Primary Elections | Graphic by Abigail Abbott | The Wright State Guardian
The presidential primary elections are on March 19 this year, and the campus community is interested in the election and anxiously awaiting results.
Professional opinion
Dr. Lee Hannah, a Political Science professor at Wright State University, described the upcoming election.
“There are a lot of things going on with this primary election. There are many things to factor in when it comes to making political decisions this year,” Hannah said.
Hannah has been involved with many groups regarding politics, including the now defunct Wright State College Republicans and the VoteFirst group, a previous on-campus, bipartisan group with the goal of getting people registered to vote.
“Both sides of the aisle are focusing on different things. Both are looking at things like Ukrainian support. Both are looking at economic and domestic issues, but the things they are focusing on are different,” Hannah explained.
Student thoughts
Several student organizations on campus, including the Black Student Union, Left of Center and the Progressive Student Coalition, are politically-based or discuss societal issues.
At this time, there is no Republican affiliation on campus; however, Hannah, who was the faculty advisor of the Wright State College Republicans while the organization was active, was willing to speak about some things Republicans may be looking for with this election.
“Trump seems to be playing on endorsements this time. It's the reason why people like J.D. Vance were elected,” Hannah explained. “There are people like Nikki Haley who are playing a more moderate Republican role, but if we were to go by the trends of the issue, an endorsement from Trump is more than likely going to determine who is elected.”
Hannah goes on to explain that most Republicans are mainly concerned with foreign and economic matters for this election. Republican voter trends are more partisan to try and secure a presidential candidate, so moderate candidates, such as Nikki Haley, are receiving less support.
The Student Progressive Coalition is a left-leaning group that meets in the Emerald Room at the Student Union every Friday at 5 p.m. They discuss progressive political theory and work to educate the student body of WSU. Nathan Mahaney is vice president of the organization and discussed what they are looking into during this election.
“We are particularly interested in House Bill 68, which is the bill about gender-affirming care and education of these topics in colleges in Ohio,” Mahaney said.
The SPC is currently planning to hold several events to educate students on this topic.
“We will be tabling for the anti-trans bill,” Daniel Wasniewski, president of SPC, said. “Ideally, these will happen Tuesday (Jan. 30), Thursday (Feb. 1) and Friday (Feb. 2) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the Union Market.”
On Feb. 2, the group has a seminar called “Intro Economics for Emancipations,” which is about economics in politics.
“This election is high-stakes for us,” Wasniewski said. “Trump is making scary statements threatening elections and is an existential threat to the democratic quarter.”
Voting
Hannah explains that voter outlook is not expected to reach the 2020 levels.
“There is a lot with politics that might sway people to just not vote this year,” Hannah said.
SPC explained their views on voting and its use as a mechanism for change.
“We view voting as a tool for systemic change and more incremental change. It’s not the only strategy. We support public demonstration [as well],” Mahaney said.
SPC is a group that mainly focuses on the “grassroots” method of change. They are major proponents of demonstrations and voting on a local basis.
“There are many ways to effect change. Voting is one way we are focused more on a local level,” Preston Holton, the group’s public relations director, stated.
Getting involved
Students who wish to be more involved in politics are welcome to join the myriad of political groups on campus. If there is not one for your affiliation, students are encouraged to visit the Student Organizations web page and follow the directions to start one.
Additionally, Hannah is teaching a class in the fall semester that takes a closer look at elections, including the upcoming presidential election. The class code is PLS4030, and students can talk to assigned academic advisors about adding the course.
Any student who would like to intern for a candidate or party office is welcome to email Hannah about the topic.
For more information about the primary election in Ohio, visit the Secretary of State website. The deadline to register to vote during the primaries is Feb. 20.
