By Abhishek Jagannathan, 2026 CLA Intern
My favorite moment from election night happened right as it ended. After the results were announced (Congrats, Team GMK!), and both candidates gave their final statements, our campaign teams converged into a massive group hug/impromptu dancing to the tune of Kendrick Lamar's “Alright”. I felt this was just an amazing moment of community, something I have personally struggled to find in the past. This feeling for me was pervasive throughout all of the mock election night - while seeing community leaders and elected officials socializing together, and while interacting with many of them through the course of our canvassing. I felt very connected to the people I was around and the space I was in.
This event also marked the closing of a chapter in our cohort experience - working with our mock campaign teams. At the risk of sounding overly sentimental, I feel extremely proud of everyone on my team. Working with each one of them on our campaign over the last month has been so much fun, and has generated memories that I will treasure for a long time. I’d especially like to acknowledge the hard work that everyone put in.
Alan, our campaign manager, brought an unorthodox approach to the table when it came to policy ideas and direction (the thought of cap and trade housing will undoubtedly haunt the members of our team for years to come), but I believe that in doing this, he set the tone for thinking outside the box that allowed us to all have fun and be creative with the way we tackled all aspects of our campaign. His spirit and confidence, especially while campaigning during election night, are traits I admire deeply.
Kara, our finance director, I think was probably the most effective member of our team. Whether it be making the budget, spontaneous phone calls to vendors for our campaign materials, or handling last minute purchases, every step of the process was handled so seamlessly that I was barely even aware it was happening (which I mean as a compliment). During election night, I was struck by just how personable Kara was while canvassing, and by her ability to explain convoluted topics in a uniquely straightforward and disarming fashion, which were very inspiring to see.
Natalie handled basically all of our materials and social media, and I feel that she did a uniformly outstanding job with all of it. Our candidate brochure, which was very much a challenging process to complete, is beautiful and lively and conveys an incredible amount of personality that perfectly encapsulates our candidate and our team. The same holds true for our social media posts, especially our team video, which I have definitely watched quite a few times since we shot it (@jayden4la on instagram!). I think she really made something special for all of us.
Kayla (our political communications lead) and I ended up working the most closely during the course of the campaign, specifically on Jayden’s campaign statement and speech. Writing these items with her has been one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve had in terms of collaborative work. When it comes to something creative like writing, I feel it’s rare to find someone with whom you can easily communicate ideas and mesh styles, and it’s so rewarding when you do. Kayla is that kind of person - a fantastic writer with great taste, and an absolute pleasure to work with. I am extremely proud of what we accomplished.
Jayden, our candidate, our fearless leader, was at the heart and soul of this campaign. Even in a mock election, it is extremely stressful to put yourself in the spotlight, and to place your name under scrutiny of strangers. I have so much respect for the way Jayden carried this responsibility, and conducted himself throughout the night. He conveyed genuine care and compassion in every conversation, traits that I think are sorely needed in politics. I said this to many people while canvassing, and I mean it truly - Jayden is the kind of candidate I would be honored to vote for in a real election.
Of course, major kudos to the other team, team GMK! Their dedication and passion for this campaign was palpable, and their win was very well-deserved :) And last, but certainly not least, a huge shoutout to Nancy, Andrea, and Rachel, who planned the election night. From my own personal experience, and from my conversations with everyone at the reception, this event brought our community together in an enjoyable and refreshing way, a testament to their hard work and effort. I’m looking forward to the next one.
