This October, Embry-Riddle College Republicans hosted a speaker event open to all students featuring Arizona Republican Chairman Jeff DeWit.

DeWit is the current Arizona Republican Chair, an administrative role in which he oversees the activities of the Republican Party in Arizona. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the Arizona State Treasurer. In 2016, Chairman DeWit was appointed to be the Chair of former President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Former President Trump further appointed Chairman DeWit as the Chief Financial Officer for NASA from 2018-2020. Finally, Chairman DeWit was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer for former President Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign. 

According to the chapter president, Anna McLaughin, Chairman DeWit talked about three main points: his experience as the CFO of NASA and other public service offices, the importance of the ground game in Arizona, and what the best way is for students to get involved in the ground game in Prescott, AZ. This included how his experience in the national political sphere prepared him for his current role as the Chairman for the Republican Party.

One point he made was that having served in a national capacity meant that he understood how the needs of the Republican Party at the state level interacted with the needs at the national level. According to Chairman DeWit, the “ground game” will be extremely important for the upcoming election in 2024. He explained that the ground game consists of the efforts by people helping educate voters about the ballot and reminding potential voters to register. These efforts will be extremely important in the 2024 election to ensure that Arizona stays a red state. 

When asked what the best possible way for students to get involved in the ground game in Prescott was, Chairman DeWit answered “Door knocking,” a grassroots campaign tactic used to reach out to potential voters in person. CRA students will be door knocking all over the country this election season. This successful event is a testament to how College Republicans are helping to bring awareness of current events, opportunities to learn about and promote conservative values, and a conservative voice to the students at their campuses.