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UNC Needs to Vote for Jonah Garson: Here’s Why
A perspective from Tyler Smith
It’s no secret that politicians often treat students as political pawns. The longstanding conventional wisdom says that students rarely vote, as we are too lazy or too preoccupied to participate in politics. While younger generations have historically had lower turnout, that trend is beginning to turn. For the last several decades, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation have made up over 50% of the vote share. However, that status cracked in 2020, as those groups fell to only 44% of the vote share. In their stead, Millennial and Gen Z voters increased their participation rates. 38% of all new or irregular voters in 2020 were under 30 years old. Half of the youth electorate participated in 2020, an 11-point increase since 2016.
Students are raising their voices in an unprecedented way. We are mobilizing, organizing, and most importantly, we are voting. Yet many candidates dismiss student concerns, citing our inaccurate stereotypes. Instead of engaging with us or hearing our issues, they ignore us and shut us out of the process.
However, some candidates have recognized the turning tide and are genuinely attempting to address our constituency’s interests. One of those candidates is Jonah Garson (UNC ‘09). If you haven’t met him, Garson is a Chapel Hill native and a veteran grassroots organizer. Before running for office, he served as Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, as a multi-term executive committee member of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP, and as state voter protection director. He’s currently running to represent Chapel Hill and Carrboro in the North Carolina General Assembly.
NC House District 56 is unique in that it encompasses the entirety of UNC Chapel Hill. Whoever holds the district represents nearly 30,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, yet elected leaders rarely reach out to our population. Garson has opted for a different approach. In addition to his extensive community canvassing efforts (which have achieved over 30,000 doors knocked), Garson has launched a significant student outreach operation. He’s hosted over 25 student leaders for a roundtable on student issues, he’s hosted two public town halls on campus (one of which had over 90 attendees), and he has earned endorsements from dozens of prominent UNC student leaders.
Garson’s efforts differ from many other candidate’s strategies. While some campaigns are hosting campus events mere days before the start of early voting, Garson has been outreaching to students since early January. Other candidates see students as a means to bump up turnout, Garson sees students as an important underrepresented constituency with legitimate concerns. His commitment to students goes beyond rhetoric. He has actively championed progressive stances on reforming the UNC Board of Governors, forgiving student loans, marijuana legalization, LGBTQ rights, and free community college.
This election will be consequential for our district, our university, and our community. NC-56’s last incumbent held the seat for over 25 years, whoever wins this seat will represent Chapel Hill for a long time. This election will likely be our last chance to leverage our issues, we must use it to elect a champion for students. Luckily, our constituency is ready to once again show up and have our voices heard. For Chapel Hill students, our choice for NC House is clear. On May 17th, we must send Jonah Garson to the General Assembly, as he is the only candidate who will work with us, fight for us, and deliver to us.
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