The National Federation of Young Republicans expanded its reach this week with the opening of a state headquarters in Orlando, Florida.
The choice of location for the office was strategic, as Republicans hope to flip the largely blue region red ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“Putting that investment into Orlando and getting twice the work done in less time would be a huge help,” Brandon Ludwig, a defense contractor and chairman of the Florida Republican Party’s Young People chapter, told Fox News Digital by phone.
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Brandon Ludwig, chairman of the Florida Republican Party’s Young Caucus, and Tom Herb, owner of the building in which the new offices are located. (Erin Huntley)
Ludwig, a fifth-generation Floridian, was elected chairman in June 2023.
Among registered voters in Orange County, which includes the populous city of Orlando, Democrats outnumber Republicans, according to the Orange County Board of Elections website.
According to the World Population Review, Orange County’s population is projected to be 1,491,071 in 2024.
According to the Florida Department of Elections, as of July 12, 2024, there are 805,510 registered voters in Orange County, of which 214,177 are registered as Republicans and 322,541 are registered as Democrats.
“Our county is heavily Democratic, so if you look at the voter registration, it’s about 39 percent Democrat and 27 percent Republican,” Orange County Republican Party Chair Erin Huntley told Fox News Digital by phone.
Among voters in Orange County, which includes the populous city of Orlando, there are more registered Democrats than Republicans. (iStock)
I refuse to accept the victim mentality the Democrats want us to accept. That’s why this black pastor is a Republican.
Huntley added that an analysis of Orange County’s voter registration last year showed that there were 10,000 voters registered as Republicans and just 2,000 registered as Democrats.
“Things are changing, and when we see changes in voter registration, it means there’s energy, drive and momentum in our direction,” Huntley said.
Ludwig said a generation of younger hospitality industry professionals working for Disney and Universal in and around Orlando are a core part of the Young Republicans’ recruiting efforts.
“This will allow us to reach out to those individuals and really start to make inroads into the different diversity of Orlando,” he said.
Florida is the second state to open a Young Republican headquarters, after Waukesha, Wisconsin. The Young Republicans National Headquarters is in Washington, DC.
Brandon Ludwig told Fox News Digital that Orlando is attracting attention from younger Republican candidates because Disney and Universal have large young workforces. (Otaku Wealth 2024)
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Ludwig and Huntley, along with other lawmakers, worked tirelessly to open a central space dedicated to campaigning, divide and conquer, in a joint effort with the county’s Republican Party to capitalize on the new Republican momentum.
“Orlando is a blue dot in a state that is turning red,” Ludwig said.
The Young Republicans’ mission is to recruit, train and elect the next generation of Republicans across the country, and Florida’s Young Republicans are focused on recruiting new members through a variety of tactics, including going door-to-door and hosting social and networking events.
“It’s a great networking effort. We have people from all different backgrounds. I’m not involved in politics myself,” Ludwig said. “We have members of the Young Republicans of Florida, we have members of Congress, we have former TV stars who are members of our organization.”
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Ludwig said the organization will have eight chapters and 300 members across Florida in 2022. Today, he expressed pride that Young Republicans boasts 20 chapters and more than 1,000 members.
“Tampa is growing,” Ludwig said. “In the Tampa area, we’re seeing a lot of people moving in from California and northern states. A lot of these people weren’t involved in politics before, but they’ve left their state for politics, which is really interesting.”
Ludwig added that while Young Republicans have highlighted many political issues they are desperate for change on, the rising cost of living and inflation are top of mind for party members.
Former President Trump gave a speech in Wisconsin, where this year’s election is considered a “close race.” (Fox News)
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“Young people my age are stuck renting and not knowing if they’ll be able to buy a home,” Ludwig said. “There are other issues, but this is the one we hear about most all the time.”
The new Florida headquarters will focus on increasing awareness locally and statewide, but Orlando, as an international port of call, has the potential to spread the organization’s awareness outside the state, Ludwig said.
“For us, the impact will be primarily here in Florida,” Ludwig said.
“[Orlando] “This is a major conference location and it allows us to be more effective in reaching out to people,” he added. “I think this is where we’re going to see the impact across the state and the country.”
