Another Civic Scholar hits road with Kasich campaign

By: Edward Perez – Staff Writer

After interning in the Ohio Statehouse this past summer, six UD students were given the opportunity to assist Gov. John Kasich in his campaign for presidency.

Senior political science major Elaine Laux was one of these students. Laux interned for Senator Peggy Lehner, state senator for the 6th district of the Ohio Senate, during her time in the Statehouse.

A coworker Laux met during her internship became involved in Gov. Kasich’s campaign and reached out to Laux before the New Hampshire primaries. He asked if she and other college republicans were interested in assisting the Governor’s campaign in New Hampshire.

It was an opportunity Laux said she could not pass up.

“I mean, this is what I’ve wanted to do since the past four or five years, and since high school,” Laux said excitedly. “I hope to work in Columbus when I graduate, in the Statehouse, hopefully for a senator or a representative.”

Laux is a strong supporter of Gov. Kasich.

“I love John Kasich: I think he’s a great politician, a great man and a great leader,” Laux said. “I have been a great fan. I was born and raised in Ohio and lived under his leadership for the past five years.”

Laux adds that Kasich has done wonderful things for Ohio, in terms of bettering the economy and providing jobs has turned the state around.

“He really has great leadership skills, and him running for president is super exciting,” Laux said. “I definitely wanted to get involved and help out—it’s kind of my way of giving back to him as he’s given me so much to live in such a prosperous state.”

Laux stresses the fact that Kasich fixed the budget deficit left by Ohio’s previous governor, Ted Strickland, and flipped it into a budget surplus.

Following up on the tip from her former coworker, Laux sent out emails asking to join the governor in New Hampshire and received responses of approval from Kasich’s office. Laux and five other UD students spent five days in New Hampshire, from Feb. 5 until Feb. 10, working to convince voters that Kasich is the ideal president for America through a variety of tasks. Laux and her companions were primarily in Nashua while in New Hampshire. There, they went door-to-door and made calls to residents in an attempt to persuade them to vote for Kasich.

Laux says she expected to get doors shut in her face but many of the New Hampshire residents were still indecisive on whom to vote for so they were receptive and listened to what she and her peers had to say about the governor.

Gov. Kasich came in second behind Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primary. Trump won 35 percent of the votes, while Kasich won 13 percent.

Laux says Kasich’s results in New Hampshire were incredible.

“I had the experience of a lifetime up there. It was so fun to be at the election watch party on Tuesday night and see the results coming in,” Laux said. “You can tell [Kasich] was just so proud and happy to have us all of there, especially being from his home state—he really appreciated that.”

For continued coverage on the students involved with the Kasich campaign, visit here.