While Rowen Hildreth ’23 and Henry Haskell ’23 row together as teammates in the Sweeney Taylor, on the Circle, they are citizens. As respective heads of the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs, they offer their insights on the upcoming midterm elections.

According to both, the two most important issues in the midterm election are abortion and the state of the economy. 

Earlier this year, in the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson decision, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, turning the issue of abortion rights back to individual states. “I grow increasingly frustrated with the Republican party when they go back on their word and say that we should have a national abortion ban, when that is clearly against the values of the Tenth Amendment they used to fight against abortion in the first place,” said Henry. “It’s become more and more about pushing an agenda – there’s no honor in what they are actually representing.” Rowen noted that there is a splintering of values occurring within the Republican party, between old guard and Trump-aligned members.

They also acknowledged the sway that President Joe Biden has on the parties. “People have this idea that the Republicans are going to destroy in the midterms in a ‘balancing act,’ but a large number of Senators up for reelection are in states that voted for Biden during the 2020 election,” said Henry. In the House, “Democrats need a near sweep of the competitive seats” to maintain control, Rowen noted. 

Rowen also thinks that Biden’s stance on China has affected the parties’ stances on foreign policy. “Biden has been standing up to China, whereas now the Republican party has become isolationist, probably because Biden has taken the other tack, and since Trump’s whole thing was no more foreign wars,” he said. “It seems that it’s trending in the direction that Democrats are more focused on the alliances.”

Looking inward on the political culture at Groton, Henry observed that during the club fair, students were wary about openly signing up for Young Republicans. “I always think it’s funny when I see people peeking around to make sure others aren’t looking when they sign up,” he said. “At the end of the day, I don’t think there should be that much of a stigma around it. People like to categorize Republicans, but Republicans aren’t all that bad.” 

Despite students’ hesitancy around openly expressing their political opinions, Rowen spoke about how special it is to discuss politics at Groton. Current alumni in the House include representatives Bobby Scott ’65 and Jim Cooper ’72. “It’s kind of amazing how much of an influence the school’s alumni have had over the state of the country,” Rowen said.

To those who want to become more politically aware, Rowen and Henry recommend reading an article a day from trusted newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (both of which are available in the library), and, of course, attending Young Democrats and Young Republicans meetings.