Wisconsin Young Democrats Join in the Enthusiasm at 2024 DNC

Frederica Freyberg:
One of the groups that has been most energized since Joe Biden dropped out of the race includes younger Democrats. “Here & Now” senior political reporter Zac Schultz met with the future of the Democratic Party to talk about how the race has changed and how they’re looking to change the party.

Zac Schultz:
If you’ve watched the nightly programing at the Democratic National Convention, you’ve seen some of Wisconsin’s youngest delegates enjoying their brief moment in the spotlight, reacting to the speeches.

Ana Wilson:
It’s been awesome and all the Wisconsin delegates have been pumped up so.

Zac Schultz:
Ana Wilson is entering her sophomore year of college, and she’s making the most of her introduction to national politics as a Wisconsin delegate.

Ana Wilson:
This is a big honor and opportunity for me. So I thought that was, you know, very exciting. And I’m excited to obviously represent Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:
Ana spent her freshman year with the College Democrats, learning how to organize voters.

Ana Wilson:
A lot of college students that I’ve talked to have been like, “Oh, my vote doesn’t matter.” And I’m like, “It does. It really does.”

Landiran Kern:
We’re outside canvasing, calling, knocking on plenty of doors.

Zac Schultz:
Landiran Kern just graduated high school and started doing field work last year in Fond du Lac. He wants to use his seat at the table to make sure Democrats don’t take the youth vote for granted.

Landiran Kern:
I feel that so often when it comes to the youth voice and seeing someone young, we’re not taken as seriously as we probably should be.

Zac Schultz:
Roman Fritz would agree with Kern on that.

Roman Fritz:
I want to see more young people in the Democratic Party. Pretty much everyone here is, you know, 30 plus.

Zac Schultz:
They’ve all felt the surge in enthusiasm that came with Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.

Ana Wilson:
I have so much respect for Joe Biden, and I think it was a very selfless act that, you know, he did. And I thought it was, you know, a good decision.

Landiran Kern:
When it comes to the youth voters and turnout, I believe it has risen heavily. Ultimately, I think people would have still came out and voted with President Biden. But people are excited about a Harris-Walz ticket.

Zac Schultz:
Fritz thinks Harris is better than Biden, but still refused to vote for her nomination.

Roman Fritz:
I’m planning on, you know, supporting her in the fall, but at the same time, I’m not going to be remarkably enthusiastic about it.

Zac Schultz:
He’s a college student and one of the few Wisconsin delegates to attend the protests and call for a military embargo with Israel.

Roman Fritz:
In the DNC, it’s celebratory, but outside with the protests, they’re concerned about Kamala Harris’s policy in Gaza.

Zac Schultz:
Fritz thinks more young Democrats are concerned about the plight of Palestinians but are afraid to speak up. He’s received national attention this week for his views. Kern says most young people he knows care more about issues like the potential TikTok ban.

Landiran Kern:
You have to meet them exactly where they are and it doesn’t matter the policy, they’re not going to care about what country we’re going to war with or who we’re helping or who we’re allied with. And I hate to say that, but it’s true.

Zac Schultz:
Ana Wilson says the questions about Israel and Palestine are difficult.

Ana Wilson:
Honestly, I tend to stay away from that just because I’m not as educated as other people are.

Zac Schultz:
No matter the policy differences in Chicago, in a few weeks they’ll each be in college and drawing on this experience as they campaign in the fall and encourage young voters to support Democrats in November.

Landiran Kern:
I will definitely be drawing back and remembering this. You know, the opportunity to each morning sit down and talk with members of my own party and people of my own delegation.

Roman Fritz:
I think that young people and young progressive people especially should get involved in politics, because when they get involved in the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party will become full of young, progressive people.

Ana Wilson:
Yeah, I was obviously motivated before to, you know, obviously get out there and canvass and things like that. But I think after this I will be even more pumped and I’m ready to get things done because we’re obviously not going back. So I’m ready.