To the editor:

My name is Jennifer Zhang, and I am a college student and recent graduate of Potsdam High School running to represent our congressional district at the 2020 Democratic National Convention as a delegate pledged to Elizabeth Warren. 

The DNC is the national convention where delegates from across the country convene to determine who the Democratic presidential candidate will be. Delegates whose candidates get sufficient votes attend the convention and are pledged to vote for their candidate.

The North Country faces many problems: Local manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas, small farms struggle as large agribusinesses dominate food markets, and as a result we are one of the most impoverished regions in New York state. Though we have robust colleges, students face a lack of economic opportunities upon graduation and often move away after earning their degrees here.

Elizabeth Warren is running on a platform of policies that will revitalize our community. Medicare for All will lower net health care costs, while her plan to establish a $25 billion rural health care access fund will improve lives for North Country residents. She has pledged $100 billion over 10 years to end the opioid crisis and $7 billion to a nationwide fund to support small businesses. She will review and reverse mergers between large agribusinesses that made food markets less competitive and include representatives from rural areas in all future trade negotiations. Her plan for free public college and to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt for each American will allow students to stay in rural areas like the North Country and create new economic opportunities, rather than flocking to cities in search of the highest-salaried jobs to pay off their student loans.

The price tags for these policies can sound frightening. However, Warren has created a dollar-for-dollar plan to finance her initiatives by increasing taxes on large corporations and people with a net worth over $50 million. Over 99% of American households and practically all of the North Country will NOT pay more in taxes, while Medicare for All will help average households save $12,000 a year.

As we look to 2020, we should think about which policies will most improve our everyday lives. We must decide whether we want our presidential nominee to simply appear centrist and palatable, or to truly reflect our values and be committed to fighting for US — not the billionaires who have for years controlled American politics through their pocketbooks.

I firmly believe that Elizabeth Warren is the best candidate running and would be a phenomenal president. Over the month of January, my fellow delegate candidates and I will be crisscrossing this district to collect signatures to get Warren on the ballot. Come April, I would be honored to have your support as a delegate in the New York state Democratic primary, and Elizabeth Warren would be proud to have your vote.

Jennifer Zhang

Potsdam