When Tyler Barton from the Adirondack Center for Writing asked me if I wanted to write a column about the upcoming election, he first asked me if I was excited to vote. This was not really a surprising question, given that this will be the first election I am able to vote in and therefore probably one of the more exciting moments of my newfound legal adulthood. That and being able to buy scratch lottery tickets. But what did surprise me was that my honest answer to Tyler’s question was yes.

Until recently, the thought of voting had filled me more with dread than exhilaration. I’m not one to support a bias against the elderly, but the thought of choosing another older white man with obvious communication and memory problems to rule over my country was not something that necessarily invoked happiness. I felt something like a little kid at the dinner table, forced between finishing a dinner I found disgusting or going to bed hungry, when what I really wanted was ice cream. That’s why I have fully thrown myself behind Kamala Harris as our next president. I understand that she may not be perfect, as no one politician truly can be, but I feel as if I’ve been given a delightful treat out of nowhere; instead of forcing myself to vote for another older white man in a long line of older white men (not to exclude Barack Obama, but despite how much respect I have for his presidency, we can all agree looking at our list of past leaders that he was a rarity), I have the honor of voting for a younger woman of color. I remember when Biden won the 2020 election, watching him stand on the stage with his family as confetti poured down and Daryl Hall and John Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True” played. But what I remember most clearly was the announcer as he briefly spoke about Kamala being the first female vice president. As he said this, the camera focused on a little girl in the crowd, sitting on her father’s shoulders and crying as she waved an American flag. It was then that I felt something I hadn’t realized I had been missing: Real hope.

I was 10 when Hillary Clinton lost the election to Donald Trump, and I remember feeling like I had been kicked in the gut. It’s not like I hadn’t known about sexism or the hatred she had been met with by many of the American people. I had just so firmly believed that a woman would be our next president. It seemed unfathomable to me that Trump would win, no matter how many times I heard the phrases, “lock her up” or “nasty woman.” It seemed so blatant to me that it was just a fear of a female in power, and for some reason it never occurred to me that that fear would win the election. For the next four years, when I discussed politics with my friends and family, I constantly repeated the phrase that rooted itself in my brain after the 2016 election: “We just clearly aren’t ready for a female president.” But when Kamala won VP, I felt a surprising shock of hope. And while I’m hesitant to get too excited or hopeful, I can suddenly envision a victory for America that would prove to young girls across the country that they deserve respect and a voice.

I don’t believe I am the only one who feels this way; far from it. In fact, I think most of the people in my generation are backing Kamala. I can’t count the number of times I’ve gotten into a political conversation with someone my age and ended the whole debate with each of us agreeing we would take almost any politician under the age of 70. I’ve even said I would’ve voted for Kanye West just to get some fresh blood on the political stage (this, I promise, was only a joke). It makes sense that young people would want to see younger people in office. So it may just be from desperation, but I believe that many Gen Zers happily back Kamala simply because she is new, young, a fresh face on the scene. But beyond that, she speaks up for things that our younger generations are hugely concerned about.

I am talking, as I’m sure you can guess, about climate change. You can’t discuss the younger voters’ preferences without discussing their greatest fears. Climate change is a huge source of anxiety for many in my generation, and huge numbers of people my age are already deeply involved in climate activism. On Instagram, many of the people I follow (some with differing political views) post about the dire need to save the planet pretty much daily. The biggest criticism of Trump that I have seen circulated (on my page of mostly Gen Z accounts) has been his indifference towards climate change, his insistence of it being a hoax, and the troubling Project 2025, which would set back any progress we’ve made. On the flip side, Kamala has already shown a vested interest in protecting the planet; not only did she pass some major climate laws over the past four years, but she has described herself as a “nerd” for renewable technology and was crucial in implementing green energy reforms to Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. During her 2020 campaign, she suggested a climate plan that would include a carbon tax to reduce industrial emissions, a solution that has been backed by many scientists. Already, Kamala has been endorsed by more than 350 environmental justice advocates due to her actions under the Biden administration, which included investigating underprivileged communities’ decades-long lack of access to sanitation and clean water. Many of these activists stated that they had more faith in Kamala than Biden because they felt she would be more willing to see the climate crisis from the perspective of underprivileged, marginalized voices, including poorer communities and people of color. This is perhaps evinced by Kamala’s co-sponsorship on the Green New Deal, a program designed to create jobs, help communities most affected by climate change and cut carbon emissions. And in 2019 she introduced the Water Justice Act with the hopes of improving water quality and access for marginalized peoples. At a time when climate activism is crucial, it’s no surprise that Kamala’s vested interest and compassionate approach is gaining support.

The other criticism I’ve seen, though not to quite such a large degree, is how much power Trump is planning to allow himself should he win the next election. As someone with a generally positive outlook, I like to believe that our government still has democratic values and intelligent individuals enough to stop Trump from becoming a dictator, or this from becoming the election to end all elections. However,Trump has hinted at some troubling power grabs he intends to make, and it seems to me that my peers feel a real sense of fear and urgency to stop him from winning this election.

I think another clear indication of Gen Z’s political preferences is how Kamala has been dubbed “brat.” For those who don’t know, “brat” is a term popularized by popstar Charli XCX’s June 2024 release of the same name, that has come to mean a person who is unapologetic, bright, maybe a little messy, but still fully capable. It is a big compliment in Gen Z culture, and reminds me a bit of when Hillary’s supporters took the phrase “nasty woman” for themselves. In any case, I take it as a clear indication that Gen Z is impressed with Kamala’s punchy and powerful personality, and backs her because of it. As for me, all I can say is that I remember clearly when Donald Trump was president, and I’m not ready to relive it. I am happy and, yes, deeply excited to vote in the upcoming election, and I am grateful, no matter the outcome, that I get to cast my vote for someone like Kamala Harris.

— — —

Lucy Thill is a recent graduate of Saranac Lake High School whose work has appeared in “Wild Words,” Local ADK Mag, Anarkiss Zine and elsewhere.