The American River College Republicans are hosting three Republican candidate forums in the community center rooms May 22 and 28.
The May 22 forums will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 6:30-8 p.m. The May 28 forum will be from 6:30-8 p.m.
Alexander Wrinkle, president of the College Republicans, is looking forward to giving people the opportunity to meet the candidates.
“It’s basically going to be a mini (Republican) convention all over again,” Wrinkle said. “All these people are getting together in all these groups.”
Jorge Riley, Student Senate director of finance, is a member of the club and has invited several Republican and conservative candidates to the forum, including U.S. congressional candidates Igor Birman and Elizabeth Emken.
“I really like Igor Birman. I’m totally obsessed with him, and it may be a little unhealthy,” Wrinkle said. “He has an awesome story with an awesome background.”
Birman was born in the Soviet Union and came to the United States in 1994.
“If your family history is from a socialist government, (Birman’s) got something to bring to the table,” he added.
Also invited is Tim Donnelly, a candidate for governor, and Orly Taitz, a leading figure in the “birther” movement, which seeks to prove Barack Obama was born in Kenya and is thus ineligible to serve as president of the United States.
Taitz is running for Attorney General as an Independent.
Riley is hoping that the forum will expose students to many points of view before the June 3 primary.
“One of my big things in the Republican Party is I don’t like to tell people who to vote for. I want people to make their own decisions,” Riley said. “I’m bringing the candidates to ARC so students can do what I do: meet the candidates and make an informed decision.”
Attendees to the forums will have the opportunity to hear the candidates present and take pictures with the candidates.
“You can make it your Facebook profile picture,” Riley said.