Students gathered at the Michigan Union Thursday evening to meet Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Michigan secretary of state candidate, and other local political officials. The event, hosted by College Democrats at the University of Michigan, featured conversations about data centers, housing, and the importance of voting.
It included Gilchrist alongside Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor mayoral candidate Yousef Rabhi and Aidan Sova, an Ann Arbor City Council candidate for Ward 4.
Gilchrist, a University of Michigan alum, has served as Michigan’s 64th lieutenant governor since 2019 under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He became the Democratic nominee for secretary of state after withdrawing his gubernatorial bid in January.
Gilchrist’s campaign focuses on exposing dark money in politics, reducing inefficiencies in motor vehicle licensing and registration and protecting data from Big Tech corporations. In his speech to students, Gilchrist emphasized how important voting is, especially for young people, in achieving civic goals.
“The whole state of Michigan needs you to step up and step in,” Gilchrist said. “If we need stuff to be less expensive, we vote for it. If we need housing to be more available and more affordable, we vote for it. If we need to get tech out of our pockets and out of our lives, we vote for it. If we need to make sure that more people can vote, we have to vote for it.”
Taylor followed, saying organizations like College Democrats play a pivotal role in increasing communication and highlighting policy priorities between local officials and students.
“Do not sleep on local government and your ability to make an impact,” Taylor said. “We talk to students and when we want to know what’s going on, we talk to College Democrats. They understand policy; they understand politics; they understand what can be done and how to get it done.”
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, LSA senior Stella Camerlengo, co-chair of the College Democrats, said the organization aims to bolster civic engagement by improving transparency and visibility in politics.
“One thing we want to do is create an experience where students are listening to their local leaders, but are also able to talk to them,” Camerlengo said. “We want politics to be as accessible as possible so that we can ensure people are actually engaged and enthralled about politics, because politics doesn’t always have to be scary or boring.”
In an interview with The Daily, Gilchrist said young people need to realize the power they possess over the government and country.
“We need (students) to organize on campus and beyond,” Gilchrist said. “If young people don’t show up, those candidates will lose and the wrong people will win. … No system ever improved through disengagement. Nothing has ever gotten better from the perspective of young people when young people aren’t involved in shaking it.”
Daily Staff Reporter Nathan Engman can be reached at engman@umich.edu.
