by Riley Blankenship

On January 23, Americans watched in anticipation for the 2024 Republican Presidential Primary results in New Hampshire. No one was surprised by the results – former president Donald Trump easily won the primary, earning 54.3 percent of the votes. Trump’s main competitor during the primary was former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, earning 43.2 percent of the votes. Despite the loss, Haley stated that she is going to stay in the presidential race.

This is a critical election year that takes precedence out of any of the last election years. As a political science major who is actively watching the 2024 presidential race, the main problem I see is the lack of interest in young voters. When voters look to see what President Joe Biden has done during his tenure, many lose interest and refuse to support him as his administration has made countless errors over the years. Furthermore, with Trump, he has undoubtedly lost much of Gen Z’s support due to him having an alter ego, being a misogynist and his countless other flaws.

            In my opinion, even though the candidates to choose from may not be the best, not voting should not be the solution in this coming election. As a member of Gen Z, I understand that things in the presidential race might look bleak now. However, there is good news on the horizon as during the New Hampshire primary, a new Democratic candidate has emerged to hopefully take on President Biden. Dean Phillips, a former congressman for Minnesota’s third district, had 19.6 percent of the votes in the New Hampshire democratic primary. It is important to note though that Biden was not on the ballot as Biden wanted to start on the South Carolina primary instead.

I really encourage young college students to participate in this year’s election. There is so much at stake and with by voting, we can really make a difference for this country needs. Make sure you mark the date of the North Carolina primaries which is on March 5, 2024.