We were proud to meet with “The Governor” today — at least that’s what his buddies call William Galloway on the golf course. Congratulations to Will for being the South Carolina Republican Party’s first Republican of the Month!

Will is a 16-year-old Blythewood High School junior. This past month, he was elected Chairman of the South Carolina Federation of Teenage Republicans (S.C. TARS) after serving as Vice Chairman last year. Working with S.C. TARS, Will has tirelessly engaged millennials in our state by highlighting both conservative values and Republican Party principles. But his political involvement in our state began even earlier.

Will was born and raised here in South Carolina and shares a birthday with Thomas Jefferson. He attended St. John Neumann Catholic School in his early years, then Dent Middle School, and now attends Blythewood High School. When Will isn’t busy with his Chairman responsibilities, he plays golf and kicks back with his acoustic guitar. Will says he plays so much golf that he landed a job at the Columbia Country Club as a cart boy. His job and political responsibilities might be a lot for any high school student to juggle, but Will is passionate about whatever he sets his mind too.

When he was in seventh grade, he took a speech anddebate class. His teacher, a strong Democrat, always played devil’s advocate and challenged Will to explore his political convictions and values. Although he grew up in a Republican home, it was at this point in Will’s life that he took ownership of his political beliefs and convictions. Having to defend himself in class sparked the interest to involve himself with politics in our state. He earned extra credit by watching the presidential debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. In 2013, Will started a blog called The Constitutional Viewpoint where he defends his conservative values and reflects on political issues happening across the nation. Although it started as nothing more than a class assignment, Will continues to write there.

As a freshman in high school, Will became more involved in politics. In 2014, he was able to intern for Det Bowers during his run for U.S. Senate. He then worked for S.C. Victory, a branch of the Republican National Committee’s grassroots field operation, in the 2014 general election. Will then became the S.C. high school outreach director for Senator Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign in 2015. After Sen. Santorum suspended his campaign, Will then went on to serve as the Vice Chairman and now-Chairman of the S.C. TARS. Starting the TARS chapter in his freshman year of high school, Will was the youngest to ever begin a club. By the end of his freshman year, he had roughly 20 people regularly attending meetings. In the first two years of the club alone, they were able to have Secretary of State Mark Hammond, State Treasurer Curtis Loftis, Congressmen Joe Wilson and Governor Nikki Haley come and speak.

After Will graduates from high school, he plans to attend Clemson University, where his parents met, to study history. He is also considering law school in the future. He will continue working in politics across our state and is open to the idea of running for local or state government at some point in the future.

Will believes the future of the Republican Party in South Carolina starts with the millennials. “We can get past partisanship; we can be civil with one another,” he said.

“Education is most important. Both at a state and national level, we are falling behind. Without good education, we can’t get good jobs – we can’t get ahead in life. Some are fortunate enough to go to good schools, but you can drive less than an hour away and find schools that are in shambles,” Will continued.

Will knows that changes must be made in our state. “It’s tough being a Republican in Richland County,” Will says. The S.C. TARS are assisting a number of candidates across our state. Currently, they are working to get Susan Brill elected in State Senate District 22. “We’re just trying to turn some seats red.”

When asked what it meant to be a Republican, Will explained, “It’s about opportunity. It’s about having equal opportunity but different outcomes.” He equated being a Republican with running a race. “Everyone starts the race. One finishes first, one finishes last, but everyone can finish the race if given the proper start. Work hard, be successful.” Will expressed that our party embodies the American Dream on a real and achievable level.

“It is incredible to live in a state that is kind and encouraging. A lot of what I’ve done and what I’m doing wouldn’t be possible if I were in another state. The people whom I’ve met, the ones who are involved and want to be involved–friends and family included–are a testament to what this state stands for. It is an expression of our Southern hospitality in the way we are engage one another as South Carolinians, so thank you.”

Congratulations to Will Galloway for being the South Carolina Republican Party’s Republican of the Month!

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If you are interested in getting involved with the S.C. Teenage Republicans, you can email Will Galloway at wwgalloway1@bellsouth.net

Written by Adrian Gonzalez