With the primary election over, California’s field is now nearly set. And as we turn toward the November midterms and consider the future of our democracy more broadly, one truth stands out: education matters, and colleges and universities have a vital role to play in strengthening democratic life.
Just days before California voters received their primary ballots in May, eight gubernatorial candidates took the stage at Pomona College for one of the most consequential debates of this contentious election cycle. With no clear front-runner, a crowded field, and voters still deeply divided, the conversation felt unusually urgent, especially for young people who will live longest with the decisions at stake.
California’s future is theirs.
Anyone who regularly speaks with students knows that the issues dominating the race, such as affordability, higher education, housing, economic mobility, and public trust, are already influencing their choices about where to live, work, and build sustainable futures.
A college campus is the ideal venue for discussions like these, and putting students at the center of the debate was a reminder of something higher education can do far more deliberately.