Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - 2016 Stories

The stories behind the votes

Tens of millions of votes will be cast during the 2016 presidential election.

And behind the vote totals, the margins of victory, and the delegate counts are the individual votes themselves. Each one of those votes tells a story. A vote represents a person's beliefs, concerns, hopes, and dreams for the future—and every person has his or her own journey to the ballot box.

Here are just a few of the stories behind the votes that will be cast for Hillary Clinton.

Romane Paul

27 years old

Union, New Jersey

Student at Columbia Law School

What did you do before you started law school?

I taught in Harlem. That job showed me the horrifying reality of the school-to-prison pipeline. We are on the verge of entering a world where we have the most unequal generation ever—and I am not talking about income inequality. I am talking about unequal in terms of opportunity for kids. And this inequality is sickening when you look at it from a racial perspective, because it appears to me that black kids are being automatically set up to be fed through this pipeline—which sets them up for lifelong inequality.

What did the school-to-prison pipeline look like to you, as a teacher?

Before I started teaching, I never understood what the school-to-prison pipeline even meant. But I had one student who was incredibly intelligent, and I sort of saw it through him. A lot of what happened to him has to do with the structural inequalities that are in place in our laws, policies, and communities in general. But part of it is that black boys are not being educated in the same way that their peers are. I felt like the structures that were in place were resistant to African American male success. Everything was designed to prevent success, even in the educational system. And community programs are doing great work—but it's not enough with an issue like this. In order to successfully address this issue, you need a leader in the White House who is familiar with the issue and is willing to tackle these sorts of issues with policy.

Is that why you're supporting Hillary?

It's absolutely a big part of why. I know that this is an issue that she cares about. She has worked on these issues, and she's demonstrated that she has a familiarity with these issues that no other candidate has—on the Republican side or the Democratic side. I care about these issues because I have seen it first hand. I have seen what it does to communities. And so has she. She has that knowledge. When you have a generation of black men that are being incarcerated and are barely making it through school because they are going through the prison system first, that is affecting the black families, and that is in turn affecting the productivity of this country. That is something we need to address immediately. I think she is the best to do it.

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Shane Grannum

22 years old

Herndon, Virginia

Student at Columbia Law School?

Why did you decide to go to law school??

I am a first-generation American. I am a first-generation college student. I am the first person in my family to go to law school. I'm particularly very interested in voting rights and campaign finance reform. These two issues have really framed both why I have wanted to go to law school, and why I want to help people after. I believe law school is a place where I can impact a lot of change in these areas. I don't have to look a certain way to do it. I don't have to come from a certain background to do it. I can really achieve my dreams.?

Was there anything Hillary talked about during her speech on breaking down barriers for African Americans that surprised you??

When she acknowledged white privilege towards the end of the speech, I was very surprised by that. I don't think people would expect something like that from a major presidential candidate. I was very satisfied to come out of that speech knowing that's where she was, in terms of fully acknowledging both her privilege and white privilege. And not just as something that might exist, but something that we have to talk about in our society if we hope to make progress at achieving racial justice.?

Why was that important to you?

It demonstrated that this is not something she started caring about yesterday. This is something that she has been fighting for for years. Seeing her here in Harlem talking about white privilege really reiterated for me that this has been part of a decades-long commitment to fighting for racial justice. Specifically, she speaks with the community, and actually listens to find out what the issues are that we care about and hope our president will solve. I think that this speech, in particular, and that moment in acknowledging white privilege, was the product of years of listening to the black community, hearing our concerns and hopes for America, and the visions that we have of a more equal society. For me, I respect that a lot. It shows that she is not just a doer but also a listener.

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Marg Powell

Retired librarian

79 years old

Des Moines, Iowa

Why do you support Hillary?

Well, I've always supported her, but something I love about her, which I just recently found out, is that when she was very young, she worked with Marian Wright Edelman [founder of the Children's Defense Fund]. So I did some research, and I found out that even as a fresh college graduate, she was very much involved in doing things for children. When she was just out of undergrad, "separate but equal" had been outlawed, but "segregation academies" were still around in the South. So, in order to investigate these kinds of schools, she went to the South and pretended to be a mother who was interested in enrolling her children in a school that didn't allow black children. I love that so much. That takes a lot of chutzpah to do, especially at that age. And that shows you her mindset. She's always been like this. She's always wanted to help people.

