Guest blog by Erich Heery
As I was walking down the street, wearing my “Debra Shigley for State Senate” shirt and carrying a stack of campaign flyers, a car suddenly pulled up beside me. The driver rolled down the window and shouted, “We’ll be voting for her!”
It was an exciting and memorable moment – an exhilarating affirmation that my fellow campaign volunteers and I were making a difference! At that time, I had been involved with the campaign for just over a month, collaborating closely with about a dozen student volunteers.
Our efforts, along with those of thousands of supporters who either volunteered for the campaign or came out to vote, contributed to Democrat Debra Shigley easily securing the top spot in a seven-way race on August 26. She now advances to a runoff on September 23. This achievement is particularly significant, considering that District 21 had overwhelmingly reelected a Republican senator with a 41% margin the previous year and had helped send President Donald Trump back to the White House.
As a recent graduate in political science from Penn State, I have always believed in the importance of young people getting involved in grassroots politics and making their voices heard. However, I didn’t realize how enjoyable these activities would be until I joined Debra’s campaign. The camaraderie which develops from working towards a common goal made me feel like a part of her campaign family right away.
Sitting around Debra’s dining room table with fellow staff and volunteers, I had the chance to hear her outline her forward-thinking and compassionate policies while we all discussed effective strategies to communicate this message to voters. It quickly became clear that this hands-on experience enabled me to apply what I had studied over the past four years while significantly expanding my knowledge through the practical engagement with the political process.
My experience with the Shigley campaign has provided me with a valuable opportunity to learn firsthand about Georgia politics in a way reading articles or hearing a classroom lecture never would have conveyed. I am particularly inspired by Debra’s commonsense solutions for making it more affordable to raise a family, providing quality public education that works for every community, and expanding access to healthcare.
Because some of the students who worked for the campaign this summer had to travel back to out-of-state campuses, we are now recruiting additional interns for the two weeks between now and September 23. We welcome high school and college students with ten or more spare hours each week who want to spend that time making a real difference. Political pundits across the nation are watching this campaign as a bellweather of the current political landscape.
I encourage you to consider joining us to get out the votes for Debra! Let’s create an upset WIN for a Democrat and FLIP this previously Republican-held seat! You can volunteer with us through our mobilize link: mobilize.us/shigleyforgeorgia or email us at info@debraforgeorgia.com. As the Volunteer and Field Coordinator, I will be happy to walk you through our various volunteer opportunities and find the one which best fits your schedule.
