Ives Meets with Russian Delegates in Wheaton

Jeanne Ives, Republican Nominee for State Representative D-42,  recently met with a US Department of State sponsored delegation of 7 government officials from Russia researching the US campaign process at the local, state and national level.  Ives was selected to meet with the delegates by WorldChicago, a non-profit organization that supports global relationships, because of her experience on the Wheaton City Council and her success in running a grass roots level campaign.

Ives began the meeting with a presentation covering topics such as:   making the decision to run, getting on the ballot, meeting voters, fundraising, volunteers, the media, and the logistics of getting out the vote.

Following her presentation, the delegates had questions ranging from Ives’ policy positions, lobbyists, and campaign costs to her family’s involvement in the campaign, her military rank and coaching experience.

When asked whether she felt name recognition or policy position was more important in an election, Ives replied that both were important. “Of course it helps you if people recognize your name on a ballot. But I’ll be honest, I’m out campaigning for candidates in other races and people let you know how fed up with politicians they are. They feel disempowered. People need to be reminded that their vote does matter. You can change policy by changing the policy makers.  It is a matter of voting for those with the political will to implement the right policies.”

Prior to their arrival in Wheaton, the officials had visited several cities including Washington, DC and Charlotte, SC.  The delegation met with Ives at The Milton Township Republican Headquarters on July 23, 2012.

The Delegation Included:

• Mr. Roman Yuryeich CHELYUSHKIN, Chief Editor, LiveJournal-Russia
• Mr. Evgeny Yuryevich ENIN, Deputy Director, 4th Channel TV Company
• Mr. Anton Pavlovich MERKUROV,Development Director, XMPSoft company
• Ms. Galina Mikhaylovna SHEVELEVA, Chief Editor, TV-Guberniya TV and Radio Company
• Ms. Maria Aleksandrovna SHTEYNMAN, Associate Professor, Public Relations Theory and Practice, Russian State University for the Humanities
• Mr. Sergey Vyacheslavovich SIMONOV, General Director, 'Polit Gramota' Media Project
• Mr. Ilya Aleksandrovich VARLAMOV,  Art Director, Leopard, Medved i Zayka Agency