Young WI Leaders Turn Out to Encourage Youth Vote at DNC

Young WI Leaders Turn Out to Encourage Youth Vote at DNC

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By Jonathon Sadowski

August 19, 2020

Wisconsin elected officials, Biden’s daughter get out the youth vote.

The path to the White House will invariably move through Wisconsin, and for State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, the outcome of the presidential election in the state hinges upon the same group that delivered her and four other Democrats statewide victories in 2018: youth voters.

“You know what pushed us over the finish line? It was your vote,” Godlewski said in a youth voter mobilization rally Tuesday before the Democratic National Convention began its second night.

Godlewski, 38, appeared virtually with Democratic state Reps. David Bowen, 33, and Greta Neubauer, 28, to urge young voters to turn out in force in November to hand Biden a win in the Badger State.

The millennial elected officials were joined by Madison chef and politician Francesca Hong, a young Democrat who will likely win the 76th Assembly District seat in November, student organizer Bella Fuentes, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s daughter, Ashley.

“The truth is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and our country also need us,” said Neubauer, who represents Racine. “They need young people, because our votes will be the difference between winning and losing.”

Hong said young people are overcoming great hardships to lead the push for important changes such as reducing gun violence and fighting climate change.

“The reality is, we’ve had it tough,” Hong said. “We’ve been defined by 9/11, severely impacted by the 2008 global financial collapse, and we’ve never recovered. Gen Z, they’ve had to contend with school shootings, crushing student debt, a broken political system, and climate crisis.”

Bowen, a Bernie Sanders superdelegate, took time to credit young people with marching for social justice. Bowen has joined a Milwaukee protest group every day since demonstrations began against racism and police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

“I’ve been out daily with folks that are protesting and folks that are standing up for change, folks that believe that we don’t have to leave this war for our children to handle, but that we can make these really systemic changes,” Bowen said.

Ashley Biden, 39, said her father and Democrats can help young Americans recover from the economic havoc wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, and said young people are in the unique position to help her father get elected.

“Right now, we need to fight harder than ever before,” the younger Biden said. “Because after three years of Donald Trump, it’s clear that our health, our jobs, our rights are on the ballot, and our future depends on what happens in November.”

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CATEGORIES: Elections

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