UNC's new Young Democrats president prepares for primaries

The 2012 presidential election is about 11 months away, but political groups at the University are already gearing up for on-campus efforts.

To UNC’s Young Democrats and College Republicans, 2012 means another year of hard campaigning, organizing voter registration and persuading students to vote for candidates in their respective parties.

Junior Austin Gilmore, the newly elected president of Young Democrats, will now be tasked with preparing for the May 8 primary election.

Gilmore — who was elected Monday and took charge Thursday — said he already has decided his priorities for the next campaign season.
“I am looking forward to making some changes and working on the marriage amendment,” he said.

The North Carolina Senate approved the Defense of Marriage amendment to appear on the May 2012 primary ballot after passing it in September.

The amendment defines legal marriage as between one man and one woman in North Carolina’s state constitution.

Gilmore said the Young Democrats are hoping to secure 30,000 votes against the marriage amendment.

In the spring, Gilmore said the Young Democrats will begin their campaign by talking to students and spreading the word about why President Barack Obama should be re-elected.

He said the group’s campaigning will emphasize the positive changes that Obama has implemented.

“We are also trying to see participation like we saw with the elections in 2008,” Gilmore said.

The College Republicans are also beginning their campaigning effort for the 2012 elections.

Greg Steele, president of the group, said the College Republicans will not begin publicly supporting a presidential candidate until a nominee has emerged.

“We aren’t allowed to endorse a candidate, but we are encouraging our members to get involved with whomever they support in primary season,” Steele said.

“It’s still early, but we are waiting to see who the nominee will be so we can hold some rallies and pass out literature.” Garrett Jacobs, treasurer of College Republicans, said the group will canvass and set up voter registration as the primary gets closer.

Steele said a portion of the College Republicans’ campaign process will include bringing in speakers from around North Carolina and other parts of the country.

As of now, the only speaker that College Republicans have confirmed is Dan Forest, a candidate for North Carolina Lieutenant Governor.
Steele said bringing in conservative speakers and having meetings to talk about current issues in the U.S. will play a crucial role in ensuring that Obama is not re-elected.

“As college students, we are all looking for jobs after school and want to have better lives really,” he said.

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