Head and Heart: a Young Democrat’s Journey Into American Politics

By Alyssa Tompkins

Clara McRae, Mariah Thomas, Eddy Manning and Emily Larson flaunt their signup sheets in front of a Rex Tillerson and Kathleen Williams banner.

Politics, let's face it, are sort of boring and intimidating. Similarly to most teens, Mariah Thomas didn’t want too much to do with politics. That is, however, until she saw a place with no politics that changed her mind: World War II Germany. Over the summer, she visited the Darfur Concentration Camp in Germany and was moved. Thomas was hit with the realization that American politics, while boring and intimidating, provide the opportunity to have your voice heard and to make a real difference. Imagine that, a European vacation to change an American mind.

Thomas identifies as a Democrat with scientific roots running deeply in her beliefs. With her parents being science teachers, she learned at an early age about how science affects our lives in politics more than one expects. For example, Thomas also identifies as a Feminist and disagrees with the way the Republican party is attempting to manage female rights, mainly reproductive rights. Science impacts Thomas’s decision-making and outlook on politics, forcing her to look more at facts and less at agendas.

But, that’s not to say that she is not led by her heart as well. Thomas is one part of the teen-led group Helena Youth Against Gun Violence, a non-partisan and non-profit organization. She, unlike many people advocating on either side of the controversial topic of gun control, openly told me that she had no solution. Setting her coffee cup down she said, “I’m not saying I have an answer; all I know is I don’t want more kids to be shot at school”.

Leading with both her head and her heart makes Thomas very special in politics. Not everyone can keep their emotions in check enough to handle themselves in politics, but Thomas can. She volunteered with the Democratic party in the latest midterm elections, supporting Jon Tester and Kathleen Williams. Talking to her about this topic was interesting; her face was set in focus, but she still managed to smile and laugh. It was obvious that she was comfortable with the conversation topic of politics. Thomas answered every question with integrity and honesty, not being afraid to admit when she didn’t have enough knowledge on a topic to answer.

The issues Thomas knew she knew very well. I asked her about the hyperlocalization demonstrated by Greg Gianforte and whether or not the democratic candidates should have utilized the same tactics. Thomas replied, “I don’t think so; I mean, the Democrats are trying to accomplish more than just hyper localized issues. They want change on a broader level, something for everyone and not just the citizens of Montana.”

Thomas’s heart took the lead on another issue: the issue of slam ads in elections. Nodding vigorously, she frowned and said, “Personally, I think that Williams should have run some audio of Greg Gianforte body slamming a reporter. She had audio, she could have used it. But, that’s the cool thing about Williams; she wanted to run a clean campaign. I really respect how hard she worked to prove that she was the best, not that anyone else was worse than she was.”

Thomas’ biggest accomplishment while on the election trail was managing her own staging area. A staging area is a location where people, vehicles, equipment or material are assembled before use. In a political setting, this is where the event is set up for example the stage itself and the sound booths are set up so that audiences do not have to see the construction. When I asked her what she was most proud of she said, “The staging area definitely. I had so much to manage, and I feel I did it well.” The thing is, she did have a lot to manage in this endeavor. Countless hours were logged getting everything set up, people accounted for, and everything in between. Along with managing the staging area, Thomas made calls and even knocked on some doors. She said that many people she spoke to were rudeo, but Thomas just had to let it roll of her back and do her job. One of her favorite stories about a person being rude did not happen to her, but judging by her laugh while telling it, she enjoys the story. According to Thomas, “Lea Hohenlohe (CHS junior) called this guy and went through the script. He was rude and hung up, but this was somewhat usual. A minute later she got a call back from the same guy. Of course, Lea said hello in a confused way but tried to remain professional. The guy said that he wanted Bush back in office, and Lea just sat there now even more confused. He was all like, ‘you wasted my time, so I’m wasting yours’.”

To sum it all up, politics aren’t for the weak of heart or the weak of mind. But some people excel in politics and do great (or not so great) things. Thomas seems to have what it takes. As the year goes on, she will continue to be on the political level through her membership with Helena Youth Against Gun Violence as well as being in correspondence with potential and current political leaders of Montana.