The Young Republicans National Federation’s footprint grew this week with the opening of a state chapter’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida.
The choice of office location was strategic as Republicans hope to flip the predominantly blue area red leading into the 2024 presidential election.
“Putting that investment into Orlando and doing twice the work in less time is going to help significantly,” Brandon Ludwig, a defense contractor and chairman of the Florida Young Republicans, told Fox News Digital over the phone.
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Ludwig, a fifth-generation Floridian, was elected chairman in June 2023.
There are more registered Democrats among active voters in Orange County, which includes the populous city of Orlando, than Republicans, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website.
Orange County projects a population of 1,491,071 for 2024, according to the World Population Review.
As of July 12, 2024, there were 805,510 registered voters in Orange County, 214,177 of whom are registered Republicans, with 322,541 registered Democrats, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
“We are in a blue county, so if you look at the voter registration, about 39% are Democrat and 27% are Republican,” Erin Huntley, Orange County GOP chair, told Fox News Digital over the phone.
Huntley added that a voter registration analysis of Orange County from the last year provided data showing 10,000 voters registered as Republicans and only 2,000 registered Democrats.
“Things are shifting and when you see shifts in voter registration, it means there’s energy, appetite and momentum in our direction,” Huntley said.
Ludwig said the young generation of hospitality industry professionals in and around Orlando working for Disney and Universal are a central focus of the Young Republicans’ recruiting efforts.
“It’s going to allow us to reach out to those individuals and really start making inroads in Orlando’s many different diversities,” he said.
Florida is only the second state to open a Young Republican headquarters, after Waukesha, Wisconsin. The Young Republican National Federation headquarters is located in Washington, D.C.
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Ludwig and Huntley, among others, worked tirelessly to open a central space dedicated to campaigning, dividing and conquering as a mutual effort with the county’s GOP, in order to capitalize on the momentum of new Republican constituents.
“Orlando is the blue dot across 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. The Florida Young Republicans are focused on recruiting new members by door knocking and holding social and networking events, among other tactics.
“It’s a fantastic networking operation. We have a variety of individuals from different backgrounds. I personally don’t work in politics,” Ludwig said. “We have members of Congress who are Florida Young Republican members. We have former television stars who are members of our organization as well.”
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In 2022, Ludwig said eight chapters and 300 members made up the organization across the Sunshine State. Today, he effused pride that the Young Republicans boast 20 chapters and over 1,000 members.
“Tampa is growing,” Ludwig said. “In the Tampa area, we have seen a lot of people who have moved from California and some of those northern states who have joined. It’s really, really interesting because many of these people had not previously been in politics, but they left their states because of politics.”
Ludwig added that while Young Republicans stress a number of political issues where change is coveted, the rising cost of living and inflation are at the forefront of members’ minds.
“Young people, who are my age, are stuck renting, and they don’t know if they’re going to be able to buy a house,” Ludwig said. “There are other issues, too, but that’s the one that we consistently hear the most.”
While the new Florida headquarters will be dedicated to driving awareness around the area and across the state, Ludwig said Orlando, as an international port of call, holds promise to broadcast organizational awareness outside the state, too.
“For us, our impact is largely going to be here in Florida,” Ludwig said.
“[Orlando] is a major conference destination, and it’s going to allow us to do a better job of reaching out to people,” he added. “I think that’s where you’ll see a state and national impact.”
