Dozens of Young Republican activists and leaders between the ages of 18 and 40 from across the Commonwealth gathered at the Hippodrome Theater in Richmond on Saturday afternoon to elect a new slate of leaders.
Stephanie Zemanek Hazekamp of Prince William County was elected State Young Republican Chairman after having served in the role of First Vice Chair for the past two years.
Zemanek assembled a slate of leaders under the Bridge YRFV ticket, who all ran unopposed for their respective roles.
The Bridge YRFV slate was unanimously elected to their respective positions, and the full slate of state and regional officers for the Federation – as well as their respective home clubs – are as follows.
Chairman: Stephanie Zemanek Hazekamp (Prince William Area Young Republicans)
1st Vice Chairman: Helen Sharpe (Western Tidewater Young Republicans)
2nd Vice Chairman: Lauren Keiser (Greater Peninsula Young Republicans)
Secretary: Taylor Billings (Southwest Virginia Young Republicans)
Treasurer: Kipp Chapin (Arlington/Falls Church Young Republicans)
National Committeeman: Ben Hazekamp (Prince William Area Young Republicans)
National Committeewoman: Victoria Churchill (Arlington/Falls Church Young Republicans)
State Central Committee Representative: Dan Johnson (Arlington/Falls Church Young Republicans)
State Central Committee Representative: Thomas Turner (Western Tidewater Young Republicans)
1st District Representative: Trevor Herrin (Greater Peninsula Young Republicans)
2nd District Representative: Yusuf Tejada (Virginia Beach Young Republicans)
3rd District Representative: Cody Butler (Western Tidewater Young Republicans)
5th District Representative: Skye Riggleman (Hill City Young Republicans)
6th District Representative: James Bergida (Northern Valley Young Republicans)
7th District Representative: Jacob Alderman (Prince William Area Young Republicans)
8th District Representative: Thomas Young (Alexandria Area Young Republicans)
9th District Representative: Steven Statzer (Southwest Virginia Young Republicans)
10th District Representative: Stephen Spiker (Prince William Area Young Republicans)
11th District Representative: Colin Sapko (Fairfax Area Young Republicans)
Zemanek takes the reigns of the organization from Jessi Rapelje Blakely, who has led the group for the past two years.
Blakely exclusively told The Republican Standard that during her term – which included Virginia’s historic statewide red wave in 2021 – “YR members made over 2 million voter contacts, trained local activists, elected members to office, partnered with High School and College Republicans, and helped flip Virginia red!
I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I look forward to watching Stephanie and her team continue to grow and develop YRFV.
As I pass the torch to Virginia’s next leadership team, I am continuing to invest in building a strong Youth Republican movement as a candidate for YRNF Chairman. As Virginia YR Chair, I prioritized leadership development, engagement with coalition groups, and a results-focused GOP. I look forward to bringing that model to YRNF as the next chairman.”
One of Zemanek’s first motions as the YRFV’s newly elected Chairman was calling for a vote to formally endorse Blakely for National Young Republican Chairman, and bind all 25 of Virginia’s votes in favor of Blakely for the first round of voting at the upcoming Young Republican National convention, which will take place in late August in Dallas, Texas.
The motion passed with no objections from any of the attendees.
Zemanek thanked all those in attendance for supporting her for role of YRFV Chairman, and shared the following vision with The Republican Standard at the conclusion of the event:
“As the newly elected Chairman of the Young Republican Federation of Virginia, I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to lead this dynamic organization. Over the next two years, I am excited to work tirelessly alongside our dedicated members and passionate activists to achieve our collective goal of winning back the State Senate, expanding our majority in the House of Delegates, and laying the groundwork for Virginia to send a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 2024. Together, we will unite our voices, harness our energy, and implement strategic campaigns that resonate with voters across the Commonwealth. With a strong focus on conservative principles, grassroots engagement, and effective messaging, we will forge a path toward a brighter future for Virginia and restore the values that our great commonwealth deserves.”
If you are willing and able to support Virginia’s next generation of conservative leaders, you can encourage a member of your community to get involved with their local club or contribute financially here.