As election season heats up, so has the involvement of UA’s College Republicans and Democrats. Both have campaign plans for various races in Alabama and throughout the United States this fall.
Over fall break, the College Republicans plan to campaign in Florida for the Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan ticket.
“We will be doing mostly door-to-door style campaigning,” Regan Williams, chair of the UA College Republicans, said.
Florida has been classified as a battleground state by realclearpolitics.com, meaning it is a state that could go either to the Republicans or the Democrats.
A Sept. 13 poll by Rasmussen Reports also shows President Barack Obama leading in the state by two percentage points over Romney.
Williams said the College Republicans chose to go to Florida because it is the closest swing state to Alabama. However, the group is also considering other trips to other swing states like North Carolina and Ohio.
Connor Cook, director of external affairs in the UA College Democrats, said the group currently plans to work with the Obama campaign in swing states like Florida. However, that trip depends on the membership and interest level.
“We plan on phone banking, knocking on doors and getting our membership involved in the thick of the action,” Robert Christl, the president of College Democrats, said. “We also plan on spreading awareness, informing students of all the good President Barack Obama has done for them and their future security.”
Locally, the UA Democrats are working with the Tuscaloosa County Democratic Party to elect Daniel Bowman to the 4th Congressional District in Alabama, according to Cook. And, on a statewide level, they are working with the state Democratic Party to elect Bob Vance as the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and Lucy Baxley as the president of the Public Service Commission.
Both the Republicans and the Democrats are getting involved with the Tuscaloosa County probate judge race. The Democrats are supporting Hardy McCullom, while the Republicans are supporting Ted Sexton.
On a local basis, in addition to supporting Sexton, the College Republicans are looking to promote the Romney/Ryan ticket on campus, Williams said.
Cook said student engagement in the campaigns is important because it gets people involved in the campaign process and gives them the experience of working in a campaign.
Students participating in the campaigns will learn more about what they believe, Williams said.
“They will also be helping in the civic process, and [that] is crucial to be able to truly appreciate their rights,” he said.
