The weekend before Election Day, College Republicans mobilized for one of the largest student-led get-out-the-vote efforts in recent history, traveling to four important swing states – Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Florida – that will decide the results of the presidential election on Tuesday.
Polls show Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump neck-and-neck in Nevada, however Democrats have built an early voting lead there of +5.19%, and President Obama won Nevada in 2012 by 52.3% to 45.7%.
Over 100 conservative college students traveled to Las Vegas from neighboring states California, Arizona, and Washington to help the Nevada College Republicans knock on 27,000 doors last weekend.
“Every poll in Nevada on the state of the presidential election is within the margin of error,” said Sydney Jacobs, co-organizer of the “Make Nevada Red Again” deployment. “It is our hope that these tens of thousands of doors College Republicans knocked this weekend can push Donald Trump over the edge to win the 6 electoral college votes from the state of Nevada.”
Former GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani were both in Nevada on Saturday and Sunday, encouraging the students to get out the vote for Trump. They spoke to students about the importance of the next president appointing a new Supreme Court justice, and enforcing pro-life policies.
Thank you to the 100 College Republicans that came out to Make Nevada Red Again! We canvassed 27,000 houses this weekend! Proud to be a CR? pic.twitter.com/1sUSW8RNH8
— Ariana Rowlands♛ (@IamQueenAri) November 7, 2016
Rudy Giuliani meeting with College Republicans at the Make Nevada Red Again deployment after encouraging us all to GOTV for the GOP today!?? pic.twitter.com/n0S0dNbqhY
— Ariana Rowlands♛ (@IamQueenAri) November 6, 2016
Ariana Rowlands, co-organizer of the Nevada deployment and president of the UC Irvine College Republicans, said not all the students who participated were dedicated Trump supporters, but they were dedicated to “win an election.”
“College Republicans from across the country and the conservative ideological spectrum came out to Las Vegas to campaign for Donald Trump and down-ticket Republican candidates because we understand how crucial this election cycle is for the future of the party,” Rowlands said. “There are CRs here who do not support Trump but still dedicated their weekend to knocking doors for him and I think there is something admirable and hopeful about Republicans setting aside their differences for the good of the party.”
In Florida, the always-crucial swing state with 29 electoral votes, early voting numbers show a razor-thin margin between the two candidates. In 2012, Obama won Florida by the slimmest of margins – less than 1%. This year, Latino turnout is up according to CNN, which bodes well for the Democrats.
200 College Republicans from five different states converged on Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Orlando last weekend. They knocked on 15,000 doors and made 10,000 phone calls.
“Incredibly proud to see College Republicans of all different backgrounds, opinions and beliefs come together to hit the ground and make a difference,” said Cade Marsh, chairman of the Florida Federation of College Republicans. “The overwhelming support FFCR has felt from everyone involved has been incredible, and the work we’ve been able to accomplish is encouraging. This is what it means to be a Republican.”
