Originally published on the CGS blog on October 3, 2014.
November is just around the corner, and since it is an even-numbered year, that can only mean one thing: midterm elections are on the horizon! This year’s elections, like most, will be highly contested and have major political ramifications for the coming years. The main talking point this season concerns the potential for the Republicans to retake control of the Senate. Moreover, as the days have gotten closer to November, the question has changed from “Will they retake the Senate?” to “By how much will they retake the Senate?”
It’s easy to get caught up in the media buzz about which party will prevail in the midterms, but not enough attention is focused on the individual candidates running who ultimately end up running the show. Specifically, there are a few interesting candidates that I think deserve everyone’s attention. Working for CGS, it has been nice to reacquaint myself with the political scene, (this time on a national level) and to research the candidates’ positions on various issues, generally concerning global problems. Here are a few globally-minded candidates who could use your support next month, and that I think will do exceptional work for the country:
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen
- Senator Mark Udall
- Senator Jeff Merkley
- Senator Al Franken
- Congressman Ami Bera
- Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster
- Shenna Bellows
- Pete Aguilar
- Emily Cain
- Staci Appel
One candidate I would like to highlight, Pete Aguilar, serves as the mayor of Redlands, California and has demonstrated an honest work ethic in his tenure there. Aguilar has worked to help cut the carbon footprint of the city and its population by making sustainable development and curbing climate change a priority. He is also passionate about making higher education more affordable and accessible. Furthermore, Aguilar understands the vitallity of the US’ role in international institutions and promises to foster these relationships. These are just a few issues that Aguilar will bring focus to in Congress should he win against Paul Chabot.
Another noteworthy legislator is Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Senator Merkley has had an exciting and fruitful six years in the Senate, and he even earned an A on our Congressional Report Card for his voting habits on issues such as rolling back tax breaks for oil and gas companies. Merkley also understands the importance of diplomatically deterring Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, in addition to a variety of issues that are important to us at CGS. The Senator is running against Monica Wehby and he’s in for a close race next month.
These are just two of the candidates that we have endorsed for the midterm elections. You can see all the candidates here on our webpage, which will also allow you to donate to any candidate of your choice. Candidates like these who are globally focused deserve recognition, praise, and, most importantly, your support. These are the candidates who will support the US in our mission to bolster international institutions and cooperate with other nations to solve the most pressing global problems. In an increasingly globalized system, it is imperative that the US maintain its prominence in such institutions, as they serve as the premier outlet to address the most important issues of our time.
