Young Republicans organization aim to see red around the county on Election Day
Local group revitalized ahead of midterm election
At a recent meeting of the Will County Young Republicans, members plotted how to accomplish their goals for the Nov. 6 election.
Every member was in a suit jacket, and the organization’s chairman also wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat as he led the meeting.
Members said that about a year ago, the organization was “pretty much dead” before the current leadership started working to revive it. Now the organization has 21 members and 16 affiliate members, which are members outside of the 18 to 40 age range. They soon aim to reach 100 members.
“I would say the No. 1 priority is education,” said Cornel Darden Jr., 33, the chairman of the organization. “We want to educate our members on the political process.”
This means the group spends a lot of time organizing for and helping local Republican candidates for office at different levels of government. Just this week, they’ve been talking to voters and handing out campaign literature for several local candidates.
“I’m very encouraged by the Young Republicans,” said Marianne DeMeritt, chairwoman of the Will County Republicans. “They have their own initiative. We haven’t had to do anything but say, ‘What can we do to help you?’ ”
They’ve also become directly involved themselves, as every member of their executive board, and about 15 members overall, also are precinct committeemen, which are elected or appointed positions responsible for informing their precinct, usually a small area of only a few hundred people, about elections. Their ultimate aim is to position their members in case they might one day want to run for higher public office.
For the Nov. 6 election, the group is firing on all cylinders. It has been talking to voters and strategically targeting races that need help. Members have been talking about keeping Republicans in office, especially for the redistricting after the 2020 Census and lowering taxes.
One creative strategy that seems to have gotten residents’ attention is a series of flyers the group has made and mailed to voters, along with using social media to reach a wider audience.
The Will County Young Republicans sent out flyers criticizing Will County clerk candidate Lauren Staley-Ferry, D-Joliet, whose 2003 felony forgery charge resurfaced ahead of her primary win. One flyer said, “Will County can do better than electing a criminal as our county clerk.”
Another mailer highlighted the case of an undocumented immigrant, Miguel Luna, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three women on the Illinois & Michigan Canal path two years ago. They used it against incumbent Democratic Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley. It stated that “Drug dealers, murderers, rapists ... all flourishing under Sheriff Kelley’s administration. This madness has to stop.”
The Young Republicans also want to appear to be more accepting and diverse to boost recruiting. Darden, who is African-American, is a vocal advocate for increasing minority contracting with the city of Joliet and Will County. They also admit that many of their members are more likely to be supportive of the LGBT community and marijuana decriminalization.
“I find that a lot of people that I speak to are, I want to say, ill-informed,” said Vice Chairman Chris Lang, 27, of Joliet, “but maybe didn’t know the ins and outs of the political scene in Illinois and find out that many of the ideals that they and their family have grown up on turn out to be Republican ideals.”
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