Despite Michigan being a battleground for one of the most contentious midterm races this cycle, I couldn’t help but feel a draw to my native Texas.
Supporters line up outside a James Talarico rally at the University of Texas.(Sergio Flores / Getty Images)
These days at the University of Michigan, it is virtually impossible to walk through central campus without being reminded of the midterms. Blue and red tables line the walkways, and student organizers will literally chase you down to offer their spiel about which candidate deserves your vote.
It is not uncommon for professors to invite student organizations to give voter registration and election information presentations before class starts. As early voting began in Ann Arbor, on-campus voter hubs frequented classrooms to help Michigan-registered students cast their ballots. Even as I open my laptop and scroll through social media, advertisements for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers flash across my screen.
The visibility of the midterm elections in purple Michigan has been a striking contrast to my first 18 years growing up in solidly red Texas. There, I seldom encountered campaign advertisements and often questioned whether casting a ballot had any effect on electoral outcomes. But in Michigan, there is no doubt about it: Every vote matters.
University of Michigan student Britta Pingree, president of Turn Up Turnout, a nonpartisan organization that promotes civic engagement, said she has seen more political messaging and student advocacy during this “big election.”
“It definitely does seem like an energetic and important time,” Pingree said. “Students are aware of candidates and the specific offices that they’re voting for. They are knowledgeable about the ballot proposals that are available on the Ann Arbor and Michigan ballot.”
Despite Michigan’s being a battleground for one of the most contentious midterm races this cycle, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to my native Texas. The result of the tight race between Texas Senate candidates James Talarico and Ken Paxton may well be a litmus test for whether Democrats can make gains in red states.
Medha Kristipati, a student of government at the University of Texas at Austin, said she has noticed greater political engagement among students in recent years.
“I definitely do think people are more invested in politics now than when I was a child in Texas,” Kristipati said.
At the relatively liberal UT Austin, Kristipati has particularly noticed Democratic campaign outreach surrounding the Texas elections. She told me there’s an energetic effort to flip Texas blue—and that there’s a real sense that this might be possible.
“People are really pushing to make that happen.”
Experiencing these two political environments has led me to reconsider what makes voting feel meaningful. Although Michigan is a swing state where individual votes can carry significant weight, my connection to Texas shapes my decision to vote there instead. Having spent most of my life in Texas, I feel a personal responsibility to contribute to the state’s future, especially as it appears to be on the precipice of significant change.
Rather than viewing the state’s political leanings as a reason to disengage, the possibility of flipping Texas further encourages me to vote there and help shape a different political future for the place I call home.
Sarayu BongaleSarayu Bongale is a 2026 Puffin student writing fellow for The Nation and a public health student at the University of Michigan. She is an assistant news editor and writer at The Michigan Daily, where she covers the research beat. Previously, she served as editor in chief of the national award–winning publication Wingspan.