Release date: May 20, 2004
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark, Assistant Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-712-8780 or bclark2@emory.edu

Young Republican Women Take Active Role in Politics

To be young, Republican and a woman is an anomaly on many college campuses where most peers lean a little to the left. Although they are in the minority both on campus and nation-wide, female members of Emory University's College Republicans say that they have found in the Republican Party a home that reflects their political values: smaller government, strong families, fiscal responsibility, individual empowerment and conservatism on divisive social issues.

Lauren Daugherty, a rising senior from Clarksville, Tenn., is the first elected chairwoman of the Emory College Republicans. With about 80 members, Emory's chapter is one of the largest and most active in the state. Women make up about one-third of the members, but also hold half of the executive board positions.

Daugherty says the chapter has made a strong push to recruit more females the past two years, and as a result has seen a sharp increase in women's membership and participation in the group. Although they are smaller in number, Daugherty says women like herself find the GOP a welcoming place.

"Women are a crucial part of the Republican Party. We feel that George W. Bush respects women, and takes women seriously, as opposed to Clinton. We like to say the W. stands for women. They make up nearly half of his cabinet, and it's not some affirmative action thing. These are strong, extremely qualified women and strong role models for us," Daugherty says.

Morgan Gelacek, a rising junior from Dublin, Ohio, outside Columbus, says "it's interesting being a Republican and a woman. I had a classmate tell me I must be heartless or something. But, I don't think the Democratic Party today does any more for women than the Republican Party. Maybe 20 years ago the Democrats were more relevant for women. In today's world, laws aren't going to make a difference in women's lives. Change comes from women helping women."

Gelacek, a political science and history major, is volunteering with the Bush-Cheney campaign this summer in Ohio. She's always considered herself Republican, due in part to growing up in a conservative area. She feels the party best reflects her values of hard work, capitalism and individual responsibility. However, on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage, Gelacek says she has a "more libertarian attitude. I'm not for abortion, but I also don't think the federal government should have a big say on such an individual matter either."

Sara Harper, a rising sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., also will be pulling the lever for George W. Bush this year. As director of communications for the Emory College Republicans, Harper has found both a forum for her political beliefs and a social outlet as well.

"I sought out the College Republicans when I first came to Emory. I knew being from Oklahoma and a conservative that I would be in the minority, and I wanted to have group of people I could talk issues with, and counterbalance what I was hearing in the classroom and around campus," says Harper, a political science major, with a minor in Arabic.

Harper says, however, that she deliberately chose to come to Emory for its liberal atmosphere, diverse educational offerings and big city location.

"I wanted to see the other side, weigh my beliefs against others, and make sure I was hearing voices from a broad spectrum," says Harper, who is working this summer for her congressman, John Sullivan. "Evaluating how much of what I believe is due to my background, or because I've thought it through to a rational conclusion is something I think every person faces in college, and I've enjoyed the challenge. After being in college for a year, I've learned a lot but I still feel solid in my beliefs."

For Harper and others, faith and social conservatism also drive them to support the Republican Party.

"More women are involved and attracted to the Democratic Party because of social issues like abortion, gay marriage, education," she says. "My take falls to the right of those issues. Most women want the right to choose, and that's something I don't agree with.

"There's a lot of talk about separating faith and politics, and the issue of church and state separation is an important one," she says. "But politics is essentially a debate about values. As a Christian, it is going to influence how I view politics and what kind of government I want. I think the role of faith, or the lack there of, has a huge role in how people define themselves and their politics."

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