Year in Review: Midterm elections drive Penn community to the polls, political causes

The Day by day Pennsylvanian’s political protection this 12 months adopted how the Penn neighborhood reacted to this 12 months’s greatest moments in politics – starting from the leaked draft of the overturning of Roe v. Wade to Penn college students’ function within the Pennsylvania midterm elections.

Feb. 8 – America Senate confirmed former Penn President Amy Gutmann as U.S. ambassador to Germany. Penn professors spoke with the DP about Gutmann’s means to fix relationships with Germany after former President Donald Trump and Angela Merkel’s rocky relationship. 

Feb. 23 – As Pennsylvania unveiled a brand new state congressional map, Penn’s political leaders mirrored on the method of redistricting and highlighted the hazard of gerrymandering on this course of.

Fourteen completely different congressional maps have been submitted for approval by teams of residents, lawmakers, and even included a map submitted by a gaggle of mathematicians, together with Penn arithmetic professor Phillip Gressman. 

Could 3 – Tons of protested at Penn and Metropolis Corridor after a leaked draft advised that the Supreme Courtroom would overturn Roe v. Wade and go away abortion entry as much as particular person states.

Over 100 pro-abortion rights protestors marched throughout Penn’s campus, together with Faculty first 12 months Gabrielle Galchen, who spoke on the march concerning the significance of ladies having autonomy over their our bodies.

“This alternative is prime to her human rights,” Galchen mentioned. “This alternative signifies that her uterus isn’t authorities property. It isn’t anybody’s property. It is her property, hers alone.”

Could 18 – The outcomes for Pennsylvania’s main elections have been introduced as over 100 voters casted their ballots in individual on campus on Election Day. Leaders of Penn political teams inspired college students to vote early or by absentee poll as college students have been leaving campus for summer season trip.

Penn graduate Mehmet Ozwon the Republican Senate main and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman gained the Democratic main, resulting in a tight Senate race that decided the steadiness of energy in Congress. 

For the gubernatorial race, state Sen. Doug Mastriano gained the Republican nomination and Legal professional Common Josh Shapiro ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. 

Oct. 7 – President Joe Biden stopped by Penn’s campus in an sudden go to, marking his first public appearance on the College since 2019.

Biden arrived on the College Assembly and Visitor Home earlier than going to the Penn Bookstore. He stopped to greet college students and Philadelphia residents alongside the best way. Biden was accompanied by Penn President Liz Magill and his granddaughter Natalie Biden, who was reportedly visiting the College.  

Oct. 27 – The DP surveyed over 350 members of the Penn neighborhood and analyzed their preferences forward of the midterm elections.

The DP discovered that over 87% of the scholars who mentioned they’re eligible to vote additionally mentioned that they might vote within the election. The DP additionally discovered that almost all of scholars who deliberate to vote mentioned they might vote for Fetterman for senator and Shapiro for governor. Abortion entry topped the checklist for points the Penn college students care essentially the most about.

Nov. 7 – Forward of the midterm elections, Governor-elect Shapiro spoke to the DP concerning the significance of November’s elections and pupil voter turnout. Shapiro mentioned that his Republican opponent, Mastriano, would struggle to take away rights from Penn college students. 

“It’s all on the road for college students, whether or not it’s your proper to equality schooling, whether or not it’s your proper to make choices over your individual physique, proper to marry who you’re keen on, your proper to vote,” Shapiro mentioned. “We’ve received to do our half to guard individuals’s rights.” 

Nov. 9 – Over 2,000 on-campus voters cast ballots on Election Day. Fetterman and Shapiro beat Ozand Mastriano, for Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial and Senate races.

Forward of the election, former President Barack Obama and Biden hosted a rally for Pennsylvania Democrats. Roughly 7,500 attended the rally at Temple College. 

“This election requires each single one in all us to do our half,” Obama instructed the group on the rally. 

Nov. 15 – 1968 Wharton graduate Trump announced his 2024 presidential run at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Seashore, Fla. 

“The previous two years below Joe Biden had been a time of ache, hardship, anxiousness, and despair,” Trump mentioned on the occasion. 

Scholar representatives from Penn Democrats and Penn Faculty Republicans agreed that they might not help Trump’s marketing campaign. Faculty Republicans mentioned that the membership would like “a youthful, extra certified candidate who higher embodies conservative values.”

Take a look at the remainder of the DP’s Year in Review content here.