The Bates College Republicans is an active student club at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and a flagship chapter of the Maine College Republicans, which was named "State Federation of the Year" by the College Republican National Committee in November 2004.

Mission

The goals of the Bates College Republicans are to make known and promote the principles of the Republican Party among members of the Bates College campus and community, to aid in the election of Republican candidates at all levels of government. It also seeks to encourage and assist in the organization and active functioning of the Republican Party at local, state, and national levels, and to develop political skills and leadership abilities among Republican students as preparation for future service by them to the Republican Party and their local communities.

History

Since the early 2000s, the Bates College Republicans has been a flagship chapter of the Maine College Republicans and an active political organization in the state of Maine. In 2001, members of the club founded The John Galt Press, a conservative/libertarian newspaper that is distributed to a number of other colleges and universities. The Bates College Republicans hosted conservative author Dinesh D'Souza in 2003. The club was voted "Chapter of the Year" by the Maine College Republicans state committee in April 2004.

As part of his successful 2004 re-election campaign, President George W. Bush's daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush visited the Bates campus and spoke at a club-hosted rally in September 2004. The event drew 125 Republican supporters from around the region - and a contingent of Democratic counter-protestors. Club members participated actively in grassroots efforts in support of the campaign. Bush's support in Maine's Androscoggin County, where Bates is located, improved dramatically from the 2000 election. This was especially evident in the town of Lisbon, Maine - as polling results from 2000 and 2004 show. Additionally, exit polls conducted by Cable News Network (CNN) revealed that Maine was one of only two states in which the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees won a majority of the popular vote but the majority of the youth demographic (18-29 years of age) supported President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Post-election events included a lecture by William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, in March 2005. The Bates College Representative Assembly (RA) unanimously passed a resolution endorsing David Horowitz's controversial Academic Bill of Rights in May 2005. Few other colleges/universities or state legislatures have taken similar action. The Bates effort was spearheaded by the Bates College Republicans.

Leadership

Andrew Simon and Oliver Wolf served as club presidents during a period of strong growth for the group in 2003-2004. Nathaniel Walton, who organized many successful club events in 2004-2005, was elected club president in April 2005.

Distinguished Alumni

Bates has a strong Republican tradition that extends far beyond its Lewiston campus. Randall L. Bumps, '95, is chairman of the Maine Republican Party and Darrell W. Crate, '89, is chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party.

External Links

Bates College Republicans