Meet Conor, one of our Field Representatives in Northern Virginia!
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Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and where you’re from?
I was born and raised in Southern California and lived there for almost my entire life. I’ve always had politics in the back of my mind. It was something that was instilled in me at a young age, since both my parents were involved in politics at one point in their lives. They raised me to care about what was happening in the world. I never really took my first foray into politics until I moved to Pennsylvania last year to work as a Field Organizer for a climate change group that was working to elect Hillary Clinton as President, as well as Katie McGinty to the United States Senate. There I learned a lot about what it takes to be a field organizer and how campaigns operate.
Q: What specifically about PTP appealed to you?
I think a lot of groups focus too much on big name races and not enough attention is being given to local races. I think the work that we are doing with Virginia’s House of Delegates will pay off greatly when it comes to electing progressive leaders. It’ll be a big part of paving a better future for Virginia.
Q: What’s your most memorable experience working in politics?
Growing up my mother always made it a point to drag us along to various political events. I remember when I was 7 years old being dragged to put up signs to protest the development of a local water tower in my town which would have disrupted a lot of local wildlife. It never really occurred to me that it was something that I could affect, and that I could be a deciding factor in what happens in my community. It was pretty cool to see my mom stand up for what she believed in and do what she thought was best for our community.
Q: What is the most memorable moment you’ve had while knocking doors in Virginia?
I remember one conversation that really stands out. I talked with a young couple who were inspired by the most recent election to be more active in their local community. They actually founded the local indivisible chapter here in Manassas Park which I thought was really cool. We talked a lot about what we can do living in Trump’s America, what action we can take and what our roles should be moving forward.
Q: Who inspires you in politics and why?
In shaping my worldview, my mom. She has introduced me to politics and showed me how campaigns operate and what I can do.
In terms of politicians, Barack Obama. Back in 2008, I was too young to vote, but I followed the election. I was inspired by how both sides handled each other with civility, both John McCain and Barack Obama, which is something I really miss. Obama’s campaign about hope and change really inspired people – including myself – and I think he just came about at the right time.
Q: If you could have dinner with one former President, who would it be and why?
Thomas Jefferson. I know he’s a controversial pick because of his personal life but I think he was a crucial part of establishing this country. I want to know what he would think about the Constitution and what role should it play in modern day America. I know a lot of the founding fathers did not expect the Constitution to last as long as it has, so I’m curious to see how he would think we should move forward.
Q: Other than voting, what is one of the the issues that you’re interested in?
Climate change. I think that it is just a basic issue and it’s astounding that nothing is being done about it. I understand that there is a lot of other pressing matters going on currently, with black lives matter and healthcare, for example, and I do not mean to take away from that because those are obviously important issues but climate change is so important. We need to take action on it if we want our species to survive. It’s mind boggling that so little is being done about it.
Q: If you could ask President Trump one thing, what would it be?
How do you sleep at night?
Q: What’s something on your bucket list?
My political answer is see Trump impeached.
Personally, I think it would be cool to hike up and down the California coast. I like hiking a lot, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’d love to just hike from Southern California, all the way up to the Northern point.
