Hoyas Organize for Change
On November 6, Americans cast their ballots in the 2018 midterm elections, with 35 seats in the Senate, 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and 36 governorships up for grabs. With 2018 heralded by various outlets as the Year of the Woman (in reference to 1992, the official Year of the Woman), many correspondents noted the role of gender in an election that saw historic amounts of women running for office. Here are some of the stories of Hoyas about their efforts campaigning in the 2018 midterm elections.
Natalia Campos Vargas (SFS ’19) has been politically active since her freshman year, canvassing for Missouri’s Democratic nominee for governor in 2016 and supporting Missouri’s Senatorial candidate and Hillary Clinton. She currently works at a political organization that mobilizes voters to elect progressive candidates and defends voting rights.
“I absolutely think women will have an especially important role in this election,” she said. “A lot of the issues on the line in this election—health care, reproductive rights, and others—will significantly affect women in the long run. Now more than ever, women hold their power in their vote and should use it to express their interests.”
Anya Howko-Johnson (SFS ’22) has followed politics since her childhood love for cult TV show The West Wing. She has been volunteering and interning for Washington state 5th Congressional district candidate Lisa Brown, who is the first real challenger to the incumbent since 2005.
“Female participation is more significant this election cycle not only in terms of candidates but also in terms of volunteering and voting,” Howko-Johnson explained. “I have observed women being more outspoken in this election than in any other in my memory.”
Varsha Menon (SFS ’21) has done phone banking and canvassing for Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke and Texas 3rd Congressional district candidate Lorie Burch. A member of the Georgetown College Democrats, she has worked to help other students register to vote and request their absentee ballots this semester.
When it comes to the role of gender in the 2018 elections, Menon believes that women are using gender to their advantage, saying, “I think a lot of female candidates are using their status as a female to try to encourage people to vote minorities into the House and the Senate. I know for sure that Lorie Burch is using her identity as a queer woman to help inspire Democrats in my district.”
Asked about the level of political awareness and involvement at Georgetown, Menon said, “If you’re part of any minority, whether that be religious, racial, gender- or sexuality-based, you are always politically conscious to ensure that your community isn’t being disempowered.”
For the full feature, read the latest edition of Compass Gender.