What issue is most important to you?

The inequity that we experience as black Americans, especially when it comes to being arrested. Iowa has a really high rate of black young men incarcerated. We need to do something about that. I believe that Hillary will. And I believe that she has the right approach to fixing this, because it is a complicated issue. You can't right this wrong in a year. It didn't take a year for this to happen, and it's going to take some time for us to straighten it out correctly. These are complex issues, and I like that she is a person who sees all parts of the problem and tries to work on each one. That means a lot to me.

Why do you think Hillary would make a great president?

So, I've never understood the impulse that makes some people want to be president. You couldn't pay me enough. It seems like such a thankless job. But with her, I get it. I see her, and I see that she wants to get in there and help as many people as humanly possible, and she knows that as president, she will. That selflessness, to me, it what makes her the most qualified, especially when you put it on top of all of her experience. She's not only ready, but she wants the job for the right reasons.

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Josh Hughes

School district board member

18 years old

New Virginia, Iowa

Have you ever met Hillary?

I have! I got to meet her about a week before the caucuses, and it was amazing. When I met her, I told her that she gave a speech that inspired me to run for school board in my district. And she lit up! She squeezed my hand, and she asked me, "How did it go?" I told her, "I won!" She said, "I'm so proud of you, that's incredible!" This woman, who is so accomplished and has done so much, told me that she's proud of me. That's insane. And it was genuine! I know it's not the popular opinion—that she's a real person with feelings and emotions—but when I was talking to her, I felt like we were the only people in that room.

What was it about her speech that inspired you?

During that speech, she talked about the importance of electing Democrats on every single level—city, state, federal, all of it—and she was so passionate about democracy and politics really being local and being something that you have to involve yourself in. And she used that John Wesley quote: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can." That really spoke to me. I had been considering doing something for a while, and that was the push I needed.

Why are you supporting Hillary?

We have made so much progress as a nation recently. And it's not abstract progress—it's progress that helps everyday families in a very tangible way. But that progress is not secure. It's very tenuous, and it could all be undone in an instant. I believe that Hillary can truly protect our progress. Not just because she's a strong, smart woman—which she is, obviously—but because, after meeting her, I know that she's the kind of person who can get things done. She's so genuine—and she cares so much about people—that I know she will do everything she can to help everyone she can. I believe in her.

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Izaah Knox (and Porter)

39 years old (and 3 years old)

Des Moines, Iowa

What's your daughter like?

Porter is my youngest—I also have a son who's 13. She is, as my wife would say, the most thoughtful, caring, and sweet little girl; but actually, she absolutely has a streak of independence and decisiveness in her. She loves superheroes over Barbies—she puts her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in her backpack right along with her Barbies, and the Ninja Turtles all live in her Barbie house.

What do you worry about the most?

I worry about children. I worry about mine, of course—but I worry about all the other children who don't have the access or the opportunity that my children do. Fifty percent of the households in my community make less than $30,000 a year. When I go into the high school, and I offer the students an opportunity for employment at one of the major employers in Des Moines, and they don't even know where that employer's located, that scares me. If we don't open these doors, they'll never even know that the doors exist for them to walk through.

If your daughter were to ask you why you're supporting Hillary, what would you tell her?

I've been in Des Moines for the last 16 years, so I was here to witness what Iowa did for Barack Obama. And, having a son who is a black male, I can now look him in the eyes and tell him that honestly, with hard work and dedication, he can become president of the United States. And with Secretary Clinton, when she wins, I will be able to look my daughter in the eyes and tell her the same thing. That's why I'm doing this—for her.

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Scott Thompson

Research assistant

54 years old

Des Moines, Iowa

Have you always been a Democrat?

