The Way I See It

The Way I See It

When making the decision to run as a candidate for Texas State
Representative for District 134, I initially felt that I was simply
doing my part in providing another choice for the voters. Having no
misconceptions about my inability to financially out-compete either of
my opponents (and thus having no plans for aggressive, active
campaigning), I thought having my name on the ballot would provide that
choice, and I’d do my part in raising awareness about issues that I
find important. In the course of my campaign, I discovered that
nominally providing more choice is only the beginning.

DEKMEZIAN

Many have asked me why I decided to run for office. The answer was
quite simple: The incumbent didn’t properly represent the views of the
district. I found the other challenger was also deficient but in
different ways. Neither of my opponents were moderate enough for this
district, each promoting a small set of positions in order to push an
otherwise unwanted agenda. Rather than standing aside and complaining,
I felt there was no choice but to do my duty and participate in the
political process.

Lacking major financial backing and a major party label, I faced
many difficulties. It was difficult to gain exposure. As a full-time
pre-med biochemistry student, I had no shortage of class work in the
several months prior to the election; juggling multiple exams, projects
and campaign-finance paperwork was no easy task and limited the scope
of my efforts. Discouragingly, there were also efforts by a few to keep
me from being heard by the voters. However, with some extra effort and
support from the most unexpected of people, I not only was able to
receive an invitation to participate in a Rice-hosted debate against my
opponents, but also received extensive newspaper coverage in multiple
publications. An invitation to a second three-way debate turned out
quite well, and approaching Election Day Nov. 7, I found myself walking
door-to-door and delivering yard signs to many supporters.

Plunging headfirst into the world of politics, I spoke with many
people regarding my candidacy. Many were glad that someone was taking
these steps, and I soon found widespread support from my peers,
professors, friends and family. Despite this, the two-party system
still dominates our electoral process, regardless of how poorly today’s
leaders may represent us.

As a society, we have a long way to go in refining our political
process and its accessibility to the voters. There are too many
regulations and not enough choices, both in politics and our personal
lives. While the votes I received did not determine the outcome of the
election, I think I did my part in exposing voters to additional debate
and alternative ideas. I can only hope that in future years others will
do as I did and continue working to restore access to the political
system. The process is there, and it’s up to us, as Americans and
Texans, to actively participate in the it.

—Mhair Dekmezian is a Brown College junior who ran for the District 134 seat in the Texas State House of Representatives.

”The Way I See It” is a special guest column written by faculty, staff and students at the invitation of the Rice News.