Black Lives Matter UNLV president Micajah Daniels says American students will hold politicians to account after the Midterm elections. Photo / Natalie Akoorie
Black Lives Matter UNLV president Micajah Daniels says American students will hold politicians to account after the Midterm elections. Photo / Natalie Akoorie
University student activists are happy with the 2018 Midterm election results in Nevada, which all but turned blue under Democratic victories last night – but they say the fight isn't over.
The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) students said they used their power in uniting the youth vote of Nevada to bring down a state senator who voted for a bill that would reduce their access to affordable healthcare.
Incumbent Senator Dean Heller, who was dispatched by Democrat Jacky Rosen, last year opposed his Republican Party's effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, saying it would harm 210,000 Nevadans who received coverage under Obamacare's Medicaid expansion.
But he later supported a bill that critics said would reduce Medicaid funding long-term.
Black Lives Matter UNLV president Micajah Daniels said Heller's decision directly affected her and her 3-year-old son.
"I told him how much it meant to me and my son. If my son gets an ear infection I'm going to end up in debt or he's going to end up deaf, and I'm going to take the debt over my son losing his ability to hear.
"Our group actually lobbied with Dean Heller in his office in [Washington] DC and he looked us in our faces and said 'I will not cut Medicaid'."
Without health insurance, Daniels cannot take her son to a regular GP. It would mean having to visit a hospital and the cost is several hundred dollars, plus the prescription.
University of Nevada student activist Jameela Lewis urging students to vote at a campus rally in Las Vegas. Photo / Natalie Akoorie
Daniels said youth, marginalised and minority voters recognised Heller's change in tack and did not like it.
"He went and turned his vote and he showed that he was not representing us so now he doesn't represent us any more. And that should go for every politician in our office who wants to run.
"We will hold them accountable. We will show up to their offices. They are not just going to get the youth vote – they are going to work for it."
Daniels said youth were satisfied with last night's results, where Nevada voted into office a Democrat senator, governor, and three out of four seats in the House of Representatives.
That was helped by a Midterms record of 649,000 voters who turned out for the swing state.
"A lot of people are pleased with the results of last night's election but the work is not over," Daniels said.
"A lot of people are pumped for 2020. We're ready to keep going, to keep this momentum up and we can't falter for a second."
Fellow student activist organiser Karl Catarata said youth had the power to mobilise like no other generation because of their use of social media.
In these Midterms, the youth vote was at a record high turnout.
• Natalie Akoorie is in the US courtesy of the State Department Foreign Press Center to report on the 2018 Midterm elections.
