By Byron Shehee
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—Senator Rand Paul will be speaking in February to the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) during the group’s winter meeting. In an effort to bring a larger audience of young voters to the event, the ALGOP is asking college students to submit a 500 word essay on the vision and direction of the Republican Party. The 50 best submissions from students will be offered free admission to attend.
“If CPAC is any measure – and it is – Rand Paul seems to be well on the way toward being the choice of younger voters, at least younger conservative and libertarians”. Those were words from Rand Paul’s Young Voter Strategy from The American Spectator.
Other Republican candidates have recently experienced a surge in support from young voters. An accompanying graphic released highlights the progress made with young voters in a couple of battleground states. Ohio Governor John Kasich won the youth vote by 15 points where he had previously lost the youth vote four years earlier. Rep. Shelly Moore Capito was also elected and became West Virginia’s first female senator by winning her election to the U.S. Senate by 25 points. The Democrats won that election by 26 points in 2008.
While Alabama is already a red state, the ALGOP is intent on turning it an even darker shade of red.
The Alabama Republican Party is also offering tickets at the discounted price of $75.00 for students who do not want to write an essay, but still wish to attend.
Students submitting essays will have to prove that they are either a college student in an Alabama or a resident of the state. The ALGOP asks that students use edu. email addresses to verify they are in fact students. Students will need to make their submissions to Megan McIllwain at megan@algop.org.
Entries must be submitted by Monday, February 9, 2015, and winners will be announced Wednesday, February 11, 2015.
The event will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Montgomery, Alabama.
