The Party Line: An Interview with Democratic Committee Member Marti Carlson: The Last in our Six-Part Voting Series

Over the course of the past few weeks, Blue Muse has published several articles laying out the concerns of Gen Z voters. We reached out to leaders of the Connecticut Democrats and Republicans to learn more about how these organizations are working to address the needs of young voters. Although we never heard back from the CT Republicans, we were able to interview DNC member Marti Carlson. Mrs. Carlson has been involved in politics since 1990 and worked in the Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller for over twenty years. Carlson lived through the riots of the ’60s, the civil rights movement, and Vietnam War protests. Mrs. Carlson offered numerous insights about the issues that are important to Gen Z voters.

Blue Muse staff writer Regan Bissoni spoke with Mrs. Carlson over a Zoom. These are edited excerpts from their wide-ranging conversation.

Now that we have our two candidates, Biden v. Trump, a rematch from four years ago, in your view what’s at stake in the 2024 election?

I don’t particularly like the reference to democracy [being] at stake because it’s so abstract, people don’t understand it. But I do think that the rights of almost everyone are at stake in this election: from foreign policy, to women’s rights, to border control, all of it. I am extremely upset by the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs, so I’m working really hard to make sure that President Biden is reelected. The former president has stated unequivocally what he will do if he is president, and that is not what America stands for.

Some of the key issues to Gen Z are the economy, climate, and gun control. How is the DNC working on gun control?

Connecticut stands tall on gun control. The entire structure of the Democratic Party from all the way up to the national [party] are working hard on gun control. Sandy Hook happened in Connecticut, and we had another instance in Guilford, Ethan Song, who accidentally shot himself playing with a loaded gun with a friend in a house. There’s actually a law that got passed so that you can get a pistol permit and own a gun. But the gun needs to be unloaded and locked, and the ammunition needs to be stored in a separate place.

And what are the DNC’s concerns on the economy?

In Connecticut the economy is rebounding. By all metrics the economy is roaring, it’s just roaring. Inflation is down, unemployment is at record lows, the stock market’s doing great. But the messaging around it from the presidential campaign is not reaching who it needs to reach. People who own stock know it’s fine. The upper middle class know the economy is fine. But the young people who are trying to find jobs, trying to rent an apartment, trying to buy a car, struggling with student debt, they are not understanding that it’s also helpful to them, and the presidential campaign needs to get a better grasp on that.

How about the climate?

I know that there are really smart people working on this campaign, because I know some of them. They need a clearer message on climate. In the past four years, Joe Biden has made more effort to address climate change than any president ever. And again, that is not resonating. Part of the problem is that there is a whole contingent of other political views. We’re having that struggle in Connecticut as well. Some of the opposition’s arguments are sincere and need to be addressed. But as far as nationally, I have full confidence. I’m really proud of what Joe Biden’s administration has done to address it.

After interviewing students from CCSU, we found that one concern is the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. How does the DNC support and advocate for this community?

Well, I would start off by saying that the DNC already advocates for that community. Every law in the country, including in Connecticut, that has helped or supported that community has been sponsored and passed by Democrats. Period. The Democratic National Platform hasn’t been formed yet this cycle, because it’s still early on, but top of the list for Democrats probably is economy, guns, LGBTQ, climate control, climate change, all of it. There would not be gay marriage if it weren’t for Democrats. Connecticut was the leader in gay marriage. There are two people to credit for both the extraordinary gun control legislation we have and LGBTQ gay marriage protection. One man’s name is Mike Lawler, and the other is Andrew McDonald. They were co-chairs of the Judiciary Committee in Hartford when those two things happened. Mike Lawler was a state rep at the time, and Andrew MacDonald was a state senator.

Another concern brought up by several students was reproductive rights. What future would the DNC like to see for reproductive rights?

Well, certainly the DNC is appalled at the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs, number one. We also know that abortion is not the only thing. Now there’s a conversation about IVF (in vitro fertilization). To be honest with you I had a family member who had their baby through IVF. Secondly, Plan B. Certainly Vice President Kamala Harris is taking that particular topic on as they campaign, but the DNC is completely and totally pro choice. If the Democrats win the House, the Senate, and the presidency, there’s going to be immediate action on reproductive rights.

Researchers at Tufts University’s CIRCLE center discovered that only nineteen percent of young individuals have heard about politics and issues this year from political parties or campaigns, and only fourteen percent claim to have heard from community organizations. Is the DNC actively working to provide the public with more information?

Yes, and they’ve got work to do. It’s a team effort between the DNC, which can drive through the parties, down to the local [level]. The problem for me is that seventy-three million people voted in 2016 for Donald Trump. There’s not seventy-three million crazy people in the United States, they vote on what they hear. So my husband and I sit here at night, and we watch an hour of MSNBC, and somebody down the street sits there at night and watches an hour of Fox, and both sides are very partisan. When you see these interviews on late night TV or people on the street, they only believe what they hear. If they’re only hearing that the election was stolen from their neighbors or Fox News, or even their representatives—their congresspeople that are still election deniers—and that’s how they make their decision. These are taxpaying, hardworking, loving parents, brothers, and sisters who get information in a tunnel. 

“The DNC is appalled at the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs.”

They need to do a really good job at drilling down through the media that your generation pays attention to, in order to get that message out. It’s going to be on reproductive rights, climate change, and gun control, because that is the democratic argument. It’s hard to convince somebody who sees that bread, milk, or eggs went to six dollars, that the economy is good. There is a black-and-white argument between the two parties on gun control, climate change, and reproductive rights.

Students brought up the ages of the candidates. This has come up frequently in the media. What is the message you think young voters are not getting about the age of your candidate?

I think it’s a legitimate concern, but here we are. Joe Biden has spent a lifetime on issues that are important to regular people, including reproductive rights, student debt relief, education, early childhood, and the other person has not. I fully understand the issue, and I believe that there will be a generational change. In 2020 the person that the country needed to lead us out of COVID while the economy tanked was Joe Biden. He brought us through it and he wants to run again. He still has vitality. I would suggest that everybody watch, on YouTube, the State of the Union address. He’s not a doddering old fool. He is a brilliant senior citizen whose health is fine and he’s running for president. There’s a very stark choice.

What else should young voters know about the DNC and what they can provide for their future?

I would say to young voters, the DNC has all of our backs. The individual DNC members have your back. The DNC machine, the organization, and the staff, of which there are probably hundreds, have the country’s back to make sure that they support and provide the tools that candidates need to get themselves elected. If any of your colleagues at school want to get involved in the Democratic campaigns this year, please let me know. There’s plenty of volunteer opportunities, and it’ll be really exciting.

Interview conducted by Regan Bissoni

Photographs courtesy of Marti Carlson