Montgomery County GOP

According to Rachel Hoff, she wasn’t raised in a particularly political household. In fact, Rachel actually grew up on a military base in Japan. Her father didn’t vote, and her mother, a professed Independent, has actually voted for the last seven presidents elected in the United States. This is a track record which prompts Rachel to refer to her as “my one person outside-the-beltway focus group.” While such a streak places Rachel’s mom squarely in the population widely considered by political consultants as the “swing vote” Rachel is unabashedly conservative.

Rachel credits a high school government teacher with first observing her conservative mindset. “Based upon some comments I made in class one day, he told me I was a Republican. I went home that night, read about the Republican Party online, and was really surprised how much my beliefs aligned with conservative principles like individual liberty, limited government, and free markets.” Shortly after arriving at college, Rachel took a serious interest and became politically active, joining the College Republicans and volunteering for local Republican candidates.

Today, Rachel works as the Director of External Affairs at a foreign policy organization promoting US international engagement to support freedom, democracy, and human rights. When it comes to national and local political involvement, she’s quick to point out that her other activities may not come with a paycheck but she is equally as passionate about her volunteer activism. These days her activism takes two forms. “I write to promote conservative ideas and organize to promote conservative candidates. I work through organizations like the DC Republican Committee to promote an urban conservative agenda, and The Young Republicans to travel and campaign for Republicans around the country.”

Rachel is also very cognizant of the future of the conservative movement, as she points to friends and fellow political activists who are “stepping up leading around the country” as the conservatives she most admires. She also takes an active interest and works to support young candidates running for office with “fresh, forward-thinking, energetic agendas that provide real solutions for 21st century challenges,” she states.

When it comes to the next generation of political activist, Rachel encourages them to get involved and forge their own way. “Don’t wait for a title, permission, or a position,” she says. “You just need to get involved and start working.” At present, Rachel takes getting involved very seriously, blogging at conservative websites like The Daily Caller, The Weekly Standard, and Parcbench. With most of her focus on young voters and what the Republican Party can do to win back her generation.

At the heart of her political philosophy is the fact that she believes an individual really can make a difference. “The power of the individual drives almost everything I do, from my ideology to my activism,” she says. And with today’s politically charged environment, she firmly believes that the power is with the people, not necessarily the leadership. This is a philosophy and attitude that’s sure to see Rachel Hoff join the next generation of conservative leadership.