I get it — local elections are not all that sexy. You have likely seen some campaign signs around town, but do you really know about the candidates beyond their color scheme? Frankly, as a college student, you probably don’t care. Idaho media has made it pretty clear that politicians certainly don’t prioritize education, let alone higher education. But that isn’t the case with Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy.
Rep. Troy understands student issues firsthand because she has personal experience with them. After graduating from the University of Idaho in 1984, she went on to serve the Vandal family as a university fundraiser for 12 years. She knows the financial burden that college places on students and has voted to make college more affordable for all Idahoans. She also understands that student safety must be prioritized in Idaho and, during the last legislative session, she sponsored ASUI’s medical amnesty bill and led the charge to pass it through the Legislature and become Idaho law. All this should impress students, but perhaps the most convincing argument I can make for her student-focused leadership is that she has already approached ASUI and excitedly asked us, “What’s next?”
As citizens, we show our approval or disapproval of our elected representatives by casting ballots. If you agree that Rep. Troy has been a fierce advocate for students, then I invite you to join me in voting to re-elect her to the Idaho House of Representatives. If you need to register to vote or want more information on the election, visit the Center for Volunteerism and Social Action on the third floor of the Commons.
Decisions are made by those who show up. Rep. Troy does it for us on the House floor — it’s our turn at the ballot boxes on Nov. 8.
Tanner J. Beymer
ASUI Senator