College Republicans of University of Wisconsin held a meeting Wednesday with Republican congressional incumbent Rep. Mike Gallager, R-Wisconsin.

Gallagher currently represents Wisconsin’s 8th district in the U.S. House of Representatives and is running for re-election in the upcoming midterm election this November.

Working at a think tank that researched terrorist groups and their strategies while he studied abroad in England sparked his interest in foreign policy, he said.

Once he graduated from Princeton University, Gallagher joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a counterintelligence and human intelligence officer, as well as a regional affairs officer for seven years.

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“After two years on the [Senate foreign relations] committee, quite honestly, I was very troubled at the direction … foreign policy was headed,” Gallagher said.

After his time in the military, Gallagher worked as a national security advisor for Gov. Scott Walker’s 2016 presidential campaign. When the campaign ended, he focused on writing opinion articles criticizing foreign policy.

He proceeded to run for the U.S. House of Representatives and was elected as the Republican candidate to the House in 2016.

“Rather than throw bombs from the cheap seats, I felt like I need to step up and put my money where my mouth is,” Gallagher said.

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One member asked which area of policy Gallagher plans to focus on in the future. He emphasized his focus on foreign policy, national security, congressional reform and healthcare.

Gallagher concluded with advice for those looking to get into the field of politics.

He advised the crowd of young Republicans to develop a strong network of people, pair a low ego with high energy and wake up early.