On Jan. 21, University of Alabama student Dalton Dismukes announced his decision to run for chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama.
Dismukes, a junior majoring in political science, made his announcement via Facebook, and within the first five days, he received endorsements from seven of Alabama’s 15 College Republican chapters.
Dismukes is running unopposed in the campaign, which will culminate at the statewide convention on March 7. He said his primary goal as chairman will be rebranding the Republican Party.
“We’re going to change our outreach by not changing our message,” he said. “We’re going to keep the same message, but we’re going to do things a little differently.”
Part of his plan includes raising $25,000 in 12 months, starting College Republicans chapters in every school in Alabama, and working with the governor to lower unemployment rates for college graduates. He said he plans to use YouTube, Facebook advertisements, and other forms of social media to reach more college students and potential donors.
“During my tenure, we’ve never had more than $2,000 in the state bank account,” Dismukes said. “So for me to set a goal of $25,000, you know, is really unprecedented. So that’s what I’m going to be doing, and I’m going to be doing that by growing chapters to give more credibility.”
If elected, Dismukes will also serve as the youngest member on the Alabama Republican Party’s Steering Committee, which decides which candidates to run in congressional and presidential elections.
“He’s one of the most committed people I know to the conservative movement,” said Joe Elia, Dismukes’ campaign manager and a junior majoring in accounting. “Back when he was in high school, he was involved in the Republican Party politics. He’s very passionate, and the selling point on why he’s the best candidate is the experience.”
Dismukes previously attended Troy University, where he helped start a College Republicans chapter that grew to include 340 members. He then served as the youngest treasurer for the College Republican Federation of Alabama, and he is now the central vice chairman and the state political director for the group.
“Dalton is very knowledgeable about politics, particularly those pertaining to the state of Alabama,” said Hilary Jones, executive director of the UA College Republicans and a sophomore majoring in history and political science. “Not only is he knowledgeable, but I can tell he genuinely cares about creating support for the Republican Party.”
As chairman, Dismukes said he would not be able to show favoritism toward The University of Alabama, but he hopes to bring a presidential candidate or a former president to campus to speak in the fall.
“UA is my home,” he said. “And it will remain my home until I graduate, so obviously, I’m going to do as much for UA as I possibly can because they’re the ones that helped me get here.”
