Political Saints took their knowledge and enthusiasm out of the classroom and into campaign offices and TV studios for Election 2026.
Jenna Wyner ’28 was an active volunteer on Chloe Pierce’s winning campaign for the New York State Assembly. Wyner also worked on the campaigns of incumbent state Senator Pat Fahy and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, as well as Devin Lander’s campaign for state Senate. A few candidates for local offices had her help as well.
“One of my favorite parts of campaign work is getting to connect with people in our community and see firsthand how much of a difference grassroots organizing can make,” said Wyner. “I got involved because I believe young people deserve a seat at the table, and volunteering on campaigns gives us the opportunity to do more than just talk about the issues we care about. It allows us to actively shape the future of our communities.”
Wyner will carry on her work after election season ends: she is membership director of the Albany County Young Democrats and president of the Siena Democrats. In these roles she helps organize and participate in canvassing efforts, encourages student involvement, and connects young people with opportunities to get involved in local elections.
Sophia Farrell ’27 also helped Pierce win election by working phones and doors along with helping to plan events during the campaign.
“I got involved because I believe in Chloe’s commitment to our community, and I wanted to help bring that message to our neighbors,” said Farrell. “My favorite part of campaign work is the conversations with voters, hearing what matters most to them and knowing we’re building something together.”
On the Republican side, Colin Thompson ’29 worked on Frank Mauriello's campaign for state Assembly by following up on absentee ballots, calling constituents to get out the vote, helping plan fundraisers and more.
“I chose to get involved with campaign work because it allows me to gain first-hand experience with the political election process,” said Thompson. “Overall, it has given me a better understanding of how campaigns operate.”
Like Wyner and Farrell, he said he really enjoys talking to people in the community and seeing all of the work that goes on behind the scenes.
“This experience of getting to work alongside elected officials gave me important insight into government, public service, campaigning, and elections, which will be very helpful to me as a political science major looking to someday have a career in law,” he said.
Siena Saints did their part by registering to vote and either getting to the polls or mailing in an absentee ballot. Audra Rock ’27 led the campus effort to register students, and helped Siena secure its designation by All In for another year as a Voter Friendly Campus for its nonpartisan civic engagement action plan.
Rock said she has never seen a more enthusiastic response from the Siena student body about voting as she did in the run-up to this election.
“I was so encouraged and thrilled by the number of people who said they were registered to vote and who told us during our Election Day celebration this Tuesday that they already voted or planned to head out to cast their ballots that night,” she said. “It gives me hope for the future that more and more young people are recognizing that our voices, our opinions, and our vote truly matter and can make a difference in our lives.
“It is so easy to feel discouraged by politics and the state of the world, but this election proved that when we all care and want to make a real change in our lives that we have the ability to do so!”
Political science faculty also played a role in Election 2026 by sharing their expertise for local TV viewers. Kevin Baron, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, did some Wednesday morning quarterbacking live in studio for NewsChannel 13. In four separate interviews during their morning programming, he analyzed the voting returns across the nation, the outcomes of local and state races, and possible paths forward for both parties.
Len Cutler, Ph.D., professor of political science, provided post-election commentary on local races for CBS6, while Dan Lewis, Ph.D. spoke to News10 before the election about mail-in ballots.