Politician and pundit Karl Rove will discuss the current state of national politics tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall.

UCSB College Republicans — with partial funding provided by Associated Students — is presenting the former Bush administration senior policy advisor’s lecture free of charge to students. Approximately 700 student tickets were made available through the A.S. Ticket Office on Monday, with a limited number still to be released.

While admission for community members is limited, those interested in donating can purchase either an $800 sponsorship or $200 attendee ticket.

UCSB College Republicans event coordinator Ryan McNicholas said the GOP strategist’s extremely conservative reputation is what attracted the group to the former Deputy Chief of Staff for the Bush administration.

“I’m looking forward to a good discussion of conservative values,” McNicholas said. “Right-wing ideals are usually not heard on our campus so it will be a refreshing viewpoint.”

Despite the well-known politician’s appeal to College Republicans, contention has risen among leftist groups on campus, with the UCSB Anti-War group and others planning a walkout minutes into the lecture.

After rumors of protest surfaced last week, College Republicans and UCSB Anti-War group met to resolve any miscommunication. However, McNicholas said he considered the gathering ineffective, with those opposed to Rove “spouting rhetoric.” Although grievances were aired, he said each party left unfazed by the other’s argument.

“[The planned protest] bothers me because they might have taken away a seat from a student who actually wanted be there and was genuinely interested in Rove’s point of view,” McNicholas said.

Rove is currently a regular Newsweek columnist and Fox News contributor. He also writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal and authored the upcoming book “Courage and Consequence” — a memoir that recounts Rove’s life in politics and service to long-time friend and former president, George W. Bush.

Rove’s responsibilities at the White House included oversight of the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs. Before becoming known as “Bush’s Brain” for his architecture of Bush’s presidential campaigns, he was president of Karl Rove & Co. — a political consulting firm in Texas that worked for Republican candidates and non-profit groups.

Due to security concerns, the question and answer portion following Rove’s presentation will feature only pre-screened questions.

Students who have questions for Rove can submit them, along with their name, year and major to roveucsb@gmail.com. All submissions will be reviewed by a bipartisan committee and read by a moderator at the venue.