Organizing in motion for 2024 Mock Convention

Photo of 2020 Mock Convention courtesy of owu.edu.

Ohio Wesleyan University will be holding a mock Republican nominating convention in February 2024 that everyone can participate in.

The campus tradition began in 1884. But it wasn’t until 1920 that OWU held mock conventions almost every presidential year with a total of 25 mock nominating conventions.

Ohio Wesleyan always simulates the non-presidential party’s nominating convention. Party delegates representing all 50 states nominate their party’s candidate for president and debate the party platform. There will be a focus on three types of platforms: international, domestic, and economic.

The 2024 mock convention will be the first year with Dr. Brianna Mack as the faculty director.

She describes mock conventions as an “exercise in political tolerance.” Mack believes that “regardless of party values, it's an educational experience.”

Most of Ohio Wesleyan’s mock conventions have chosen different nominees than the national convention.

According to Professor Earl Warner’s report, “Mock Presidential Nominating Conventions at Ohio Wesleyan,” “In nine of the mock conventions the nominee for president became the choice of the national convention.”

The mock convention team works hard to make the convention realistic, on a smaller scale. The goal of the conventions is not predicting the party nominee.

“The goal of the mock conventions is to simulate a real national convention as accurately as possible,” says Mack.

The event is not only for politics and government majors. Any student interested is invited to participate regardless of course of study. Faculty and administration have also participated in previous years.

There are multiple ways to take part in the upcoming mock convention. Almost all the committees could use more members including program, logistics, communications, technology, and more. Students can also act as party delegates or security during the event.

Everyone is welcome to watch the mock convention on February 23rd and 24th of 2024.

Matthew Higgins, a student on the platform committee, says, “mock convention provides an opportunity for every student to have a hands-on experience in the world we choose to create.”