The GW College Republicans are expanding their campaign efforts since 2008 to push for their candidates in crucial congressional races along with the race for the White House.
The CR’s largest campaign trip this year will revolve around Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who is running against Democrat Elizabeth Warren in the nation’s priciest congressional race this election cycle. The group, organized by the D.C. Federation of College Republicans, will head to Scott Brown’s campaign headquarters in Boston early this week for a 72-hour campaign push leading up to Election Day.
The group has also hosted events at the Republican Senatorial Committee to phone bank for Brown, who holds former Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat.
Students have also phone banked weekly for Romney from his Virginia state headquarters, joined by local high school and college students. Like the College Democrats, the CRs, do weekly weekend trips to Virginia, phone banking and knocking on doors.
Freshman Cale Clingenpeel from Anchorage, Alaska has taken part in Republican campaign events throughout the fall, pushing hard for Romney to win the presidency.
“We’re the future. We offer some fresh ideas that others don’t really see, and we offer a new perspective,” Clingenpeel said. “We’re doing a good job of getting energized, getting motivated and getting active.”
A dozen CRs also canvassed in Pennsylvania earlier last month to target undecided voters, a trip that also included students from Georgetown University.
Junior John Burke, political affairs director for the CRs, said he thinks Romney, understanding the desires of recent college graduates, can create the jobs that Americans need.
“Under this economy, a lot of students are ending up having to go back to their parents’ house, or they just have to be unemployed, and that’s really just not the dream that college students have when they get out of college and they’re ready to take on the world,” said Burke.
*Editor’s note: The College Republicans declined to provide access to their campaign trips.
