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They are the Millennials. And some may be casting their primary vote for the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist and presidential contender Bernie Sanders, according to various polls and a local Fairfield County supporter of Sanders.
A recent Harvard University poll found that 41 percent of surveyed Millennials said there was at least a 50-50 chance they would vote for Sanders in the upcoming primary. A slightly lower 35 percent said they would vote for Hillary Clinton, the Huffington Post reported.
Nina Sherwood, a Fairfield County Millennial and passionate Bernie supporter, said Sanders provides an alternative for Millennials who believe they don’t have a real say in politics.
“They feel like no matter who they vote into office as a president, congressman senator or mayor — it doesn’t matter,” Sherwood said. “Millennials know that a lot of politicians do what they have to do to get re-elected.”
And to get re-elected, they have to turn to big donors to the frustration of Millennials.
“Millennials are like, ‘Forget it, it doesn’t matter who we vote for what we say they’re all going to to do the same thing: follow the money, follow what the money wants,” she said.
But Sanders runs as a grassroots campaign, which is not beholden to large donors, she said. It’s funded by small donors, giving $20 or $30 at a time.
For this reason, Sherwood said many Millennials, who typically might not vote, will turn up at the polls because they feel it’s their “one shot” for a true change in politics. In Connecticut, the Democratic primary is slated for April 26, and only registered Democrats may cast ballots.
Sherwood also said Sanders' marijuana policy resonates with Millennials. She has seen people go through the judicial system for having “$5 of pot in their pockets.”
Like many Sanders supporters, she said government is wasting taxpayer dollars by incarcerating nonviolent offenders. But those who are charged with possessing marijuana also face serious negative consequences.
Sherwood said those charges ruin peoples’ lives. “They have it on their record forever,” she said of a marijuana arrest.
But even with the backing of many Millennials, Sanders has competition. Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, another anti-establishment candidate, receives his fair share of attention. If the two were to square off in the election, would Sanders win?
“I do think that Bernie would defeat Trump, and the reason is he is creating an umbrella for all sorts of people to be under,” she said. “Anybody who is not making $1 million or $1 billion a year would benefit from him being the president.”
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