University of Nebraska Student Sets Sights on Congress

By Michelle Austein

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), students are excited about the upcoming U.S. elections.

"I have never seen students more up on what the candidates stand for and what has been happening in particular races," said Michael Wagner, assistant professor of political science at the university.

As at many college campuses throughout the country, students are enthusiastic about Democrat Barack Obama. But UNL is a "little different than your average campus," Wagner said. This campus, in the midst of America's rural heartland, is more conservative than the average U.S. university and Republican John McCain has many supporters here.

One of those students is especially engaged in the political scene: Max Yashirin, 25, who will graduate this summer with a degree in international business, is on the campaign trail as the Democratic candidate to represent the Nebraska 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Typically, American college students earn their degrees at around age 21 or 22, but Yashirin put college on hold to join the Marines and serve in Iraq.

Yashirin told America.gov that serving in Iraq helped him understand problems in how the war has been handled by leaders in Washington. He said he does not believe troops are getting enough support to conduct missions in Iraq properly or to transition effectively back to civilian life at home.

Because he is a veteran, Iraq is the issue voters most want to discuss with him, Yashirin said, but he also has firsthand experience with another hot political topic - immigration. With his parents and three younger brothers, the aspiring congressman emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1990.

"There are so many people who come over here looking for a chance to succeed, just like my parents did," Yashirin said. "I don't want to deny any one that."

Yashirin said that his experience as an immigrant makes him believe that most of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are hard-working people looking for opportunity. He does not favor deporting those already here because deportation would be too much of a drain on community resources.

Nebraska's Political Landscape

Immigration has become a contentious issue in the Lincoln area, where Hispanics have been the fastest-growing population group in the past decade, Wagner said. In addition, "the economy is becoming an even greater issue as gas prices continue to climb and food prices continue to climb," Wagner said.

Economic issues are particularly complex in Nebraska, where corn is a major crop. Along with being a major food staple, corn can be used to produce the fuel ethanol.

"On the one hand, farmers are finally having a good year here," Wagner said. "On the other hand, it's at the expense of record gas prices and high food prices.

"There's a real hunger in this part of the state for there to be less of a reliance on foreign oil. ...[E]thanol production is good for Nebraska farmers. Corn prices are higher than they've been in years."

In political races, Nebraska tends to favor Republicans, with Republican presidential candidates carrying the state in each presidential election since 1964. However, Ben Nelson, one of Nebraska's two senators and a former governor, is a Democrat.

The state has more registered Republicans than Democrats, but this year's excitement over the Democratic caucuses might account for a significant drop in Republican registrants. (See "Nebraska Democrats Hope To Influence Presidential Nominations ( http://www.america.gov/st/elections08-english/2008/February/20080208174629abretnuh0.276272.html ).")

The growing Hispanic population also helped fuel an increase in registered Democratic voters.

And, even though Nebraska continues to be a culturally conservative state, unhappiness with President Bush and the status of the economy could shift voters toward Democratic candidates.

Additionally, Nebraska's unique system of distributing Electoral College votes provides some opportunity for the Democratic presidential candidate. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that do not award all of their Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote in the state. Instead, they award votes by congressional district and then give two additional Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the most votes statewide.

Since Nebraska's Electoral College law went into effect in 1991, the statewide winner of the popular vote also has won in every congressional district. But it could be different this year, with polls indicating Obama currently is favored over McCain in Lincoln.

Yashirin's Uphill Battle

Despite the increased support for Democrats this election season, Wagner said that Yashirin faces an uphill battle against Republican incumbent Jeff Fortenberry. Fortenberry, who has been the district's congressional representative since 2005, previously served on the Lincoln City Council.

"It has been a really long time since a Democrat has held the Nebraska 1st District seat," Wagner said. "If there was ever a year [for a Democrat to win] it's this one. But even then, it's not likely."

Yashirin needs to do a better job raising money and getting his name known if he wants to be competitive, Wagner said. Otherwise, voters will vote for the person they know, he said.

"Fundraising is going OK, but I wish it was going better," Yashrinin said, "But I am not going to let that deter me. ... When there is a will, there is a way.

"I have the will and I will find a way to do this."

This article is part of America.gov's continuing coverage of seven of the 435 U.S. congressional districts during the 2008 campaign. Each offers a different prism though which to view U.S. politics. For more information, see U.S Elections - State and Local ( http://uspolitics.america.gov/uspolitics/elections/stateandlocal.html ).

Source: U.S. Department of State

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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