The Making of a Patriot
- Young Candidate for Tennessee GOP Committee Has Already Withstood
Everything the Left Could Throw at Him
By Claudia Henneberry
February 2026
Stevie Giorno is one of a kind. He is wise well beyond his 25 years with an enthusiastic love and appreciation for the United States of America. Stevie, whose grandparents fled the Soviet satellite country of Yugoslavia in 1956, learned early on what it was like to live without freedom. The frightening stories told by his grandparents of hiding from Nazis and Communists convinced Stevie that the U.S. was a far superior country.
Stevie recalled visiting our nation’s capital as a young boy and being inspired as he walked the hallowed grounds where some of the greatest Americans made their legacies. “I guess you could say [that experience] was a foreshadowing for my life,” he reflects.
Many years later, as a college student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, a private institution that boasts a Christian conservative reputation, Stevie suffered an unimaginable persecution – because he remained true to his convictions.
At Belmont, Stevie majored in politics and public law. In 2019, during his junior year, he won Belmont’s distinguished position of Student Government Association President. Stevie credits Turning Point USA with helping fund his campaign. His ambitious game plan was to bring all voices at Belmont together and address their concerns. Unbeknownst to Stevie, his tenure as SGA president would not be smooth sailing.
In the apocalyptic year of 2020, amid Covid lockdowns, and the tumult, turmoil and destruction in the streets, prompted by the death of a drugged thief (George Floyd), Stevie released an eloquently-composed statement on the SGA Instagram account calling for unity, respect for all students on campus, and prayers for George Floyd’s family.
Later that year, on July 4, just prior to the start of his senior year, Stevie posted a positive message to his Instagram account: “Proud to be an American celebrating the sacrifice of those who gave their all so that we may enjoy the freedom and liberties our forefathers intended on this day in 1776.”
His account was quickly overrun by hateful accusations of racism from Belmont social justice warriors, chastising him for not including support for Black Lives Matter, the anti-American Marxist organization whose stated goals include the destruction of capitalism and the nuclear family.
Stevie remained steadfast, not bowing to the mob by endorsing BLM.
A petition to oust Stevie from SGA president was circulated - then came “threats of assault and demands for suicide.”
In her book, Outcast – How The Radical Left Tried To Destroy A Young Conservative, Stevie’s mother, Gloria Giorno, writes: “Stevie went from being a leader beloved by his peers to being considered undeserving of life.”
Stevie continued in his role as SGA president despite calls to remove him. However, the remainder of his senior year was essentially a nightmare with his having to park his car off campus and being escorted to classes by campus police due to threats of violence against him. His ordeal was primarily ignored by Belmont administrators, yet Stevie remained brave and vigilant through it all, graduating with dignity and self-respect in 2021.
Stevie’s college experience evokes a famous Thomas Paine quote - “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
A Polished Political Résumé
Stevie Giorno’s leadership skills are demonstrated through his comprehensive résumé of accomplishments beginning with volunteering, at age 17, with the Marsha Blackburn U. S. Senate campaign.
After college, Stevie revitalized the Young Republican organization in his home county of Williamson as its chairman. Later, he was elected Second Vice Chairman of the Williamson County GOP. He served as Delegate-at-Large for President Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention and was one of two young people on the Rules Committee for the Convention.
Stevie was elected Chairman of the Tennessee Young Republicans in 2023 and, in 2025, during his tenure, he hosted the Young Republican National Federation convention in Nashville.
Stevie’s take-away on being an insider in the Republican Party? “It is so easy to get involved. We just have to show [others] how to [do it]. I consider that the most important thing we can do now is to invest in the future of the Party by bringing up the next generation [to get involved and become activists].”
Attracting More Young Activists
I asked Stevie how we can involve more young people in the Republican Party. He expressed that better education, communication, and training are necessary to attract Gen Z activists. “We have to do better at encouraging and training people.”
Stevie is concerned about the apathy among his peers. He said, “Most of my friends don’t vote.” When I asked him why, he lamented, “They think their vote doesn’t matter. They may go out and vote for President, but what they don’t realize is that state and local governments are the two entities that pass the most laws that [directly affect their lives].” I’ve never seen a President fix a pothole or deal with traffic!”
Stevie is concerned about the lack of education in the area of Civics and believes it is one of the reasons his generation is apathetic. “We need to make being a Republican easy to understand. We have to be better at training and encouraging young people (like the Democrats do). We have to make it fun,” which means more social events. Stevie says we also have to go outside our comfort zones and engage people where they are.
Stevie also quipped that “Turning Point USA is doing what the Republican Party did not want to do for so long before Trump. They are galvanizing young people,” getting them to understand that they need to be active in politics to advocate for themselves and their future.
He also acknowledges, “Donald Trump has made it cool to be a Republican again. He changed the culture.”
