by Neil W. McCabe

Supporters of the Republican challenger for the 26th Middlesex seat in the state legislature, including Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy gathered at Ryles in Inman Square to gear up for his final push before the November election.

“I really go out every day as if I can win,” said David R. Slavitt, who is running against State Rep. Timothy J. Toomey Jr., a Democrat. The seat represents parts of East Somerville and East Cambridge.

Slavitt, who was born in 1935, said he goes door-to-door until his knees give out, then he returns home and works the phones, making calls until he is ready to go out again.

In her remarks, Healy said it was refreshing to see such a crowd on Republicans in Cambridge.

When she was with the College Republicans at Harvard, she said it was rare to get a crowd larger than a dozen at a meeting.

Healy said she and Gov. W. Mitt Romney were aware of philosophical differences between Slavitt and themselves. But, she and the governor welcomed the idea of an intellectual like Slavitt in the legislature.

Slavitt was the film critic for Newsweek in the 1960s, and in addition to books of poetry, he has published novels and translations of poetry.

“For her to fit me into her schedule at all is outrageous,” Slavitt said. The event was the first of four she attended that night.

Before Healy left, Slavitt said he handed her a campaign fly swatter. “She seemed a little confused until I explained it was for the Republican SWAT team.”

Beyond his knocking on doors and making phone calls, Slavitt said he is reaching out to the supporters of Avi Green. Green lost the Sept. 14 Democratic Primary to Toomey.

Toomey has agreed to debate Slavitt Oct. 13 at Ryles, he said.

Although Green endorsed Toomey the night he lost the primary, Slavitt said he has called Green and sent him e-mails.

Slavitt said he believes that because he supports abortion rights and other socially progressive positions, Green’s voters have more in common with him than they do with Toomey.

Slavitt wrote an open letter to Green’s voters making the case that issues are more important than party, he said.

In addition to the social issues, Slavitt said he and Green both agreed that the leadership of the General Court must change.

Despite the resignation of former House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, Slavitt said the new speaker, Salvatore F. DiMasi, D-Boston, is just as bad. “Only the faces have changed.”

“DiMasi was Finneran’s rottweiler, who was in-charge of rewards and punishments for him,” he said.

Slavitt said the way the leadership change was handled by the House Democratic leadership was evidence enough that nothing is different. “The process had all the transparency of the Chinese Communist Party.”