Ed Lopez

Ed Lopez
National Vice Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus
In office
September 13, 2011 – October 11, 2015
Personal details
Born Eduardo Jesus Lopez-Reyes
(1974-06-26) June 26, 1974
San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States[1]
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Marie Anne Lopez
Alma mater University of Rhode Island
Durham University
American University in Cairo
Religion LDS Church
Website Ed Lopez

Eduardo Jesus Lopez-Reyes (Ed Lopez-Reyes, Eduardo Lopez, Ed Lopez), of Greenwich, Connecticut, is an American Republican Party activist and former National Vice Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.[2][3] He is a former resident of and was politically active in the states of Rhode Island and New Hampshire.[4][5] His writing has appeared in Greenwich Time, The Advocate, The Daily Caller, The Portsmouth Herald, The Providence Journal, and The Telegraph (Nashua).[2][6][7][8][9][10][11] He was ranked one of "Newsmax's 50 Most Influential Latino Republicans" in 2016.[12]

Background, early political experience and education

Lopez is of Guatemalan descent.[1] Before completing his studies at the University of Rhode Island he served as a Mormon missionary in the Dominican Republic for two years.[1]

Lopez was a candidate for Rhode Island Secretary of State against incumbent Secretary of State James Langevin in the 1998 election cycle.[13][14][15] He was also the founder and state chairman of the Republican Hispanic Assembly of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island state affiliate of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly from 1997 through 1999.[16][17] Lopez was a Staff Assistant to United States Senators Hank Brown in Washington, D.C. and for John H. Chafee in his Providence, Rhode Island district office.[11][18] In 2000, he received support from Republicans including Frederick Lippitt and Republican National Committeewoman for Rhode Island Eileen Slocum for a potential State Senate race in Rhode Island's 3rd District against State Senator Rhoda Perry.[19] That same year, Lopez supported George W. Bush in the Republican presidential primary.[20]

Lopez graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.[5] He pursued graduate studies at Durham University, in the United Kingdom, graduating with a Masters degree in International Relations Middle East and Arabic language studies.[21] Concurrent to military service in the United States Army he began PhD work, returning to Durham University and augmenting his Arabic language studies at American University in Cairo's Arabic Language Institute, in Cairo, Egypt.[5][22] Durham University is a collegiate university.[23] Lopez was a member of Ustinov College.[5]

While in the United Kingdom, Lopez served in the United States Army Reserve Military Intelligence Corps doing imagery and counterterrorism analysis.[18][24]

Republican Liberty Caucus

Lopez served as National Vice Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus from 2011 through 2015.[21][25][26]

Jon Huntsman campaign

Lopez endorsed former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. for President in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries.[9][27][28][29][30] He said that presidential candidates Ron Paul and Gary Johnson are more representative of the Republican Party's libertarian factions, but explained that "Huntsman's record and views may be best aligned with President Ronald Reagan's," representing what he describes as "middle-America libertarianism" and making Jon Huntsman "a candidate who can bring competing factions of the GOP together and can appeal to sufficient independents and Democrats to win the general election."[9] Lopez served in a number of capacities as a part of the New Hampshire campaign steering committee.[31]

Freedom to Marry

In March 2013, Lopez joined Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry along with S.E. Cupp, Abby Huntsman, Elizabeth Huntsman, Mary Anne Huntsman, Meghan McCain and other conservative and Republican activists.[32][33] In an opinion editorial co-written with Republican strategist Liz Mair and the Foundation for Economic Education's Richard Lorenc, the authors stated that "as conservatives and libertarians, the three of us believe that we’d all be better served if government extricated itself from the business of marriage altogether, leaving it as a private contractual matter" but that "for the time being, getting the government out of marriage is not a realistic possibility, especially given the many legal issues tied to marriage;" Lopez, Lorenc, and Mair expressed their support for the Freedom to Marry campaign on the grounds that the "next best thing, then, is for the government to act equitably in its involvement in marriage, and that means allowing all committed couples the freedom to marry and to have their marriages recognized by all levels of government."[8]

In June 2013 Lopez joined the group on a nationwide campaign to change the Republican Party's platform points on the issue; the campaign included visits to New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada.[34] The group actively supported efforts in state legislatures on behalf of marriage equality; following an announcement of Republican support among state senators in Rhode Island, Lopez stated: "Rhode Island Republicans are leading the way to a more inclusive GOP — one that can continue to grow and stay relevant as America changes. Their actions today show that not only do they know the freedom to marry is completely in line with conservative values like personal liberty and the importance of family, they are working to make it a reality."[35]

He would eventually be among a group of "Republican lawmakers, operatives and consultants" to file an amicus brief "at the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage."[36] The brief was organized by former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman and included "Senators Susan Collins and Mark Kirk, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, retired General Stanley McChrystal and billionaire GOP mega-donor David Koch."[36]

On June 26, 2015, following the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, Freedom to Marry's founder Evan Wolfson stated the organization would begin to "wind down and close," bringing the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry effort to a close.[37]

2016 presidential election: Republicans for Johnson-Weld and Liberty Tour 2016

Lopez expressed support for former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson in the 2016 election during an interview with The Huffington Post in June of 2016.[38] In August of 2016 he co-founded and began serving as national co-chairman of the group Republicans for Johnson-Weld, stating that the "combined gubernatorial experience of the Johnson-Weld ticket as well as their fiscally conservative records and inclusive governing styles are most reflective of what the majority of Americans are desperately looking for in their leaders."[39]

