Lubbock woman makes her mark on the national GOP

TAMPA, FL (KCBD) - Kristen Vander Plas, 24, of Lubbock had to save money for five years to make the trip this week to the Republican National Convention in Tampa Florida.

And in order to become an alternate delegate to the convention she had to lobby for support among Republicans who went to the Texas state convention.

"I actually campaigned for it quite a bit," she said Monday in Tampa.  "It's my honor to represent them and I'm proud to be here for them and to be their voice for West Texas."

So on what platform did she campaign for the right to represent Lubbock, Abilene and a lot places in between?  West Texas values, of course.

She said in an interview for KCBD NewsChannel 11, "I campaigned … that I would work hard to bring West Texas conservative values and make sure those were instilled in the national platform."

That platform is the party's stand on major issues for the next four years.  It's the "what-it-means" to be a Republican in the United States of America.

But Vander Plas is not just involved in the platform, but she's also in the middle of a good ole fashion floor fight.

She's lobbying against proposed changes that would make it easier for the RNC to change rules between national conventions.  She's also lobbying against the idea that delegates could only be chosen by the Presidential Nominee.  "This one is [a] VERY disturbing rule change," she wrote on her daily blog.

And Vander Plas is making connections with other people who are influential in the Republican Party.  "I was given the opportunity to address the entire Texas delegation this afternoon," she wrote.

You can follow her daily activities at http://kvptexas.com/

Vander Plas is a senior at Lubbock Christian University.  Her next aspiration is law school at Texas Tech.

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