36 Days Until Election Day

A Gen-Z perspective on what's to come

We are officially just 36 days away from Election Day, and I am sure many of you are currently receiving end of quarter fundraising texts and emails from literally every candidate running for office. Why you may ask? Well, the answer is simple: candidates need money (especially Democratic candidates) because unfortunately, in our nation, the only way to win is to spend.

I am 25 years old. I remember my first election like it was yesterday. It was 2012 and President Obama was facing off against now-Senator Mitt Romney. At the time, I was growing up in a Republican household and my parents were getting ready to go to an election night party. So, like any good 13-year-old Republican, I wore red.

In that moment, I did not know what it meant to be a Republican or a Democrat. Instead, my parents were supporting Mitt Romney, so I was too.

Four years later, I was standing in a room being introduced to then-candidate Donald J. Trump. Still believing that I was a Republican, I remember meeting candidate Trump and being in awe of his grandiose personality. Little did I know that at the time, not only was I not a Republican, but that meeting Donald Trump would end up with my father in prison (if you’ve seen From Russia with Lev, yes, that’s my dad), my family in shambles, and me undergoing a political awakening.

Now, 25 years old, nearly 12 years from the day I first became interested in politics, I am determined to make sure that young Americans who may *think* they are Republicans, realize that the Republican Party does not support them.

This is going to be a critical week. We have the first (and only) Vice Presidential debate between Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance tomorrow night. I’m going to be honest with you, I forgot that the debate was tomorrow. With the 24-hour news cycle at full speed, we need to do better to make sure that everyday Americans tune in tomorrow night, because the difference will be stark.

While Governor Walz has fought for working class families in the House of Representatives and as Governor, JD Vance has done anything but. Since taking office just a couple years ago, Vance has degraded women without children, has sought to abandon our allies like Ukraine (while I had family in Kiev), and supports a national abortion ban without exception. Americans need to know this, they just need to know to tune in. So, if you are still reading this (thank you btw) make sure your friends and family members know about tomorrow.

Outside of the debate, there is nothing on the schedule other than campaigning. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be crisscrossing the country over then next 36 days making their case to voters. Congress is not in session, although I would argue that the House has not been in session since Republicans took over in 2022. President Biden is working toward a ceasefire in the Middle East and continues to support Ukraine in Eastern Europe. So, business as usual.

One note before I go. To anyone reading this unsure of who you will vote for in November, know that I lived through a first Trump Administration. I witnessed as Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and my father circumvented longstanding American policy to launch a shadow diplomacy campaign to harm President Biden.

At the time, I was not old enough to speak up to stop it. In fact, I really did not know it was even happening until I looked back on it. We cannot go back to another Trump Administration—the future of America and our relationships at home and abroad depend on it.

See you after the debate :)