Political science students experience campaign, election process

They learned the ins and outs of political campaigns and on November 8, Saint Leo political science students tested their new skills, acting as experts and pundits for 20 U.S. Senate and governor races. These students experienced a front row seat to the voting and election process, gained invaluable analytical and research experience, and learned the complexities involved with running a campaign. They also learned that it was going to be a long night, with many races undecided.

In POL 304 Campaigns and Elections, students are immersed in the highly watched midterm election with each of them being assigned a race. Prior to November 8, they had to research the state, its demographics, geography, businesses, past elections, and of course, the candidates. Then they made predictions based on their research.

“This was a fun assignment that I would want to do if I was a student,” political science instructor Frank Orlando said. “You all got to choose the race that you wanted to study, either a senate or a governor race. You became the campaign expert.

“Who wins these races will have a really big impact on what public policy will look like for the next few years and what the landscape looks like for 2024,” Orlando continued. “I’m excited about this, and I hope you had a lot of fun.”

The class met in TECO Hall on November 8 to analyze their races and enjoy some traditional Election Night pizza. They were joined by other political science students who came to hear their presentations.

Students in the class and the races they became experts in are:

Khristian Parrish, Florida governor; Valentina Diaz, Florida senate; Brooke Varn, Georgia governor; Kirsten Martinez, Georgia senate; Nicholas Love, Ohio senate; Delaney Redmond, North Carolina, Senate; Trent Porcelli, New Hampshire senate; Isabella Castellano, Oregon governor; Shade McPhee, Nevada senate; Gail Cypress, Massachusetts governor; Clayton Abell, Arizona governor; Annalice Morales, Arizona senate; Brooke Liske, Michigan governor; Lisa Bonds, Texas governor; Rachael Langston, Connecticut governor; Ivan Plante; Pennsylvania senate; Ryan Young, Colorado, Senate; Emily McLoughlin, Maine governor; Rafael Soto, Wisconsin senate; and Max Littman, Wisconsin governor.