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Across the country this fall, 18 �鶹��ý students spent 10 weeks working tirelessly to support political campaigns in battleground states and swing districts as part of the College’s Campaign Semester, the only undergraduate program of its kind in which students earn a full semester of academic credit for hands-on work on the frontlines.

Most of the campaigns that the students worked on won on Election Day in states that included Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

Those wins included barrier-breaking firsts. 

Politics major Brandon Do ’28 worked on the campaign for Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms—Atlanta’s former mayor—who made history after being elected as Georgia’s first Black governor and the first Black female governor in the country.

I gained a much deeper appreciation and respect for the work and dedication that goes into running a successful campaign.

—Brandon Do ’28

“It was an incredible honor to be part of such a historic campaign and work alongside a team that was so dedicated to making history in Georgia,” says Do. “Throughout the past three months, I had the opportunity to learn the inner workings of a statewide political campaign and gain firsthand experience with everything that goes on behind the scenes.”

Do’s efforts included working on campaign operations, community outreach, and events.

“I gained a much deeper appreciation and respect for the work and dedication that goes into running a successful campaign,” he says. “Being able to see all of that hard work come together on Election Day was an experience I will never forget.”

In New Hampshire, Politics Department major Ivy Batmale ’28 supported the campaign for Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who made history as the first openly gay man to be elected to the U.S. Senate. 

Politics major Zachary McGraw ’27 worked on the campaign for Democrat Rob Sand, who was elected as governor of Iowa, becoming the first Democrat to win election to that office since 2006. Economics major Agustin Fernandez ’27 helped with Democrat Cait Conley’s winning congressional campaign in Rockland County, New York. 

Launched in 2008, and taking place every two years—timed to elections—Campaign Semester is open to Oxy students of all majors. Students work full-time in a key presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, gubernatorial, or state legislative campaign of their choice for the first 10 weeks of the fall semester, leading up to Election Day. 

They participate in a variety of campaign tasks, including voter registration, voter turnout support, volunteer coordination, media relations, social media, research, speech writing, and fundraising.

After Election Day, students return to campus and begin a five-week seminar to explore the broader context of their experiences through readings, discussion, and writing. E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy Emeritus Peter Dreier and Politics Department Chair and Professor Regina Freer lead the seminar and supervise the students’ independent study projects.