Garcia, Doherty to Receive Gipper Awards from Young Republicans

The New Hampshire Young Republicans are proud to announce that they will present their annual Gipper Award to an outstanding male and female Young Republican.

This year’s recipients will be Shaun Doherty and Marilinda Garcia. The Gipper Award is the organization’s highest honor and is given yearly to a male and female Republican under age 40 who displays an outstanding effort in the promoting New Hampshire’s youth in the political process and the Republican cause. The award will be presented at a reception in March by a prominent conservative guest speaker. Details of the event will be announced in the coming days.

Shaun Doherty is a former two-term State Representative from Pelham and currently serves as the NHYR’s Southern Regional Vice Chairman. For over a decade, Doherty has worked on campaigns here in New Hampshire and advanced the cause of young Republicans in those efforts. In 2004, Doherty was the youngest Town Chairman in the nation for President Bush’s reelection campaign. In 2005 and 2007, he worked on the successful campaigns of Frank Guinta for Mayor of Manchester. During the 2008 Presidential Primary, Doherty served as the Youth Chairman of John McCain’s campaign. In 2008 at age 20, Doherty was elected State Representative and served both terms on the Election Law Committee. Doherty worked as the Communications Director of the New Hampshire Republican Leadership Institute, a steering committee member of Mitt Romney’s 2012 Presidential campaign, and as communications and social media adviser to Andrew Hemingway’s 2014 campaign for Governor. Doherty is 2010 graduate of Rivier University with a B.A. in Communications.

Marilinda Garcia is a former four-term State Representative from Salem and 2014 Republican Congressional Nominee. Elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2006 at age 23, Garcia served as a member of the Finance Committee and was a Co-Chairman of the House Republican Alliance. She attended Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music, earning joint bachelor’s degrees in 2006. After graduating, Garcia joined Phillips Exeter Academy as adjunct faculty and served as a court appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children. She graduated from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government with a Masters degree in Public Policy in 2010. Garcia embarked on a run for Congress in New Hampshire’s Second District in 2014 and became the Republican nominee. Her campaign helped bring numerous young conservative activists into the party and demonstrated the commitment of Young Republican talent in our state.

Submitted text and courtesy photo.