Seasoned Republican leaders urged their younger supporters to recruit more party members and build their ranks at the annual Young Republican Federation of Virginia convention.

About 50 members who attended the convention yesterday in Richmond heard again and again that the GOP had suffered losses to Democrats in recent state elections and needs to build momentum for November's general election.

State officials said the party needs a candidate with bold ideas. They cited Ronald Reagan's presidential years as an example.

"When we're successful, it's because the grass-roots [effort] was strong," said Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, R-Prince William. "Look at [Democratic Sen. Barack] Obama's campaign events. They're energized. . . . We have to get excited again."

The Young Republicans, who are between 18 and 41 years old and have about 500 members statewide, networked with each other and heard speeches by former Gov. Jim Gilmore, now running for the U.S. Senate, state Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the presumptive GOP nominee for governor in 2009, and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is seeking re-election.

McDonnell said, "Young professionals, if they just talk about issues, ought to be with us 100 percent of the time -- limited government, lower taxes, respect for the rule of law, creating opportunities for entrepreneurship and free enterprise."

Regarding his assumed nomination, McDonnell said he thought state Democrats would fight among themselves to nominate a candidate, while his party would be free of that.

"I'm hopeful that Bill [Bolling] and I can unite the party," he said. Several attendees said the issues the party needed to talk to young voters about include education, taxes and economics.

Young people are concerned about paying for college, paying lower taxes and making a living, said Ted Brown, 39.

Brown, who teaches political science at Virginia State University in Ettrick, added that presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona should try to reach out to moderates and give conservative solutions to economic issues, such as fixing the mortgage crisis and offering solutions for the nation's health-care woes that would allow people to buy their own private insurance.

"In the next few months, Senator McCain has got to focus on those issues in order to recapture part of the political middle that has been drifting away from Republicans in recent elections," he said.

Megan Svajda, a legislative assistant for the National Rifle Association, said young Republicans need to tailor messages to issues that people in their 20s are facing.

"I think our generation has a hard time identifying with [either] political party," said Svajda, 25.

"I don't like lots of [layers of] government," she said.

"I don't want to pay a lot of money at the pump every time I fill up.

"I want to buy a home some day, and the economy's not that great right now.

"I worry about the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism.

"I think the Democrats have done a better job at that than the Republicans have, so it's time for the younger Republicans to step up and recruit those people."
Contact Chris I. Young at (804) 649-6754 or cyoung@timesdispatch.com.