Screenshot courtesy Empower America Project, www.empowerprojectconference.com
The Empower America Project has been working since 2019 to elevate conservative minorities seeking local, state, and federal office in 2020 and beyond. The organization, which was founded by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jimmy Kemp, the president of the Jack Kemp Foundation, is holding a virtual conference from Wednesday, Sept. 30 to Thursday, Oct. 1 in which it will help would-be candidates and others who wish to become more involved in politics better understand the process.
Earlier this year, I had a chance to speak with Mr. Kemp, who discussed the organization’s objectives on how it plans to make its vision a reality. The interview was a rather informative answer to a question many on the right have asked: “How can the Republican Party start earning more votes from the black Americans and other minorities?”
The group has held numerous conferences. It provides training and clinics for conservative minorities and women who wish to get more engaged in politics and position right-leaning candidates to win elections. During these events, candidates can receive pointers on handling media appearances, craft their messaging strategy, and build strong campaigns.
Bradford Traywick, the organization’s director of strategic communications, told RedState that “the whole point and mission of Empower [America], really, is to grow the conservative bench.” He continued, explaining that the purpose of this conference is to provide “an opportunity for people to get solid information from people who have run campaigns before and people who have run for office.”
Traywick stated that, as with the group’s other events, this conference is also intended to “highlight a particular policy area.” In this year’s conference, education will be the focal point, according to the director. “For this conference, we will be focusing on education policy and why school choice is so important,” he said.
He mentioned that Cecilia Iglesias, the executive director of education and community relations at the California Policy Center, will be one of the conference speakers. “She’s done a lot of work in the area of school choice out in California. She’s run for office before, and she’s run for school board. She’s worked with parents in their communities to advocate not only for school choice but for better options for students that are in public schools,” Traywick said.
The Empower America Project will also be releasing their updated “New Candidate Primer” to those who attend the conference. The primer is a set of guidelines for those who want to get involved in the political process. It’s important to note that the group supports people running for office and those who wish to become involved at other levels. People looking to run campaigns or assist with communications, or fill different roles will also benefit from the conference.
This election season is an important one with the presidency in the balance. But it is also critical that conservatives focus on other races as well. The Empower America Project’s mission to widen the Republican tent, if successful, will help to ensure that the party remains relevant and competitive in the decades to come.
If you would like to learn more about the conference, click here. Use registration code projectxempower20vip at checkout to attend for free!
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