In a time where it is difficult to get students interested in politics, one student goes above and beyond.

Joe DeBose, a junior from Eldorado studying political science, has been involved in more than 30 campaigns since he was 11 years old. Out of those 30, he managed eight and six times his candidate was elected.

He worked on all of the campaigns while attending school and as a member of the Illinois Army National Guard for six years.

DeBose is now the campaign manager for Terri Bryant (R) of Murphysboro, who is running for the House of Representatives in the 115th District.

He was also instrumental in the development of the Young Americans for Liberty and reviving Model Illinois Government on campus.

DeBose started YAL to get students interested in the political process as well as discuss issues pertaining to liberty.

Even though the group is only a few weeks old, it is already 30 members strong with a good mix of each major party.

DeBose also revived the SIU delegation for Model Illinois Government. MIG is a statewide organization consisting of 17 schools. Every year, the schools come together and compete at the state capital.

SIU has featured the program in the past, but it took DeBose’s keen interest in politics and the organization to revive the program.

“I worked with Dr. Jane Bryant from John A. Logan College to bring the delegation to SIU this year,” he said. “SIU will be competing this year for the first time in a long time.”

DeBose competed in 2013 with Southeastern Illinois College and took home the award for Most Outstanding Person in the Senate.

“We’ve been pretty adamant about it since last year, because SIU won a bunch of awards,” he said. “Well, SIU students did, they just did it with other colleges in the area.”

After his first MIG simulation, DeBose received his first job in politics selling technology after a man on a plane asked him about his MIG shirt.

DeBose started selling campaign technology with Eagle Ops, a small startup company, shortly after the conversation.

“I was based out of Utah. I was an office manager there and traveled to D.C. and other places to market, sell and raise money for a campaign technology,” he said. “I was then recommended by them for campaigns all over the States because of my extreme work ethic and ability to get things done.”

DeBose has worked on U.S. Senate, U.S. Congressional and gubernatorial races. The list of campaign trails he has been a part of includes Salt Lake City, Santa Barbara, Calif., Washington, South Carolina, Georgia, and Illinois.

DeBose said one of his strengths is fundraising. He has raised more than $250,000 for campaigns since 2011.

“You can have a great candidate, but if you can’t get their message out there and you can’t get people involved, that’s just not going to be enough,” he said.

Last summer, Debose helped with a golf fundraiser in Saline County which raised more than $2,000 for MIG. The previous year, the organization raised $38.

DeBose said the key fundamentals to running a strong campaign are organization, volunteers, fundraising, messaging and a good candidate.

“You don’t have to outspend your opponent to win,” he said. “If you have a strong candidate and you run a diligent campaign, you just have to hit in the same ballpark with fundraising.”

Debose said his secret to managing all of his endeavors is organization, but sometimes being incredibly organized isn’t enough.

“Some nights, during the last two weeks of a campaign, I will go for like 22 hours, sleep for two or three and then get up and go again,” he said. “The most rewarding part of a campaign is to see all the work you put into it come together and you get to sit back and watch your candidate win on election night, and knowing that you made a difference.”

As for his current candidate, Terri Bryant, DeBose said, he feels confident she will win as they have outraised the other nominee three-to-one and out-campaigned him in every facet.

DeBose said, people only need to take one major step to get involved in the political process.

“Just get out there and volunteer,” he said. “They’re always looking for people to help out.”

Zach McGinnis can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @zaqmac87 or at 536-3311 ext. 268.