There is no shortage of political opportunities this fall, and the College Republicans and College Democrats are taking full advantage of this to engage students with local and national campaigns.

With the November election fast approaching, the College Democrats are planning to focus their efforts on local initiatives.

“I think that Trump is more than likely going to win Missouri,” College Democrats President senior Arik Wolk said. “[So] in Missouri I think that the bigger chance for Democrats to be successful is at the local level—the Jill Schupp versus Ann Wagner race. I think the governor’s race is going to be pretty competitive [as well].”

Missouri’s political leaning has shifted over the years. It used to be known as a bellwether, voting for the winning presidential candidate in all but one election between 1904 and 2004, but in recent years has taken a turn to the right. The shift can likely be attributed to the fact that the state’s population no longer parallels the nation’s demographics.

Missouri now consistently leans Republican, with Mitt Romney winning the state by 9.4 percentage points in 2012 and Trump winning with an 18.5 point margin of victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Politico predicts Missouri to be a “solid Republican” state in the presidential election, partly because of Trump’s previous commanding win in the state in 2016. If this prediction rings true in November, that would mean Missouri’s 10 electoral votes will go to Trump in the race to 270.

For the College Republicans, the less competitive nature of the presidential election this year in Missouri means they can also focus more of their energy on the close House race between Wagner (R) and Schupp (D).

Junior Matias Mayesh, president of the College Republicans, said that plans are in the works for a phone bank before the election, but it has been a challenge not being able to connect with club members in person.

“I want us to be involved and be able to go out and do some activities for local campaigns like canvassing, but it’s a bit difficult with all the restrictions and we don’t want to break the rules,” Mayesh said. “So that’s something I’ve been trying to organize and trying to manage and see if that’s possible [and] if we can do that safely.”

Wolk echoed some of Mayesh’s woes about the inability to resume their typical programming, but the College Democrats are also trying to make the most of the situation. “We’re trying to keep everything virtual just because of COVID safety reasons, but also that way [so that] students who for whatever reason were unable to make it to St. Louis this semester are still able to participate in events.”

Megan Magray

College Democrats have hosted and plan to host several candidates on the ballot this November in virtual settings including Schupp, Yinka Faleti, Nicole Galloway and Cori Bush. Additionally, Law Professor Denise Lieberman gave a presentation about how to vote absentee and vote by mail in Missouri, something that Wolk foresees could be a challenge.

“I think the biggest challenge is how insanely complex it is to vote in Missouri, particularly for college students,” Wolk said. “Voting absentee and voting by mail are separate things in Missouri [and] in some instances, you need to get your ballot notarized, which is an insane challenge.”

Mayesh vocalized his own concerns regarding the upcoming election, worries that many have also started to articulate nationwide as October begins. “I’m worried that neither candidate will concede, to be honest,” he said. “I’m worried that we won’t know the results for a protracted amount of time, and that’s not healthy for anybody.”

Given the extraordinary nature of a presidential election in the middle of a pandemic, voting in-person presents potential health risks, so far more Americans than usual are expected to vote absentee. Some states, like Illinois, have stated that all absentee ballots postmarked as late as Nov. 3 will be counted. This makes it likely that there will not be a definitive result on Election Day for the next president of the United States.

Both Mayesh and Wolk expressed excitement for the upcoming debate between their respective clubs. They are hoping to hold it the week before Election Day and are working to find an energized moderator for the event.

“It will just be a couple of our club members versus a couple of theirs just talking about some issues with the race,” Mayesh said. “It’s going to be healthy, positive stuff. It won’t be about attacking each other. It’s more just talking about policy and [other related] things.”

“The way we’ve always kept it tame is that we both plan it,” Wolk said. “We are co-hosting and co-planning this event so there has to be some teamwork and cooperation there.”

After the election, Mayesh said that his club will be able to have a really interesting conversation about the future of the Republican party.

“Either way, we’re going to have to acknowledge what does Trump’s win or loss mean for what we should do as a party?” Mayesh said. “Because you can look at the populations in the demographics of the United States, and you can see right now the Republican voting bloc is not going to hold. It’s not sustainable. We need to be able to expand our voting bloc to Hispanics and other minority communities.”

For Wolk, his favorite part about being involved with the College Democrats is seeing students get involved with initiatives, something that took place during the 2018 midterm elections and that he is starting to see again now.

“The amount of Wash. U. students that get involved in St. Louis and in Missouri politics, like the way people get involved with campaigns, is really cool,” Wolk said. “I think my favorite part is just seeing students get engaged and try and make a difference in not just St. Louis but on a grander scale than that.”

Junior Maggie O’Connor, a member of the College Democrats who is working as a field fellow for the Jill Schupp campaign, is an example of this involvement. In a statement to Student Life, O’Connor wrote she first met Schupp while canvassing for her 2018 state senate campaign with the College Democrats.

“My advice [to students who are interested in getting involved with politics but aren’t sure where to start] is to do your research to find a candidate that you believe in, and then reach out!” she wrote. “Getting involved in local politics has given me a much deeper appreciation for the community that exists beyond campus. Wash. U. students are very fortunate that St. Louis has great opportunities for young people to take on meaningful roles in highly competitive races. Volunteering is always a great place to start.”