Raz Schafer ’09 heads a Super Pac in support of GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Raz Schafer | Courtesy
While dozens of Hillsdale College students gather around the 90-inch TV in Grewcock Student Union to watch the presidential debates, three alumni are playing major roles in the action.
Raz Schafer ’09 leads a Super PAC for presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Brittany Baldwin ’12 is the policy coordinator for Cruz’s presidential campaign, and Nathan Brand ’15 works for the presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
“I’ve been trying to get involved with a campaign since I was able to talk,” Brand said.
While dressed as a cowboy, Brand first interacted with President George W. Bush a week before the 2000 election. The local news featured Brand and his sister for attending the rally in their Halloween costumes.
“There’s never a dull moment,” Brand said. “Here we were talking about the 2016 elections the day after the 2012 election. There’s always something going on, and so much good could come of it too.”
Schafer was only a few years older than Brand when he began working in politics at the age of 12. After working on a political campaign that lost by 12 points, he realized he hadn’t put forth his best effort and was devastated.
More than a decade later, Shafer said he is giving it his all this time.
“I don’t want to get to Election Day and realize if I had just worked a little harder, we could have gotten Ted elected,” Shafer said. “I want to be able to know I gave everything I could and did every bit of work I could.”
When he arrived at Hillsdale, Schafer studied politics and participated in the Washington Hillsdale Internship Program. When he graduated, he established three goals for his political reputation: honesty, integrity, and loyalty.
“I think those are often times absent in politics, especially to have all three of them,” Schafer said. “I want people to know that I’m hard working…but also that I have an overarching integrity beyond ‘I’m not going to lie.’”
In contrast, Baldwin didn’t anticipate a political career until she met Cruz a year after graduation. Working as the Student Program Coordinator for the WHIP program, Baldwin gave Cruz a campus tour before his commencement speech in the spring of 2013. She left an impression, and he invited her to interview for a job.
Baldwin spent a month and a half as a staff assistant at his front desk before becoming his deputy speechwriter for more than a year. Now as his policy coordinator, Baldwin still assists with policy-related speeches, but she also contributes to researching policy.
Though she didn’t make the decision to pursue politics until Cruz presented her with the job offer, his character persuaded her to join his staff.
“The thing I really like about Sen. Cruz is that he’s very thoughtful in the way that he acts and the positions he takes,” Baldwin said. “It’s really a privilege to work with someone when they are so grounded in their understanding of ordered liberty.”
Schafer concurred, describing Cruz as an honest, strong Christian who cares about his family.
“He’s the Hillsdale type,” Schafer said.
While Schafer’s work in the Super PAC is entirely separate from the political campaign, he still aims to help elect Cruz to the presidency. By fundraising and advertising Cruz as the next U.S. president, he hopes to keep Cruz competitive in the race. More than that, he considers Cruz to be a friend.
“He’s a pretty funny guy…a total nerd,” Schafer said. “He’s the kind of guy that sits in the dorm room playing Mario Kart with his debate friends. His favorite movie is ‘The Princess Bride.’”
While Schafer, Baldwin, and Brand all worked to create an admirable reputation and resume, they insist procuring a job in politics relies much more on networking.
“My little sister did gymnastics with this girl back in Seattle and our family became good friends with their family,” Brand said. “We kind of grew up together.”
When Brand’s parents mentioned he was going to D. C. to find a job, the family friends offered their assistance and through a connection, Brand ended up where he is today.
Brand suggested coffee meetings, handwritten thank-yous, solid writing, and a small dose of flattery. He said Hillsdale is well-known in Washington, D.C. Alumni insist on helping other students interested in politics, and speakers frequently send their regards to college President Larry Arnn or other professors after encountering a Hillsdale student or graduate.
Baldwin said the time at Hillsdale can be just as important, citing her American Studies major under the guidance of former English Professor Daniel Sundahl and Arnn’s class on Aristotle as the two aspects that most prepared her for the future.
While Baldwin does not yet know what she will do when the campaign is over, she said she is making the most of her time now.
“The opportunity to work in this election will never come again, so it provides a particular opportunity to help set the narrative,” Baldwin said. “I’m fully embracing the present and enjoying this venture of campaign life and trying to learn as much as possible, and after this is done, I would like to pursue continuing to work in the realm of writing and public policy.”
