Presidential nomination.
[5] On May 19, 1976, Nelson, backed by the conservative REGRO faction of the party, defeated Andrew Card, the consensus choice of the moderates, by two votes to become Chairman of the Republican State Committee.
To raise grassroots support and soften the party's "Rich Brahmin" image, Nelson launched a door-to-door effort to recruit new workers to local committees called Project Precinct.
Nelson also led a group of Republicans that supported acting Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino in the 1993 election.