WFU | Daily Deacon | Student Starts Rubio Office at WFU

Student Starts Rubio Office at WFU

Daniella Feijoo met GOP candidate Marco Rubio while in Columbia, S.C. with Wake the Vote last month. She was struck by his sincerity when speaking with supporters and was inspired to help start a Rubio support chapter at Wake Forest University.

“Our purpose in creating a chapter is part of the statewide plan to enlist students across the state of North Carolina to support Marco Rubio for President,” said Feijoo, a self-identified Republican and freshman at WFU from Wauconda, Ill., hoping to major in Political Science & International Affairs.

When Rubio dropped out of the race at 8:28 PM last night after losing in Florida, Feijoo was crushed. She felt the media had focused so much on his platform not being conservative enough that voters went to the extremes of Trump and Cruz. “Just because his values weren’t super conservative, he couldn’t get the Republican base he needed,” she said.

Feijoo was one of the main leaders beside fellow student Carl McPhail hoping to create a Rubio support chapter at Wake. The group planned to hold debate watch parties and work with WFU College Republicans to host events such as voter registration throughout the Presidential Primaries and Election.

“We truly believe in Rubio as a strong public servant and politician. We believe in his platform and his ability to unite the country,” she said.

A contributing factor to her involvement in the chapter was Feijoo’s participation in Wake the Vote. This is a democratic engagement program of 22 students who traveled to the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, and Washington, D.C.

“It has been a great experience,” she said.

There were fifteen members in Rubio’s Wake chapter, but Feijoo hoped they would grow by holding an information station outside of the Pit, posting articles on their Twitter page, and sharing a Google form for those interested to sign up.

“We have been in contact with students from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State,” said Feijoo. According to her, Rubio’s strategist Garret Ventry and Representative Jason Saine of the NC General Assembly for District 97 planned to visit the chapter later this semester. They would have discussed the future of Rubio’s campaign.

“He would have made such a great president,” said Feijoo.