The Voter Project - Sharing Stories from Voters in Congressional Districts Across America Shira Honig

Irving Calderon is a 27-year-old from Austin and the sole Dreamer and DACA recipient in his family. As the 2018 midterm election cycle draws to a close, Irving talks about coming to terms with his status, the frustrations of myths surrounding immigrants, and the importance of advocacy in the ongoing search for a permanent legislative solution.

16-year old Sydna Kennedy and her mom, Melissa Harris, are a rare breed in Modoc County in rural, conservative northern California: progressives. In this episode, we talk about voting, activism, and what life is like advocating against gun violence in an area of the country where the local sheriff’s office gets funding from the NRA.

Mary Ibarra is a Texas native from the Rio Grande Valley and Swing Left’s Central Field Director. We talk about her organizing work for Democratic campaigns in Texas, Nevada, Colorado, and Georgia, her role as a congressional aide for Congressman Lloyd Doggett, the challenges facing progressives and America today, and what she loves most about organizing and knocking doors.

Originally from Zimbabwe, 20-year-old Amanda Musvosi came to California when she was 7 and grew up surrounded by family with a strong appreciation for civic engagement and free and fair elections. Today Amanda is taking her passion for democracy and health care and motivating others to become more involved through her work as a Swing Left fellow in CA-07.

Originally from Trinidad, Jendayi London lives in Florida’s 27th district and is a student at the University of Miami, where she took a class with FLA-27 Democratic primary winner Donna Shalala. We talk about immigration, growing up with a mom in the military, the struggles of minority communities, and her work this summer with Swing Left in TX-31, where MJ Hegar is running to defeat U.S. Rep. John Carter.

Grace Curtiss is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, a university fellow for Swing Left, and a great ambassador for Democratic candidates in two districts.
In particular, Grace supports Angie Craig in Minnesota's 2nd District and Dean Phillips in Minnesota's 3rd District, both of whom won their respective Minnesota primaries on August 16th.
In this interview, we cover a variety of topics, including why she has chosen to support those two candidates, what she learned from her time as an exchange student, and much more.