COURTESEY OF RACHEL STORCHRachel Storch spent her childhood with Washington University literally in her backyard.
“It’s so natural to be running in this district,” said Storch, a candidate for the state representative seat for District 64, which includes the University.
Storch grew up right around Maryland and Big Bend. Her father, Gregory Storch, is a professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine. Storch graduated from the School of Law in 1997.
Because Bob Hilgemann’s term in the Missouri legislature is about to expire, both political parties are looking for candidates to fill his seat.
Storch said that when she was first approached about running over the summer, she resisted the idea. Her mind changed, however, after this summer’s veto session, during which such issues as concealed firearms, abortion and medical malpractice were discussed.
“We need people in the legislature who can seek out common sense solutions for things,” said Storch.
She said that her ties to the area lead her to support programs that will have positive benefits for the district.
“I feel I can be an effective advocate,” said Storch.
She said that her law school experience was essential in giving her the tools to succeed in politics. She chose to attend the School of Law not only because of its proximity to her house, but because of the staff’s reputation.
“Professors train you to be a thinker and a writer, skills that help you in any field,” said Storch.
Professor Susan Appleton had Storch in her family law class. Appleton said that she is excited that Storch decided to run for the state representative seat.
“It’s gratifying that she cares enough about the real world to accept this challenge,” said Appleton.
Appleton said that she has not had consistent contact with Storch since she graduated, but still thinks highly of her.
“She’s the type of student I would recommend for any position,” said Storch.
Another factor in Storch’s decision to choose the School of Law was the Olin Fellowship, an honor bestowed upon Storch that is given to women of all disciplines across the University. She said that this program provided her with the connections to land a position as an AmeriCorps VISTA attorney. Later, she was absorbed into the staff.
Storch was the deputy chief of staff in Jean Carnahan’s Washington, D.C. office, and ultimately worked for Ken Jacobs, the Democratic majority leader in the state Senate.
She said that working for Jacobs educated her on the importance of the state legislative process.
“I began to realize how much is at stake in the legislature right now,” said Storch.
One of her primary areas of concern is education. Storch was Carnahan’s senior advisor on educational issues.
To prepare for the campaign, Storch set up a committee and a team of advisors and has met with community leaders.
Students on campus said that they look forward to hearing Storch’s position on various issues, but debated whether they would vote for her as a result of her ties to the University.
“I’m not sure that I would be more inclined [to vote for an alumna],” said junior Ashley Rosenfeld. “I would have to consider the candidate’s views first. It comes down to what platform they’re running on, not where they went to college.”
Junior Wyeth Killip said that he would be more likely to support Storch because she graduated from the University.
“I think that anyone running for state representative who received their law degree at Washington University’s Anheuser-Busch Hall would bring a whole new meaning to the bar exam and would represent and attract the interests of college students state wide,” said Killip.