In case you needed another reason to be pessimistic about the future, it’s increasingly looking like 2024 will come down to Trump and Biden once again. Yet despite the dismissal from mainstream media, Biden’s primary challengers have been gaining some traction.

Most notably, author and prior presidential candidate Marianne Williamson is becoming a prominent challenger to Biden, and is especially popular with young and progressive voters. Williamson claims to be a modern incarnation of Franklin Roosevelt, and promises to bring about sweeping economic reform. She says that as President, she will create an economic bill of rights for all Americans that includes a living wage, universal healthcare, a right to unionize, and a right to a healthy environment. Other transformative ideas include the creation of a Department of Peace, meant to engage in peace building both domestically and abroad. 

Williamson’s campaign is in a difficult position, they are challenging a democratic incumbent when her potential supporter base is terrified of a Republican victory. Joe Biden already ran successfully, and has governed significantly to the left of how many expected him to, so a lot of democrats are getting complacent. However, anyone left of center has to acknowledge that Biden has had some pretty significant shortfalls as president. 

In spite of some accomplishments, the Biden administration will surely be remembered for how they failed future generations on the climate. After promising not to approve any new oil drilling, Biden approved the Willow Project, a private natural gas extraction project in Alaska with an enormous carbon footprint attached. While Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act makes significant investments in renewables, it doesn’t approach the World War Two scale economic mobilization that experts say is necessary to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Williamson, however, has made calls for this mobilization a major feature of her campaign. 

Young people have a massive incentive to care about this, as things like the Willow project threaten the ecosystems that we have to rely on for the rest of our lives. Also, living in a community like Bend, we have to be vigilant about protecting our natural environment from climate change. Bend’s economy and quality of life will be greatly impacted by policies like the Willow Project in the decades to come, as will be practically the rest of the world. For a community that is already at risk of droughts and wildfires, climate policy alone should be enough to vote for Williamson over Biden. 

Beyond that, Summit students have a vested interest in bringing down the cost of higher education. Recently, Biden has caved to Kevin McCarthy and the Republican Party in debt ceiling negotiations by agreeing to end the Covid-era pause on student loan payments. By contrast, Marianne goes far beyond Biden’s policy of leniency on student loan debt, she advocates for free tuition for public colleges, universities, and trade schools, as well as forgiving all of the student loan debt she is able to as president. 

Furthermore, Marianne Williamson has pledged to be a much greater advocate for unions than the current President. Just months ago, Biden urged Congress to force a contract on rail workers who threatened to strike over a lack of paid sick leave and poor safety rules. The workers weren’t given their sick leave, and one of the companies involved was responsible for the East Palestine train derailment disaster. Beyond that, Marianne advocates for things like universal healthcare, raising the minimum wage, and greatly increased taxes on the ultra-wealthy. Measures like these will help reduce the extreme income inequality that has affected the entire country, including our own communities. 

For far too long, young voters and progressives have been ignored by the political establishment. It’s taken as a foregone conclusion that young people won’t bother to vote, so candidates don’t cater to them. Likewise, progressive candidates scare off donors and are shunned by many in the media, so their supporters are expected to, at all times, support more centrist candidates, lest the dreaded Republican nominee win. Only through voting for candidates like Marianne Williamson can we break this cycle, she has attracted the support of young people and has run as an unapologetic progressive. While her candidacy may be a long shot, giving her your vote is a step in the right direction for a better future.