The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we do a lot of things, including the U.S. presidential conventions.
And while that has dampened some of the usual excitement, the convention is still the experience of a lifetime for one MSU Billings college student.
Mitch Bohn, 24, is one of Montana’s Democratic delegates, and he normally would be there in person. Because of the pandemic, however, this has been an unconventional convention.
"They have us in the same meetings that we would go to even if they were there. They have done a really good job transitioning this to all virtual, considering the circumstances,” Bohn says.
As a college student, Mitch says some of the issues most important to him are affordable education and healthcare.
“I’m disabled and going through insurances can be a real hassle,” he said.
And that was the reason he initially became interested in politics at a very young age. Along with being one of Montana’s 26 Democratic delegates, he is also the president of the MSUB College Democrats.
“When I was eight, I was going to be kicked off of Medicaid waiver, and (former longtime Montana U.S. Sen. Max) Baucus helped my family out with that. So that for me has been my driving force and then as I got older, I went to campaign rallies for Sen. (Jon) Tester and Gov. (Steve) Bullock and that just lit a fire for me that I’ve had ever since.”
Now Bohn and other Democrats are hoping that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will light a fire with voters this fall.
“I am excited about it. I personally feel for Montana, Joe Biden is someone we can relate to. I feel he is a lot like our Democrats that we elect here, so I feel like maybe he can bridge the gap in more Republican states like Montana than some other Democrats. And Kamala Harris has proven with her record that I think she would be a great vice president,” he says.
