Among the different political voices on campus, one new group is seeking to give a bigger voice to the fiscally conservative.
Turning Point USA is a new student organization at the University of Iowa that stands for free markets, capitalism, and limited government. Unlike many other political groups, Turning Point USA identifies itself as a nonpartisan group and focuses on economic issues, not social issues, but does have conservative ideals.
UI sophomore Gina Jochimsen started the group in December 2015, and she is working to increase exposure around campus.
“I wanted to start it because I thought that we needed another voice on campus,” Jochimsen said. “You see so many Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton supporters and groups, and I think it’s good that the conservative principles also have their voice on campus.”
The group is part of the national branch that was established in 2012. Turning Point USA focuses on grass-roots activism to promote its cause.
Member Christina Herrin said she speaks with students one-on-one, reminding them they are the next generation who will have to deal with the country’s growing debt.
“We promote fiscal responsibility within our government,” Herrin said. “The United States is $23 trillion in debt, we spend $1 million a minute. We try to get students educated about the country’s spending habits and how that affects our generation.”
The group members said they seek to get more millennials out to vote. Herrin said they hope to hold a voter-registration drive before the elections in November.
“We want to register anyone, whether you’re undecided, independent, Republican, Democrat, whatever,” Herrin said.
Although Turning Point USA is a conservative group, it is not a Republican group, and it does not endorse candidates.
“We’re all about different ideas and people contributing their different viewpoints,” Herrin said. “It’s nice that we’re nonpartisan, because it’s harder to sell a candidate. This is just selling some values and ideas and just trying to educate students. It’s a lot easier to get students involved in this.”
Matt Lamb, the regional director of Turning Point USA overseeing eight states, including Iowa, works with Jochimsen and Herrin to promote the organization at the UI.
“It’s good to have a place for students who are conservative or libertarian or independent, or students who may be concerned about the debt, but they don’t have to identify with Republicans or Democrats,” Lamb said. “It’s a good way to talk about issues in terms of principles, not parties.”