New York City Students explain their Disengagement from the United States Senate Race

By Manuel Scheuernstuhl, Oct. 6, 2024

Democratic elections work if citizens participate, but what if no one cares about their candidates? A new poll suggests that this is in fact the case for the United States Senate race.

The election between Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Mike Sapraicone on November 5 is fast approaching. The result is predictable– New York has not elected a Republican senator since 1992– and polls show Gillibrand leading by 17 points. However, new data finds that the majority of New Yorkers either do not know, do not have an opinion, or do not favor their current United States Senator Gillibrand. And the stats are even worse for her opponent. Mike Sapraicone was met with great disinterest: 84 percent of voters do not know him or do not have an opinion. Based on this, one could assume that this senatorial election is not essential for the decisions that are made in the country.

But the opposite is true. The elected senator directly shapes United States policy and advances or blocks legislation and treaties. Current Senator Gillibrand sits on several committees, such as the Select Committee on Intelligence and Armed Services, and plays a crucial role in shaping national security by passing new legislation. Nevertheless, most voters in New York are not interested in the next Senate Race’s candidates.

 

Chart based on the Siena College Poll data from June 2024

While the Siena College poll shows that New York State voters of all ages are disengaged, past polls for New York City voters show that young people are the least engaged. Only 11.1 percent of NYC voters aged 18-29 turned out in the last general election, highlighting a pattern of low youth engagement in elections over the past several years. Whether this trend will continue for the Senate election between Gillibrand and Sapraicone was explored in a series of interviews with students at local colleges such as New York University, Columbia, and The New School.

Kaden Russek, a history PhD student at New York University, says he is politically active but uninterested in electoral politics. He attributes this to both voter fatigue from the Trump era and frustration with the power of lobbyists. „People just feel really tired,“ he says, referring especially to the youth. He prefers activism through community work and LGBTQ+ organizations.

Even highly political students seem disconnected from the Senate race. Adam Louis Sebastian Lehodey, a senior at Columbia and vice president of the Columbia Republicans, says he does not follow the Senate election, as he is focusing on the presidential race, which he considers „more high stakes.“ He says, „The protests recently have been primarily about foreign affairs. It is less something that voting in a senatorial race is going to change.“

Griffin Hughland, the organizing director for the Columbia Democrats, is familiar with Kirsten Gillibrand and her campaign. „We support the Democratic Party, and we hope to get her re-elected to maintain that crucial spot,“ he said. However, he said that the organization focuses on competitive swing state races, like Pennsylvania.

At The New School, graduate student Jens Jaanimägi said that while he follows the Senate’s actions and knows Gillibrand, he is not worried about the New York State race. „It is an absolutely safe race,“ the political science student said. „As long as there’s no threat of a Republican winning, I don’t think people really care.“

Despite voter fatigue and a focus on swing states in the general election, some students recognize the importance of local races. Una Oljaca, Vice President of Columbia’s Sustainable Development Student Union, recognizes the significant impact local voting can have.

„A lot of populations in the state, especially in New York City, are disproportionately affected by climate change.“ She advocates for government investment in sustainable initiatives like sea walls and had recently changed her voter registration from Massachusetts to New York. „I want to be able to vote locally,“ she said.

Sources:
Siena College Poll Conducted by the Siena College Research Institute
2021-2022 Voter Analysis Report
https://elections2024.thehill.com/forecast/2024/senate/new-york/
https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-ny-poll-shows-gillibrand-leading-hochul-approval-sagging/