Recognizing the need to activate the youth to address the issues of the time, the Young Republican Club was founded in 1856.

“Actually, Young Republicans were a huge part of giving Abraham Lincoln the Republican nomination for president, which is a pretty cool thing to think about,” Town of Fountain Hills Councilmember Hannah Toth said, chair of Four Peaks Young Republicans (FPYR), a newly formed chapter of the Young Republican National Federation.

Situated in the third Arizona Legislative District, FPYR encompasses young Republicans (18-40 years old) in Fountain Hills, Rio Verde, Fort McDowell, Scottsdale, Cave Creek and the surrounding communities, but Toth said anyone can join the club no matter their age or district.

The club’s first get-together is this Saturday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m., for a social hour at Bone Haus Brewing, 14825 E. Shea Blvd., Suite 101. All are invited to attend this kickoff event.

Along with several newly chartered clubs, FPYR was formed to inspire, engage and activate young Republicans in the community, Toth said. She has been involved with the Maricopa County Young Republicans since 2021 and was eager to support local candidates and become more involved at the community level.

As a newly-formed club, FPYR will hold political, social and educational events regularly. Political gatherings will focus on grassroots work: door knocking, signature gathering, ballot chasing, phone banking and anything it takes to get strong Republicans elected, Toth said.

Social events will center around recruitment. Think sand volleyball, happy hours and lake days.

“We’ll encourage new members to join in for the fun and stay for the friendships,” Toth said.

Last but not least, educational meetings will focus on ensuring FPYR members are familiar with the issues. The first educational event is planned for Monday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m., at the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce office where Congressman David Schweikert will discuss how social security and the federal budget affect the 18-40 age group. The title of Schweikert’s presentation is, “$63,000 per Second.”

“I would highly encourage, even if people aren’t Republican, to attend that event,” Toth said. “It is going to be very numbers-based and so that’s a good opportunity to just learn about an issue that you might be interested in, no matter what party you’re in.”

For the time being, FPYR will hold its events in Fountain Hills. As membership grows, Toth said the club may begin to host events throughout the district.

Meaningful friendships

For Toth, the social aspect of the club has been the most impactful for her. As an Arizona State University alumna, Toth interned for the 2020 Trump presidential campaign by door knocking, phone banking and working with the Latinos for Trump coalition. When word got out in her sorority of the nature of her internship, Toth began to lose friends left and right.

“To go from having all these friends to being alone is a really difficult thing to go through, especially for someone that’s younger. I was 21. You’re not exactly a poster child for self-confidence at 21,” Toth said. “That’s what makes Young Republicans so incredibly important to me, is that it becomes this place where people can come together, and I was at a time in my life where I had very few friends, and now I have friends again.”

The new friends Toth made were people she could lean on for support in the high-stress, high-speed industry like politics, she said. Now as an elected politician, she is excited to provide that same kind of support for young people in Fountain Hills and beyond.

“I know that there’s a lot of people in our age group that have lost friendships, maybe even family members, and it’s a time where people that are politically outspoken on either side are feeling really alone,” she said, urging young people to consider joining the club. “Even if they’re not necessarily planning on running for office like I did and they just want to speak with like-minded people, this gives them the opportunity.”

The Young Republicans organization serves as the primary source of young people entering the Republican Party, Toth said. To recruit, train and elect the next generation of Republican leaders, she said it must start with the youth.

“You need young knees to door knock,” she said.

To inquire about open leadership positions at FPYR, send an email to fourpeaksYR@gmail.com or call 602-541-7919.

For more information about Four Peaks Young Republicans and to see a list of upcoming events, find them on Facebook, Instagram or on X, formerly Twitter.