During an interview on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, Lopez was asked whether he planned to remain a Republican and whether he felt Governors Gary Johnson and Bill Weld were sufficiently libertarian to which his response was: "I still believe in the Republican Party. I would like to see the Republican Party come out of this stronger. I'm not here to define how libertarian the Johnson-Weld ticket is or isn't; I understand Libertarians debate this robustly."[40]

In the final weeks before the general election, Our America Initiative sponsored a national tour, "visiting college campuses and other venues across America to raise awareness about third party inclusion in national presidential debates" and to "spread the message of liberty and libertarian thought."[41][42] The 40 state tour included speakers such as Governors Gary Johnson and Bill Weld, Free the People's Matt Kibbe, political and communications consultant Liz Mair, Reason Foundation’s David Nott, Foundation for Economic Education’s Jeffrey Tucker, and the Libertarian Party's Carla Howell.[42][43] Lopez was a speaker on this tour, citing his agreement with Our America Initiative founder Gary Johnson's "principles of good government," and "realism" in particular: “The main reason that I chose to come on this tour and talk to millennials and talk to students all over the country is because in addition to being libertarian, I’m a realist, and so, I sympathized a lot with one of Gary Johnson’s principles of good government. And that’s a principle of realism.”[44]

Personal life

Lopez resides in Greenwich, Connecticut.[2] He and his wife, Marie Anne, have been active in political and non-profit efforts together.[18][45] He presided over a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International in New Hampshire between 2009 and 2011.[10][46] He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[47] Lopez plays guitar and is a feature writer and contributing editor in music subjects.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Language of Lopez
  2. 1 2 3 Eduardo J. Lopez-Reyes op-ed: The real mirage
  3. ↑ GOP in Desperate Need of Libertarian Infusion by Ed Lopez
  4. ↑ EXCLUSIVE: What Iowa Says About New Hampshire
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Dunelm USA North American Development Board Biography
  6. ↑ Republican Liberty Caucus National Convention Biography
  7. ↑ Eduardo J. Lopez-Reyes op-ed: The real mirage
  8. 1 2 Marriage for all couples: It’s a matter of freedom
  9. 1 2 3 The Libertarian Case for Jon Huntsman
  10. 1 2 Vision 2020 Should Focus on Nashua as Destination City
  11. 1 2 Lopez, Eduardo (23 July 1999). "Swinging the black vote to the GOP". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2016. (Subscription required.)
  12. ↑ Newsmax's 50 Most Influential Latino Republicans
  13. ↑ Langevin vs. Lopez
  14. ↑ DC Political Reports: 1998 Rhode Island Congressional and Statewide Primary Results
  15. ↑ Official Election Results, Statewide Offices, Providence Phoenix, November 3, 1998
  16. ↑ The History of Hispanics in Rhode Island Politics
  17. ↑ Born to be Mild: Rhode Island's College Republicans Defy the Stereotype of Hard-Core Party Animals
  18. 1 2 3 Business People, Ed Lopez, Habitat for Humanity
  19. ↑ Young Eddie Makes his Move
  20. ↑ Saltzman, Jonathan (9 September 1999). "In R.I., Bush opts for contributions over kids". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2016. (Subscription required.)
  21. 1 2 Moving from Durham into Politics (Page 7)
  22. ↑ AUC Today Class Notes (Page 39)
  23. ↑ Student: Getting Into University: A-Z Unis & Colleges: Durham University
  24. ↑ Freedom to Marry biography
  25. ↑ Republican Liberty Caucus Frequently Asked Questions
  26. ↑ Republican Liberty Caucus Elects New National Board
  27. ↑ Republicans are Running on Policy Issues, not Religion
  28. ↑ Five Portsmouth Residents to Serve on Jon Huntsman's Leadership Team
  29. ↑ Jon Huntsman Announces Rockingham County Leadership Team
  30. ↑ Presidential Delegates The Name Drop: Big names pepper the lists, but Romney's is "Who's Who" of NHGOP
  31. ↑ Key People-Former Gov. and Amb. Jon Huntsman
  32. ↑ Huntsman Hotties Join Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry Group
  33. ↑ With momentum on their side, young conservatives rally for marriage equality
  34. ↑ ‘Young Conservatives for Freedom to Marry’ in NH to launch campaign to reform RNC platform
  35. ↑ RI Republican Senate Caucus Supports Marriage Equality
  36. 1 2 More Than 300 Republicans Call on Supreme Court to Recognize Gay Marriage Nationally
  37. ↑ Freedom To Marry to Close Down their Campaign Following Supreme Court Win
  38. ↑ "Koch-Funded Efforts To Win Hispanics Crashing, Burning". huffingtonpost.com/. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  39. ↑ Anti-Trump Republicans form group to back libertarian ticket
  40. ↑ Republican Support for Libertarian Candidates Ed Lopez, co-chair of Republicans for Johnson/Weld, talked about why he and other Republicans were supporting the Libertarian ticket in 2016, as well as their work to bolster third-party candidates.
  41. ↑ Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson to Advocate for Third Party Inclusion
  42. 1 2 Liberty Tour 2016 hits the road; will visit 40 states before election day
  43. ↑ Liberty Tour comes to Williamsburg to talk election, personal freedom
  44. ↑ Liberty Tour Visits Campus To Advocate For Johnson: Governor Gary Johnson Funds National Tour, Uses Comedy To Engage Students
  45. ↑ City Couple Supports Huntsman
  46. ↑ Business People: Ed Lopez Habitat for Humanity
  47. ↑ New Hampshire Mormons Hope GOP Candidates Raise Awareness

Further reading

Academic

Primary sources

External links

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