Making it to the Maryland Republican Party Fall Convention

Featured image above: Republican Atheists’ Board Member and Maryland Correspondent, Shawn Poulson (right), with Kimberly Klacik (left), former Republican nominee for Maryland’s 7th congressional district.

To date, Poulson is one of the most active members of Republican Atheists. He serves as vice chairman on the Kent County Republican Central Committee in Maryland, where he discusses and votes on state and local level Republican initiatives.

We asked Poulson to give insight on how he became involved in the Republican Party and got his foot in the door to attend the Maryland Republican Party Fall Convention..

How did you come to be involved in your local Republican committee?

I became involved with the committee pretty much by accident. I was following the committee’s page on Facebook. They were posting conservative memes I thought were interesting, so I engaged with comments and likes from time to time. At some point I got in conversation with the lady who ran the page and she explained they’re actually a political organization and they’re looking to fill empty seats in their committee.

I attended their monthly meetings and there were many enlightening discussions about politics at the state and county levels that don’t necessarily make the news, but are relevant to how the party operates. I learned who the movers and shakers are in the state and county.

What are your duties as a committee member?

My duties are simple: campaign for the Republican party and promote voter registration. In addition, the central committee has the unique responsibility to promote up and coming candidates for appointed positions or special elections, such as if someone in office retires or passes away. This can be for anything from a state senator to town mayor.

What happens at the Maryland Republican Party Convention, and what do you do there?

The MDGOP fall convention is required attendance for all committee members, so I automatically had a pass to attend.

MDGOP organizes both a spring and fall convention.  Not much happens in the spring, so I haven’t gone to most of them.  But the fall convention is a requirement as that’s when we vote on elected positions in the state committee.  It’s neat to see as it’s all counted out in the open and very professional.  None of this secret ballot or mail-in ballot nonsense where cheating can potentially take place.  Beyond that, the fall convention is also discussing news in the party that we should be aware of, such as updates from the election campaign activities, success stories, updates from the national committee, a lifetime achievement award, etc.

I’ve been to the fall convention every year since joining the committee in 2018.  It’s pretty cool because besides the official business, it’s a big meet and greet with the notable figures from all over the state.  For instance, I was surprised to see Kim Klacik, former Republican nominee for Maryland’s 7th congressional district, there because, while I knew she ran for Congress, I did not know she was in the Baltimore County central committee.

Through a past fall convention, I got into an eye opening conversation with William Newton of Baltimore County who in 2017 helped run the Maryland Republican Election Ad-Hoc Committee to research voting/election fraud.  None of what we saw during this year’s election is new.  The fraud runs deep.  William told me how no law enforcement, district attorney, our own Republican governor, nor independent attorneys were interested in running with any of the evidence they uncovered.

Is this the most prestigious GOP event you have been to?

In regards to an event hosted by the GOP, yes it is the most prestigious. I have also been to CPAC, which is a much bigger, more prestigious event, though that is a general conservative event that is not directly hosted by the GOP.  Either way, these are different paths people can take to get into politics.  Through the central committee I’ve built up a first-name basis with my congressman Andy Harris, along with numerous local elected officials.  I’ve learned so much about Maryland politics that you’d never learn by reading the news.

What recommendations do you have for Republican Atheists’ Members to become involved in the Republican Party?

I recommend getting involved locally.  When you “see how the sausage is made” in your state and local government, it gives you a clearer perspective of what’s really going on.  Find your city or county council and listen in on their meetings. The meetings are public, so anyone can join and spectate. Seek out your county central committee and see how involved they are.

Ask if they have open seats to fill. If not, you have the ability of registering as a candidate and campaigning for the next election. Or, at the very least, you will need to be friendly with the committee if you plan to run for any local office because they like helping new candidates win elections.

If you asked me in 2017 when I first moved to Maryland whether I’d be building signs and distributing Trump 2020 merchandise, I’d say no way.  But, you meet the right people and you never know.  Despite Maryland being a primarily blue state, there are a LOT of conservative and die-hard Republicans that are just waiting for the chance to support noble causes.

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