Who’s Your Ideal Candidate?

By Beka Dychtwald

With this year’s elections rounding the corner, excitement is high! For many, including myself, this November will be the first time ever that we get to vote, much less our first presidential election. The influx of new voters, especially young voters, is something that inspired me to speak with other young women on who their ideal candidate is.

I chose to ask a group of Latina students from Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia some questions about who they currently see in office–and who they want to see. My first question was whether they saw themselves in the politicians who represent them, and–no surprise here–they said no. The reality is that Latinas make up about 9.4% of the total US population, and yet they’re significantly underrepresented in government positions across the country all over the board. At the end of the day, who young people see as leaders shapes their perceptions of who should lead and, really, who can lead. As we like to say: if you can see it, you can be it!

So, here’s who they really want to see in government:

“Someone who fights for the underrepresented, or represents the underrepresented. Someone who listens, and…takes criticism well.” -Christina

“Definitely [someone who has] leadership and accountability…[Someone who is] accountable for [their] past actions and leadership and is able to look forward with a good foot in mind.” -Melanie

“Someone diverse, someone who includes every opinion and, you know, considers everyone in the audience that they are affecting.” -Stephany

If you feel like you match any of these characteristics, do I have good news for you! She Should Run has tons of resources and guides to help you on your political journey. It can feel daunting to start a run for political office, especially when coming from an underrepresented background, but we want you to know that you’ve got this and we’re here for you.

“Regardless of who you are, you’re always going to have those second thoughts of, can I? Can I win? I would tell [a woman thinking of running for office] to take some time, to really think about it, and truly think about if you do not do this, would you regret it? Would you in the future have wanted to run and see what the outcome could have been?” -Pam

If you know someone who would make a great candidate, give her that extra push! Remember this:

“[You] should pursue what [you’re] trying to do because [you] could inspire other women who look like [you], or maybe not even women who look like [you], just younger women in general, and that [you’re] making a difference, even if it’s small, by running for that position.” -Stephany