Frederica Freyberg:
Now that the convention is over, the mandate from Republicans to their delegates is to carry the momentum into the fall. “Here & Now” senior political reporter Zac Schultz has the story of one group trying to do just that, while changing the image of the Republican Party.

Zac Schultz:
Thousands of volunteers are needed to make the Republican National Convention a success. Most of those in red shirts have gray hair, but there are some young people getting their first taste of political organizing, and Republicans are hoping to keep them involved into the fall.

Kyle Schroeder:
I think they see it firsthand and they’re going to be involved. A lot of them, most of them are from Wisconsin. They’re going to be here. They’re going to be knocking on doors, and that’s what we’re going to do. That’s what we do best.

Zac Schultz:
Kyle Schroeder is the chairman of the Wisconsin Young Republicans, a group focused on recruiting, training and electing young conservatives.

Kyle Schroeder:
We are the young professional arm of the Republican Party of Wisconsin here in the state. And that’s where we fit in. And we want to grow the conservative movement for young people because our message resonates directly with them.

Zac Schultz:
The Wisconsin chapter was created in 2017 as the party realized students involved in College Republican groups often didn’t have a political home after graduation.

Nik Rettinger:
People would get involved in College Republicans and kind of trail off and then come back to the GOP in their, like 50s or 60s when they’re upset about property taxes or something like that. And that’s years, decades of lost engagement.

Zac Schultz:
Nik Rettinger represents Mukwonago in the state Assembly and sits on the board of the National Young Republicans. He says they’re not content waiting for middle age to take office.

Nik Rettinger:
A lot of folks like to say we’re the leaders of tomorrow. That’s not the case. We’re leading the way today.

John Beauchamp:
When I was at college, I was the president of the College Republicans at UW-Whitewater.

Zac Schultz:
John Beauchamp is an alternate delegate at the RNC and says without Young Republicans, a lot of people his age might not feel comfortable going to party events.

John Beauchamp:
Let’s face it, a lot of the county parties have a very traditional way of running things, very traditional, structured that the median age of the individuals that are in the county parties tends to be a little older. So the goal with the Young Republicans is to kind of provide a sense of more camaraderie amongst young Americans, young Wisconsinites.

Olivia Kurth:
I’ve been involved with the party since I was very small.

Zac Schultz:
Olivia Kurth comes from a politically active family and is working security at one of the delegate hotels during the convention.

Olivia Kurth:
We are kind of in charge of just being the eyes and ears here.

Zac Schultz:
She’s involved in both College Republicans and Young Republicans, and says the groups provide a safe space for young conservatives to speak their minds.

Olivia Kurth:
In younger groups, you kind of have to test the waters a little bit. You’re like, if I throw out my opinion, is this going to go sour real fast?

Kyle Schroeder:
We have a lot of Illinois implants coming here in Wisconsin, and they moved to Milwaukee, or they moved to Madison and they’re like, are there even conservatives here? There are. It’s the Young Republicans. And if you’re in that 20 to 30 year range, we’re here.

Zac Schultz:
They all plan to be active on the campaign trail this fall. And their experiences at the RNC will help them power through to November.

Olivia Kurth:
The excitement is kind of palpable. In a way, I feel like being a part of this and seeing how much energy and excitement people have for being here and for the party and everything.

John Beauchamp:
And there is nothing quite like being in that room and feeling that energy on the floor of the Republican National Convention. So bringing that energy, bringing a boost back into our communities and into our other grassroots individuals is going to be key for us.