Politics may be an old man’s game, but that doesn’t mean that younger candidates are automatically down for the count when it comes to political elections. After all, one of the big political platforms every election season is how politicians can get more so-called “young people,” involved. Yet often enough, college students that participate in the political process by running for election lose out to an older, more experienced candidate. While this isn’t always the case, it happens enough times to make one wonder: What’s the viability of a student candidate?

“We need a younger generation in politics,” says Ole Hovde, a college student and former candidate for a state representative seat. “We don’t have the younger generation at all in Minnesota politics or U.S. politics. People go out and vote but they aren’t active. They’re not out there fighting for what they believed in.”

Ole Hovde knew what he was getting into when he decided to run against Phyllis Khan for state representative of district 59B in Jan. 2008. The Republican candidate knew that he wanted to see for himself if he could represent the University of Minnesota and the surrounding area instead of Khan, a democrat, who has represented 59B for more than 37 years and who he believes is “anti-student” because of her opposition to tuition freezes and the construction of a football field at De La Salle High School. While interning at the state capital, Hovde found out who Khan was and became “deeply disturbed,” by her positions on issues concerning student issues.

After consulting with Republican politicians around the state, Hovde decided to run with the blessings of the state Republican Party. Hovde is not your average Republican, however. His support of gay rights and abortion sets his issue beliefs apart from the majority of Republicans in the state, which may have helped his campaign around campus.

It was tough, he said, to get volunteers to help his campaign. He had to put less focus on the three small businesses he owns, as well as his classes in order to run his campaign in an “extremely Democratic district.” He had help from his campaign manager and two volunteers, who formed the basis of his campaign efforts.

Hovde loved debating Khan and Independent candidate Ron Lischeid in the week before the election. It was the only debate for state representative to occur, and most of the crowd supported Hovde. Hovde wasn’t as lucky after Nov. 4, 2008, however. He only captured 25 percent of the district, whereas Khan captured almost 67 percent. Surprisingly, he fared better than any Republican candidate for any political office.

While some may have discounted his campaign because of his status as a college student, Hovde never felt as though he had an unfair advantage because of his age. He chalks up his loss to his party affiliation in a Democratic district. That’s why he’ll run again in 2010. “I think I proved to the people who voted for me that I have the skills and the knowledge to be their legislator,” Hovde says.
Curt Baker, a third-year marketing and political science major, may not agree with Hovde’s politics but he agrees with the idea that a younger generation should be representing communities in political office. While he’s entertained the idea of running for a political office, he hasn’t yet decided whether he wants to pursue other goals first.

“I just am awed by the fact that I as a 21-year-old am able to have a measurable impact on how this country is run,” Baker says.

Baker joined the Obama campaign because he wanted to be a part of the change in the U.S., and because Obama’s campaign was geared towards including everyone in the political process, it felt like the best option. His hard work lead to his promotion as president of Students for Barack Obama after the previous president left the country to study abroad. At the DNC, Baker sat in the second row, where he said he was within arm’s reach of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Democratic Leader, respectively. The crowning moment, at least for Baker, came on election night. Not only did Obama carry 80 percent of the district, but voter turnout was even larger than what Baker and his group had expected.

“Seeing our efforts result in making Barack Obama President was definitely the proudest moment of my life,” Baker says.

Last November is a stark contrast to the Democratic student effort now, with Charles Carlson’s recent fall from grace plastered all over University and Twin Cities news. Carlson was, until a few weeks ago, running for the Minneapolis Ward 2 City Council seat currently occupied by Cam Gordon, a Green Party candidate who’s running for reelection. Carlson, who was a delegate for Minnesota during the DNC, recently resigned after a Minnesota Daily investigation revealed he had falsified much of the history he had presented to the public.

Carlson had what seemed to be an ideal background for politics: he claimed he grew up in England, went to Princeton, officiated tennis at the Beijing Olympics, worked for a Minneapolis architectural firm, and is a staunch supporter of GLBT rights, as he is openly homosexual. Such qualifications, combined with his previous experience in politics as a DFL delegate made him look like a force to be reckoned with. Yet within a day of the Daily’s story on Carlson’s campaign, people began questioning Carlson’s background. An anonymous person posted a comment on the article online, claiming they had known Carlson from Northfield High School, where he supposedly left due to mental health concerns. A quick search by local grassroots journalists Twin City Scene within a day of the Daily article revealed Rice County human services officials had tried to have Carlson committed in 2004, before the case was dropped. Now Carlson may face a lawsuit from his former campaign contributors who want to get their money back.

Whether the Carlson debacle will negatively impact future student candidates from the U remains to be seen. However, there’s nothing that says a future student candidate can’t run and win political office. It’s not unheard of in places like Johnston, Iowa, where a 20-year-old Drake student won a school board seat. After all, if the qualifications are there, winning an election is within a young person’s grasp.

Tags: politics