Hillsdale College alumnus runs Republican Study Committee

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Since graduating from Hillsdale College in 2007, Will Dunham has risen to the position of Republican Study Committee executive director on Capitol Hill. It is quite the feat, especially for someone who was not always interested in politics.

Will and his wife, Anna ’10 (née Leutheuser) were both English majors. Despite having “zero political inclinations” when he first came to Hillsdale, many of the professors gave Will the tools which he uses to this day. He specifically cited Drs. Smith, VanOrman, Barron, and, in particular, Somerville.

“I probably learned more about writing and thinking clearly from Dr. Somerville than from anyone before or since,” Will said. “His classes may be bad for your GPA, but they’re good for your brain.”

Will’s senior year at Hillsdale has defined his life since in at least two ways: during it, he met Anna, now his wife (they met at the Niedfeldt Christmas party, and “bonded over chocolate and peppermint candy”), and took Dr. Arnn’s Statesmanship class, which inspired him to go to Washington.

“Other Hillsdale professors gave me the tools to do what I’m doing now, but Dr. Arnn sparked my passion to work in politics,” he said.

Somewhat later in the course of his college career than one might have guessed given his subsequent success, Will went to D.C. He worked for the Heritage Foundation, handled California Rep. Tom McClintock’s budget portfolio, and then did the same for the Republican Study Committee (RSC) as a Senior Policy Adviser.

Last December, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) forced Paul Teller to resign from the position of RSC executive director; Will succeeded him in February. Anna and Will, who live in the Old Town area of Alexandria, Virginia, were expecting a child around that time, but did not anticipate a job change.

“The baby was expected,” Anna said. “His position-switch was not.”

As executive director of the RSC, which Will described as a “member-driven, member-focused organization of House Republicans who advance conservative policy and principles,” he has assumed a variety of responsibilities. The most regular of these is managing a weekly meeting of members.

“Every week, members get together and discuss the policy issue of the day,” Will said. “They disagree, they debate, but they always came away with a better picture of where they all stand.”

The most challenging and enjoyable part of his job so far, though, has been helping to design a thorough “repeal-and-replace” Republican alternative health care bill to counter those who say conservatives have no agenda beyond simply repealing Obamacare.

“Repeal is easy, outlining a replacement is a big challenge,” he said. “It’s hard to get members to agree on a big package.”

But Will kept at it throughout 2013 and 2014 as part of a broader strategy to show Americans what Republicans are for. It now has 130 co-sponsors, which makes it the most popular comprehensive care bill since 2010’s Affordable Care Act.

Scalise, Will’s boss until the intra-party tumult of Rep. Eric Cantor’s primary loss to Dave Brat opened up the House Majority Whip position which Scalise now holds, also spoke highly of his time working with Will.

“Will Dunham is a respected leader who has been a trusted ally in advancing our shared conservative values as the executive director of the Republican Study Committee,” Scalise said in an email. “It is clear that his education at Hillsdale College prepared him well to handle the pace and pressure associated with this important job. Will has a bright future on the Hill and in the conservative movement.”

Senior Arielle Mueller, whose first D.C. intern experience was under Will through the WHIP program last summer, enjoyed it so much that she wants to go back.

“I really respect him and look up to him,” Mueller said. “He holds people to a high standard, and that’s good because it helps the RSC.”

But Will is not content merely to enjoy his place in Washington’s status quo. Indeed, he displays his most resilient optimism about Washington politics when faced with the contention that nothing good comes from inside the Beltway.

“The only answer to political problems is a political solution through D.C. That’s just a fact,” Will said. “To paraphrase something Homer Simpson once said about alcohol, Washington, D.C. is both the solution to and cause of our problems.”

A fundamental faith in the goodness of the American people undergirds Will’s optimism.

“I’m optimistic because the American people and their judgment will be good and prevail,” he said. “They have proven again and again that they’ll get it right.”