Next Up: Steve Japinga

Within the past few months, Steve Japinga has burst on the scene in Michigan, announcing his candidacy for Michigan Federation of College Republicans Chairman, putting forth a new plan for MFCR, and weighing in in support of Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis during his sometimes contentious battle to win re-election. At this point, Japinga is unopposed in his bid to succeed two-term Chairman Dan Carlson, but a fight is looming down ticket between his running mate, Co-Chair candidate Ryan Thompson, and independent Co-Chair candidate Jeff Wiggins, a fellow Michigan State CR of Japinga. As this has become public since this interview was conducted, we did not have the chance to ask Steve about it, but we will definitely be covering it as it develops. So, here it is, our interview with Steve Japinga, next up in Michigan:

Red State Rampage: You are running as a candidate for Chairman of the Michigan Federation of College Republicans. What do you think most qualifies you to be the next Chairman of MFCR, and why are you running for this position?

Steve Japinga: I believe what most qualifies me to be Chairman of MFCRs is my willingness to work with everyone and to have an open and honest dialogue with each College Republican chapter. I’m running for this position because I know I can take the MFCRs to the next level by creating new clubs at Michigan Colleges that do not have College Republican groups, to increase participation, to raise money to give back to the chapters, and to help every Republican candidate.

RSR: Your background in College Republicans has been at Michigan State University. What are you most proud of being a part of while in College Republicans there?

SJ: There are so many different moments that I have been proud of at MSU while participating in the College Republicans. The most honorable moment I can think of was the MSU CRs 9/11 event. We gathered at 8 o’clock the night before September 11 at the Rock, which is a place where fraternities, sororities, and student groups express a messages by painting the “rock”. We painted “9/11, We Will Never Forget” and then put one flag for every soul that died on that terrible day behind it in the ground. We stayed up all night to defend the Rock from groups that wanted to destroy this sacred monument. I will always remember that day.

RSR: Obviously, there is a Presidential race on the horizon, and every candidate is looking for support. A short while ago, a large group of MFCR leaders endorsed John McCain, including the present Chairman of MFCR, Dan Carlson. Do you think that an organization like MFCR should become partial in this primary race? Why exactly do you feel that way?

SJ: I do not believe that the MFCRs should be partial in a primary race. I believe that any Republican that wants to run for President should have a fair shot to show the people of Michigan who they are and what they want to accomplish. In this organization, there is a wide variety of different college republicans that like many different candidates; Tom Tancredo, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani or Newt Gingrich. College Republicans should be able to work for who they believe in.

RSR: In Michigan after the November elections, there was a push to unseat Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis. You signed on to a letter, along with many other College Republicans, showing support for Chairman Anuzis. This bid is no longer an active one, but why did you feel the need to support him?

SJ: There was no need to have Saul step down. I felt that Saul has done a great job as our Chair and he has always been helpful with the Michigan State College Republicans and other College Republican clubs. I will continue to support Saul as our Chairman and whatever he does in the future.

RSR: Speaking of the Michigan GOP, how would you work beside them as Chairman of MFCR to achieve victory for the Republican Party at the polls? Is this any different from how the relationship operates now or in the past?

SJ: It’s simple; open communication. I have made great relationships with many of the Michigan Republicans. I want to work with them as much as possible to find out what we need to accomplish so we can win in 2008.

RSR: Currently in your state there is a Democratic Governor and two Democratic US Senators, out of which the Governor and junior Senator were just re-elected. Do you think that College Republicans did enough to defeat them, or could more have been done? Was the onus on the leadership of MFCR or the individual chapters?

SJ: I believe that College Republicans worked their hearts out in this past election. The problem that we faced was that it was always the same people working and there were not enough new people participating. Also, we had no way of knowing that national issues would dominate in a State with the worse[sic] unemployment in the country. We have some of the greatest College Republicans in the country here at our universities and this is apparent with Western Michigan College Republicans winning the best chapter of 2006 in the nation. It is important that if elected Chairman that I work with each chapter so that will be even stronger for 2008.

RSR: If you are elected to a term as Chairman in Michigan, what will be your top priority? What would you most like to leave office having accomplished for your organization?

SJ: If elected as Chairman, my top priority will be to make sure that there is a College Republican club at each university and college in Michigan. When I leave this great organization, I really want to make sure that the College Republicans are ready for the 2008 elections.

RSR: I am sure that your detractors have said Michigan does not need change or that you are not qualified enough to lead MFCR. What would you say to them on these counts, and what makes these accusations false?

SJ: Well, the first thing is I am not a threat. I want to work with everyone, even those who do not support me. I want them to know that I am qualified to lead the MFCRs through my experiences with MSU CRs, my work on various campaigns, and my ability to work with College Republicans.

RSR: As you may well know, there is an election coming up in 2007 for Chairman of the CRNC. Dan Carlson has committed to support Charlie Smith, the Chairman in Colorado. Would you continue this support or would you examine other options before making your decision?

SJ: I support Dan for his national ambitions and believe that having Dan playing an important role in CRNC will be good for Michigan. I have not met Charlie Smith yet and I look forward to talking with him.

RSR: I think that your own state probably comes before the national scene, but do you think that the amendments passed recently in Denver are improvements for the CRNC? Are you happy with the current state of the organization nationally?

SJ: To be perfectly honest, my main focus is with Michigan right now. We need to get this State back to the color Red.

RSR: Within College Republicans, I see two main philosophical camps as far as tactics of operation: those who argue in favor of simply volunteering with candidates and campaigns, and those who are in favor of focusing on campus activism and fostering debate on the campus. Do you see this as an absolute issue, or is there instead a proper mix of the two? How, in your opinion, can CRs be most effective?

SJ: I believe that volunteering for candidates and campaigns, campus activism, and open debate is all important to the effectiveness of College Republicans. Obviously, College Republicans are at their best when they are active.

RSR: One of the biggest struggles that I see within College Republican chapters is not recruitment, but rather retention. Do you feel that retention of members is a difficult task in Michigan as well, and how would you suggest to go about improving the retention rates?

SJ: Yes, I do believe that keeping the members motivated and active is the hardest part in College Republicans. By improving this, I would suggest that College Republican clubs find new and creative ways of retaining members either by having their meetings at different locations other than on campus or holding social events after meetings. There are many different ways to keep clubs fun and exciting for college students.

RSR: Back in the fall, one of the field reps sent by the CRNC to Michigan planned an event called "Catch an Illegal Immigrant", and there was much attention given to the situation that developed from this. The field rep, Morgan Wilkins, was later fired. Do you agree with how the situation was handled? Do you think that CR chapters should push the envelope, so to speak with their own events on campus?

SJ: There was a decision from the national level to have her step down and I respect that decision.

RSR: Dan Carlson has served two terms as Chairman of MFCR, and has undoubtedly made an impact in his tenure with the organization. What is one thing Dan brought to MFCR that you would like to continue in? On the flip side of that, what is one thing that you would do differently?

SJ: One event that I will continue if elected as Chair is the “Resolution Weekends.” This was an idea that became a reality for College Republicans from all over the state to come to a certain college campus and help out candidates in that specific area. It is a great chance to meet new people from other College Republican clubs. On the flip side, I would have done more events to bring College Republicans together.

RSR: Thank you very much for your openness and honesty in answering my questions, and best of luck in the rest of your campaign for MFCR Chairman. One final question for you though: will Mark Dantonio be successful with Spartan football, even at a school where basketball reigns supreme?

SJ: Mark Dantonio will be very successful at Michigan State. We are very happy to have him!