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On the campaign trail

Alex McHaddad and Jeb Bush sign the letter "E" for Eastern Oregon University. McHaddad, a senior at EOU, met Bush in Iowa last month while he was there volunteering for Mission: NEXT.

Alex McHaddad and Jeb Bush sign the letter “E” for Eastern Oregon University. McHaddad, a senior at EOU, met Bush in Iowa last month while he was there volunteering for Mission: NEXT.

EOU student volunteers on the campaign trail

News contact: Laura Hancock | University Advancement
541-962-3585 or lhancock@eou.edu

February 4, 2016

LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) – As president of the Political Action Club and chair of the College Republicans at Eastern Oregon University, Alex McHaddad is a student with a mind toward civic affairs.

In January he joined other young people from around the country on an all-expense paid trip to Iowa to lend his support to Jeb Bush for president of the United States.

McHaddad spent a week immersed as a volunteer, making phone calls and going door-to-door with members of Mission: NEXT – a national network of students organized to support Bush on college campuses.

“I asked people if they are voting this year, what issues are significant to them and other general questions to help gauge support for the campaign,” McHaddad explained. “Learning what is important to residents of the Midwest was a fascinating cultural exchange.”

With prior experiencing phone banking, McHaddad ended up as the top student caller in the country one day during his stint. But the real highlight for him was getting to meet Bush during a town hall meeting in Coralville, Iowa.

“He is really energetic and nice in person,” McHaddad said. “As a policy man, he has an answer to just about everything.”

While assisting with setup for the event, McHaddad had the chance to take a photo with the presidential hopeful. On the spur of the moment, he asked Bush to sign the letter “E” for EOU.

“I wanted to share a bit of Mountaineer pride,” he said.

McHaddad will graduate from EOU in June with a degree in public administration. Though his roots are in Tennessee and Los Angeles, he plans to stay in the area and continue his involvement with the local political system. Just this week he entered the running for the position of Union County Republican Precinct Committee Person.

He encourages all students to engage in the political process, be it through Mission: NEXT or other campaigns. “When people are really interested in something, it’s much easier for everyone to work together,” he said.

For information on how to get involved, contact the Political Action Club at pac-group@eou.edu.