The Issues
Stevie asserts that older Gen Zers are finding housing and the general cost of living to be unaffordable right now and it ties in directly to the illegal immigrant problem. “The supply of houses is low…insurance costs are too high due to the massive influx of illegals who are being subsidized by the government. That money should be going to Americans.” Stevie says the affordability crisis should be the number one issue for Republicans. “We need to make it affordable for my generation to get married, buy a house, and have children….”
Just this one affordability issue should inspire more youth involvement in the Party.
Even as a college student, Stevie had an impressive command of the issues. He was a member of the College Republican Club at Belmont University and, according to Outcast, in a vibrant debate held in 2020 between the school’s Republican and Democrat organizations, he ran rings around his contemporaries on the other side of the political spectrum. While they hurled insults, without hesitation, Stevie astutely presented facts and statistics.
In the debate on the issues, Stevie pointed out how Trump policies were helping Americans: The Trump tax cuts helped a family of 4 save thousands of dollars; 7 million people were lifted off of food stamps; the GDP rose by 3 percent; reduction of the number of troops in the Middle East; an increase in the minimum wage will raise prices on everything else, including rent.
Stevie schooled the audience while the other side railed against people dying in the streets at the hands of police.
Today, Stevie’s understanding of the present political climate is unparalleled. He is currently running for a position on the State Executive Committee for the Tennessee Republican Party that oversees the affairs of the Party.
If he wins a position on the SEC, he will be one of perhaps three young adults out of 66 members. Stevie vows to work for the people to implement what he says must be the number one priority - political party voter registration - to prevent cross-over voting by Democrats in Republican primaries. “The SEC needs to work with the [Tennessee] General Assembly and the Tennessee GOP needs to be more involved with policy, not taking a back seat and only focusing on elections.” He also wishes to be that rare voice representing his generation’s most pressing concerns.
Future Aspirations
Stevie hopes to win the seat on the SEC. He plans to remain active in a local Rotary Club, and will definitely not hesitate to step up and serve in the state legislature one day “to keep Tennessee red and make it a more affordable place to live.”
I asked Stevie if he has aspirations of perhaps seeking national office someday, to which he responded, “Well, I wouldn’t say [I will] never [run for national office], but I feel that it is very challenging to be effective in D.C. and so many of the issues that we face can be solved at the local and state levels. That’s where I want to focus my time. I want to make sure Williamson County (and Tennessee) stay red.”
Thomas Paine wrote in 1776 in “The American Crisis”: “These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
This is truly a time in America that try men’s souls and Stevie Giorno is no sunshine patriot. There is no doubt this well-spoken and confident Christian conservative patriot will answer his state’s call to serve.
- Young Candidate for Tennessee GOP Committee Has Already Withstood
Everything the Left Could Throw at Him
By Claudia Henneberry
February 2026
Stevie Giorno is one of a kind. He is wise well beyond his 25 years with an enthusiastic love and appreciation for the United States of America. Stevie, whose grandparents fled the Soviet satellite country of Yugoslavia in 1956, learned early on what it was like to live without freedom. The frightening stories told by his grandparents of hiding from Nazis and Communists convinced Stevie that the U.S. was a far superior country.
Stevie recalled visiting our nation’s capital as a young boy and being inspired as he walked the hallowed grounds where some of the greatest Americans made their legacies. “I guess you could say [that experience] was a foreshadowing for my life,” he reflects.
Many years later, as a college student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, a private institution that boasts a Christian conservative reputation, Stevie suffered an unimaginable persecution – because he remained true to his convictions.
At Belmont, Stevie majored in politics and public law. In 2019, during his junior year, he won Belmont’s distinguished position of Student Government Association President. Stevie credits Turning Point USA with helping fund his campaign. His ambitious game plan was to bring all voices at Belmont together and address their concerns. Unbeknownst to Stevie, his tenure as SGA president would not be smooth sailing.
In the apocalyptic year of 2020, amid Covid lockdowns, and the tumult, turmoil and destruction in the streets, prompted by the death of a drugged thief (George Floyd), Stevie released an eloquently-composed statement on the SGA Instagram account calling for unity, respect for all students on campus, and prayers for George Floyd’s family.
Later that year, on July 4, just prior to the start of his senior year, Stevie posted a positive message to his Instagram account: “Proud to be an American celebrating the sacrifice of those who gave their all so that we may enjoy the freedom and liberties our forefathers intended on this day in 1776.”
His account was quickly overrun by hateful accusations of racism from Belmont social justice warriors, chastising him for not including support for Black Lives Matter, the anti-American Marxist organization whose stated goals include the destruction of capitalism and the nuclear family.
Stevie remained steadfast, not bowing to the mob by endorsing BLM.
A petition to oust Stevie from SGA president was circulated - then came “threats of assault and demands for suicide.”
In her book, Outcast – How The Radical Left Tried To Destroy A Young Conservative, Stevie’s mother, Gloria Giorno, writes: “Stevie went from being a leader beloved by his peers to being considered undeserving of life.”