I was born and raised a Republican. I don't know that I ever put a lot of thought into it. In 2008, I lost my job. And I know that didn't happen because of George W. Bush. It wasn't a political issue, it was just economics, and I paid the price for it. I wasn't able to get another job for 19 months, and in those 19 months I applied to 412 jobs. At that time, I was a devoted Fox News follower, and here's Steve King, our great congressman from northwest Iowa, and Jon Kyl, who was a senator from Arizona, telling people that the long-term unemployed were lazy, and we were a drain on the economy. I knew that was a lie. I wasn't lazy. But those lawmakers didn't want to understand this issue. They wanted to cast doubt and divide people, because that was politically expedient for them. And that was when I realized that the party I grew up with had left me. So in 2008 I became a Democrat, because from what I saw, the Republican Party just completely walked away from their social responsibility—but Democrats were there, and they were ready to actually help people.

When did you first begin supporting Hillary?

Oh, I'll never forget it. It was 2008, and she was at a town hall. Someone asked her a very simple question: "How do you do it?" Before this, my wife had always been an avid Hillary Clinton supporter, and I was not. But her answer to that question, which was very real and genuine—that got my attention. And I started looking at Hillary Clinton in a much different light. You could tell that this person had put everything she had into this race. And it was very meaningful to her. She was giving it everything she had. She could have easily said, "I've had enough. I can't do this anymore." But she didn't. She stuck it out. Which should have proved to anybody: This is a very tough human being.

Have you ever met her?

We met her at the Iowa fairgrounds. And it was awesome. The minute she hit the room, the room changed. She had a big smile. She was happy to see everybody. She doesn't overtake the room, she works right into the room. Her presence is with you. Not above you, not at you, but with you. It was a fantastic opportunity. And you know what's great? When you get to talk to her, even for a minute, she will stop, and she will look you dead square in the eye and talk to you. There can be three, five hundred people around you, and that conversation is one-on-one. That's an amazing thing.

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Sanjita Pradhan

Advocate for the Asian-American community

West Des Moines, Iowa

What do you worry about most often?

The injustice and inequalities that refugees have to deal with in our society. I've worked very closely with refugees in the past. The refugee resettlement system has been around a very long time, but it hasn't changed for the better in a while. I feel—and every refugee feels—grateful for the fact that we've received a second chance at life by getting to come here. But it's kind of an assembly-line system, where it's in and out, in and out. I think, when you're dealing with human life, that's not fair.

And I want to add: Being a first-generation immigrant, I feel like I deal with different kinds of biases and discriminations every day, in many ways. I worry about my kids being able to integrate well in the community and that they will be accepted equally.

Why are you supporting Hillary?

I am a great supporter of President Obama, and I feel like she is the only person who will continue the great work that he has started and build on his legacy. And Hillary's and my values are similar. Being a diverse community member, from a diverse background, I feel like she understands me and people like me, and she's supportive of our issues.

Why do you think Hillary would make a great president?

She sees injustice. She sees a system that she can help make better. I relate to that. I appreciate her fighting for us, for the right things. I'm from Nepal. Nepal is in a very dire situation right now, and the U.S. government is not taking any stance on helping. I think someone like her—who is more aware about the different countries and has experience internationally—can really do something to help us. It's very lofty thinking, but I'm hopeful.

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Chris Diebel

Soon-to-be restaurant owner

35 years old

Des Moines, Iowa

What are you worried about right now?

I'm opening a business this summer, and I think about that pretty much 24/7. It's a big undertaking. I'm 35 years old, and my business partners and I are taking on a lot to do a 5,300-square-foot restaurant. Any time you do something creative, you wonder how people will react to it, and you hope everyone will like it. The build-up was very fun, but it's all just on paper until it opens. And then it's real. I worry about how we'll do.

Do you remember the moment you became a fan of Hillary?

Yes: When Barack Obama chose Hillary Clinton to be secretary of state. She handled that so brilliantly. She worked harder than anybody I can remember in that position. She really, truly, was the ultimate ambassador for our country. And the truth is that she's been fighting for our country for her whole career—but I don't think that has ever shined brighter than it did during her time as secretary of state.

Why are you supporting Hillary?

Well, obviously, experience is very important in a presidential candidate. You have to have experience to be president. And she does. But for me, that's just the baseline. A president also needs to inspire passion. And in my mind, she's done that. Over the course of her career, she has inspired such a vast group of people, from all sorts of backgrounds. I believe that we should always dream big, but we also need to exist within the political realities of our time, and work to get things done where we can. And she does that, too. So, for me, it's not just about experience and electability—it's the total package.