Maine College Republicans Elect Strong State Leadership at Annual State Convention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Maine College Republicans Prepare to Play Historic Grassroots Role and Elect Strong State Leadership at Annual State Convention

U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Colorado Governor Bill Owens Praise Maine College Republicans for Their Unprecedented Activism

AUGUSTA - U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and Colorado Governor Bill Owens joined the Maine College Republicans for the organization’s annual State Convention in Portland on Saturday. The theme of the convention was “Securing Our Future: Fulfilling History’s Challenge,” and state and national Republican leaders joined over 150 College Republicans as they rallied together in preparation for playing the pivotal grassroots role in the crucial 2006 Maine elections.

College Republicans representing 18 colleges and universities traveled to Portland to hear from an impressive roster of speakers that included state and national Republican leaders. U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, a member of the Maine College Republican Board of Governors, delivered the main keynote address, referring to the Maine College Republicans as a “force to be reckoned with,” in reference to the organization’s unprecedented grassroots activism over the past nine months, which included producing the Republican Second Congressional District Candidate.

Colorado Governor Bill Owens delivered the afternoon’s keynote address, lauding the Maine College Republicans’ grassroots activism as a “national example,” in addition to speaking on the success of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) initiative in Colorado.

The 2006 State Convention speaker roster was a powerful testament to the high regard in which the Maine College Republicans are held by Maine’s Republican leadership. Speakers included Maine Republican Party Chairman Mark Ellis, Maine’s Republican Gubernatorial Candidates: Former U.S. Representative David Emery, Maine Senator Peter Mills and Maine Senator Chandler Woodcock, Maine’s Republican Congressional Candidates for the First and Second Congressional Districts, respectively: Maine Representative Darlene Curley and former Lisbon Selectman L. Scott D’Amboise, Maine Senators Richard Nass and Lois Snowe-Mello, and Maine House Republican Leader David Bowles and Assistant Leader Joshua Tardy.

The central focus of the State Convention was the election of the Maine College Republican Executive Board for the 2006-2007 academic year. Maine College Republican State Chairman Nathaniel Walton (Bates College ’08) was unanimously elected to a second term of service. Chairman Walton has served as State Chairman since July 2005, and is credited for leading the organization to become the national standard for promoting conservative values on college campuses and leading grassroots activism on behalf of local, state and national Republican candidates. The Maine College Republicans brought the nation’s largest delegation to the 2006 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), hosted the nation’s largest Leadership Institute (LI) Youth Leadership School of 2006, and produced the Republican Second Congressional District Candidate during Walton’s first term of service.

“I am honored to be elected to a second term as State Chairman, and am humbled by the support I have received from Senator Snowe, Governor Owens, Maine’s Republican leadership, and the 3,000 College Republicans in Maine,” said Chairman Walton. “I am proud to lead a team of Republican leaders who will ensure that the Maine College Republicans make the historic grassroots difference that will result in great Republican victories on November 7,” Walton continued.

“Our members are more prepared than ever to do the hard work that will decisively reelect U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and elect an entirely Republican Maine Congressional Delegation, as well as send a Republican to the Blaine House and elect a Republican Maine House and Senate,” Walton concluded.

The other Executive Board members elected include Lance Cowan (Husson College ’08) as State Vice Chairman, Tyler Clark (University of Maine-Presque Isle ’08) as State Secretary, and Emily Davis (University of Maine-Farmington ’08) as State Treasurer.

The State Convention also featured an awards presentation that recognized top Maine College Republicans. The following awards were presented by the Maine College Republican State Committee: Chapter of the Year: University of Maine-Farmington, Most Improved Chapter: University of Maine-Presque Isle; Activist of the Year: Shane Sickles (University College of Bangor ’08), Distinguished Service Award: Shawn Roderick (University of Maine-Farmington ’06), Melissa Simones (Bates College ’06), Oliver Wolf (Bates College ’06), Alexander Linhart (Bowdoin College ’06), Daniel Schuberth (Bowdoin College ’06), Gardiner Holland (Bowdoin College ’06), Christopher Averill (Bowdoin College ’06) and John Mitchell (University of Maine-Orono ’06).

The Maine College Republicans carry on a powerful tradition as the flagship chapter of the College Republican National Committee (CRNC), America’s oldest Republican youth organization. Over 3,000 students on 24 of Maine’s college campuses claim membership to the organization.

Chairman Walton is available for interviews/further comments about the 2006 Maine College Republican State Convention. Walton can be reached by telephone at (207) 240-4549 or by e-mail at chairman@mainecr.org.

For more information about the Maine College Republicans, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.mainecr.org.

What's the difference between strong state leadership for a college Republican group and weak state leadership? And would anybody notice the difference?

I'm all for the CR's. I was once the Chair of my College's chapter UofL at Lafayette.

However, Olympia Snowe should not be validated by the CRs.

4 posted on 04/10/2006 1:16:14 PM PDT by lormand (...the wrong person came out of the water that fateful night in Chappaquiddick)

5 posted on 04/10/2006 1:16:32 PM PDT by in hoc signo vinces ("Houston, TX...a waiting quagmire for jihadis. American gals are worth fighting for!")

U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe ... joined the Maine College Republicans for the organization’s annual State Convention in Portland on Saturday

Sorry Senator Snowe, the Maine College RINO convention is next week. Maybe you should attend it instead.

6 posted on 04/10/2006 1:21:35 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (If you have a leaking pipe, you shut off the water valve before deciding on amnesty for the puddles.)

Give the kids a break...good news for the future-Ping!

exactly

I was a delegate at our last state convention - the young pubs were out in force - we have VERY active young pubs in Maine, and growing in numbers - they are bright and enthusiastic.

Barring catastrophe= these will be our leaders in another few years - we need to be cheering them on- and Hitlery has had no access to their FBI files - so will be free to act ;o)

7 posted on 04/10/2006 1:27:09 PM PDT by maine-iac7 (",,,BUT YOU CAN'T FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME" Lincoln)

and Hitlery has had no access to their FBI files

Good point ;-)

More power to these young people.

They must drive the 60's fossils who run academia crazy.

"What's the difference between strong state leadership for a college Republican group and weak state leadership"

If it's young republicans, then the strong leadership equates to military service. The weak leadership are the Chris Shays variety. No reason not to serve unless they are physically not qualified.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.