Stevie continued in his role as SGA president despite calls to remove him. However, the remainder of his senior year was essentially a nightmare with his having to park his car off campus and being escorted to classes by campus police due to threats of violence against him. His ordeal was primarily ignored by Belmont administrators, yet Stevie remained brave and vigilant through it all, graduating with dignity and self-respect in 2021.
Stevie’s college experience evokes a famous Thomas Paine quote - “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
A Polished Political Résumé
Stevie Giorno’s leadership skills are demonstrated through his comprehensive résumé of accomplishments beginning with volunteering, at age 17, with the Marsha Blackburn U. S. Senate campaign.
After college, Stevie revitalized the Young Republican organization in his home county of Williamson as its chairman. Later, he was elected Second Vice Chairman of the Williamson County GOP. He served as Delegate-at-Large for President Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention and was one of two young people on the Rules Committee for the Convention.
Stevie was elected Chairman of the Tennessee Young Republicans in 2023 and, in 2025, during his tenure, he hosted the Young Republican National Federation convention in Nashville.
Stevie’s take-away on being an insider in the Republican Party? “It is so easy to get involved. We just have to show [others] how to [do it]. I consider that the most important thing we can do now is to invest in the future of the Party by bringing up the next generation [to get involved and become activists].”
Attracting More Young Activists
I asked Stevie how we can involve more young people in the Republican Party. He expressed that better education, communication, and training are necessary to attract Gen Z activists. “We have to do better at encouraging and training people.”
Stevie is concerned about the apathy among his peers. He said, “Most of my friends don’t vote.” When I asked him why, he lamented, “They think their vote doesn’t matter. They may go out and vote for President, but what they don’t realize is that state and local governments are the two entities that pass the most laws that [directly affect their lives].” I’ve never seen a President fix a pothole or deal with traffic!”
Stevie is concerned about the lack of education in the area of Civics and believes it is one of the reasons his generation is apathetic. “We need to make being a Republican easy to understand. We have to be better at training and encouraging young people (like the Democrats do). We have to make it fun,” which means more social events. Stevie says we also have to go outside our comfort zones and engage people where they are.
Stevie also quipped that “Turning Point USA is doing what the Republican Party did not want to do for so long before Trump. They are galvanizing young people,” getting them to understand that they need to be active in politics to advocate for themselves and their future.
He also acknowledges, “Donald Trump has made it cool to be a Republican again. He changed the culture.”
The Issues
Stevie asserts that older Gen Zers are finding housing and the general cost of living to be unaffordable right now and it ties in directly to the illegal immigrant problem. “The supply of houses is low…insurance costs are too high due to the massive influx of illegals who are being subsidized by the government. That money should be going to Americans.” Stevie says the affordability crisis should be the number one issue for Republicans. “We need to make it affordable for my generation to get married, buy a house, and have children….”
Just this one affordability issue should inspire more youth involvement in the Party.
Even as a college student, Stevie had an impressive command of the issues. He was a member of the College Republican Club at Belmont University and, according to Outcast, in a vibrant debate held in 2020 between the school’s Republican and Democrat organizations, he ran rings around his contemporaries on the other side of the political spectrum. While they hurled insults, without hesitation, Stevie astutely presented facts and statistics.
In the debate on the issues, Stevie pointed out how Trump policies were helping Americans: The Trump tax cuts helped a family of 4 save thousands of dollars; 7 million people were lifted off of food stamps; the GDP rose by 3 percent; reduction of the number of troops in the Middle East; an increase in the minimum wage will raise prices on everything else, including rent.
Stevie schooled the audience while the other side railed against people dying in the streets at the hands of police.
Today, Stevie’s understanding of the present political climate is unparalleled. He is currently running for a position on the State Executive Committee for the Tennessee Republican Party that oversees the affairs of the Party.
If he wins a position on the SEC, he will be one of perhaps three young adults out of 66 members. Stevie vows to work for the people to implement what he says must be the number one priority - political party voter registration - to prevent cross-over voting by Democrats in Republican primaries. “The SEC needs to work with the [Tennessee] General Assembly and the Tennessee GOP needs to be more involved with policy, not taking a back seat and only focusing on elections.” He also wishes to be that rare voice representing his generation’s most pressing concerns.
Future Aspirations
Stevie hopes to win the seat on the SEC. He plans to remain active in a local Rotary Club, and will definitely not hesitate to step up and serve in the state legislature one day “to keep Tennessee red and make it a more affordable place to live.”
I asked Stevie if he has aspirations of perhaps seeking national office someday, to which he responded, “Well, I wouldn’t say [I will] never [run for national office], but I feel that it is very challenging to be effective in D.C. and so many of the issues that we face can be solved at the local and state levels. That’s where I want to focus my time. I want to make sure Williamson County (and Tennessee) stay red.”
Thomas Paine wrote in 1776 in “The American Crisis”: “These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
This is truly a time in America that try men’s souls and Stevie Giorno is no sunshine patriot. There is no doubt this well-spoken and confident Christian conservative patriot will answer his state’s call to serve.