The Republican National Committee (RNC) says it is observing a growing trend of millennials participating in the GOP leadership training program and showing support for conservative policies and candidates through its grassroots campaign.
“Engagement is off the charts … we are outpacing ourselves even during a so-called ‘off year’,” said Blair Ellis, RNC deputy national press secretary, according to the Washington Examiner.
The RNC says 50 percent of participants in its flagship leadership training program are millennials. The Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI) just trained its 25,000th fellow last week in a program that teaches participants how to conduct voter registration, collect and use data, and recruit other volunteers.
The benchmark, states the report, is “nearly double the RNC’s initial goal for the midterm cycle, demonstrating the sheer size and scope of the GOP’s ground game heading towards November.”
The RNC has partnered with more than 130 colleges and universities across 25 states in offering its RLI training program for three-to-six hours of college credit. Republican Party state officials and college professors or administrators take responsibility that students are fulfilling the requirements of the program.
Over the last three months, the number of colleges and universities requesting participation in the partnership has reportedly almost doubled.
Mitch Freckleton, RNC director of youth engagement, said:
These stats should come as no surprise — young Americans are excited about what President Trump and the Republican Congress have accomplished in just two short years. This excitement, paired with the RNC’s unprecedented level of youth engagement on school campuses, in classrooms, and in communities across the nation, has empowered young conservatives to get involved and make their voices heard.
Though most millennials still identify as Democrats, Gabby Lawrence, an RLI fellow and student at the University of Reno, Nevada, said during the program she “contacted a wide range of voters” and learned about the importance of knocking on doors and making phone calls.
These “are massively important in races as tight as the U.S. Senate race in Nevada,” she said. “The benefit alone of knowing you changed how someone views voting is extremely rewarding.”
The RNC is also working with the Young Republican National Federation.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in Young Republicans who’ve become RLI Fellows and become better, more effective activists in return,” said Matthew Oberly, Young Republican National Federation spokesman.
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