By Hillary Pennington
This weekend in Solomon's Island, the Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP) will host it's annual Spring Convention. More than 300 central committee members, party officials, and political junkies will descend on the Holiday Inn Convention Center for what's sure to be a convention that will not soon be forgotten.
Why? Besides the fact that there are many things to discuss from pertinent changes to the bylaws to the election of delegates to the RNC convention, there is what has become a very contentious race for RNC National Committeewoman.
Late last year, the current National Committeewoman, Joyce Tehres, announced that she was resigning her longtime post leaving an open seat. Many just assumed that whoever Joyce and Louise Pope, the current National Committeeman, chose to succeed her would be a shoe in for election.
However, that was not the case. One woman decided to step up to the plate, making waves throughout the state. When Nicolee Ambrose, the impetus for Young Republicans in Maryland, announced she was running, I was immediately on board, even before her contender, Audrey Scott, announced that she had been annointed by Joyce herself to fill the open seat.
I think it's important to understand why I support Nicolee. It's not just because she's a friend, which she is. Or because she puts forth a vibrant, fresh platform that challenges the establishment, which she does. Or because she has the ability to raise money and bring in national connections. No, it goes deeper than that for me.
When I got involved in local politics three years ago, it became clear to me that there was a growing divide in the party between what we'll call the establishment and those that were more focused on a ground swell of grassroots activism.
We all know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting the same results. The view from the top of the party seems to lay more in the ideology of "wait your turn." They desperately want to draw in a younger crowd, while keeping them out of key positions in party leadership.
Honestly, this is why Purple Elephant Poltics exists, and I believe will continue to grow amongst younger conservatives over the next couple of election cycles.
Nicolee is a role model to me, a strong woman with even stronger convictions, a clear vision, and an overwhelming desire to see our state party rise from the ashes and move forward. She's optimistic when the rest of the establishment seems to posess more of a doomsday mentality, not exactly the impression you wat to exude nationally.
If you're a Central Committee member in Maryland, I urge you to at least consider a vote for Nicolee. And if you'll be in Solomon's Island this weekend, well, I look forward to seeing you there.
Tonight on PEP Talk, we'll be talking about some of these very issues within the Republican Party. I urge you to listen in, follow us on Facebook & Twitter, and join the conversation.
