The GW College Republicans hosted their fall kickoff event on Sept. 24 in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom. The event featured a discussion with Chris McNulty, the current political director at the Republican National Committee.
McNulty, who formerly served as an aid for House Speaker John Boehner, provided an analysis of the upcoming midterm elections, as well as advice for students looking to enter a career in politics.
McNulty described the 2014 cycle as third of three strong Republican cycles, the best chance for the party to pick up seats in Congress before the cycles begin to favor Democrats in 2016.
With six seats needed for the GOP to win control of the Senate, McNulty highlighted close races in Georgia, Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana and New Hampshire as critical for the party to gain the majority.
In terms of House races, McNulty predicted that Republicans will maintain their majority with an increase of seven to 10 seats.
When discussing the trajectory of his career, McNulty conceded, “there is no road map to getting involved in politics.”
A political science major himself, McNulty initially sold industrial roofing systems before moving home to Ohio to volunteer on a local campaign and ultimately worked his way up through the Ohio Republican party and later to the national level.
In discussing the future of the party, McNulty emphasized the importance of voter registration and personal interaction in expanding the Republican voter base beyond 2014.
Fittingly, after McNulty’s remarks, students were given the opportunity to register to vote and apply for absentee ballots for the upcoming election.
Upcoming events with the College Republicans include their annual skeet shooting trip, scheduled for October 11 and a campaign trip to Kentucky to support Mitch McConnell scheduled for the weekend before the November 4 election.