Running for mayor
Most college students do things on a whim from time to time. Students know well the experience of waking up one morning and deciding to do something they otherwise wouldn’t have done. But most students don’t just decide to run for mayor.
“I have no idea, really,” said Mike Huston, a senior sociology major at Utah State University, about why he ran for mayor of Logan. “It wasn’t something that I planned out months in advance. I saw in the paper that it was the last day to file and said, ‘I’m going to do it.'”
Huston ran against five other candidates in the primary election for mayor in October. Running against people who were more experienced and better financed than he was, Huston knew he didn’t have much of a chance. He only got 70 votes.
But Huston wasn’t necessarily running to win.
“When KVNU called the next morning for an interview, I knew I had an opportunity,” he said.
Huston wanted to remind the “powers that be” that there was a whole community of residents who he felt were underrepresented in city government. And he wanted to show students they had the responsibility to care about politics he said.
“The students, if they chose to, could really influence what happens in their town,” Huston said.
Huston wanted to talk and have people listen to him, which is what he said politicians do. Running on a platform of improving the standard of living for the “underrepresented contingency in Logan,” Huston was speaking about more than just students. Minorities, he said were also underrepresented and often ignored.
Being involved in politics wasn’t a new idea for Huston. He had always thought about it, but at the same time he didn’t think it would be this soon in life. He also didn’t know just what he was getting into.
“I didn’t realize how life-consuming it is,” he said. “At the time, I didn’t realize how far out of my league I was.”
And even though he didn’t spend a dime on his campaign, Huston had difficulties other candidates didn’t face. He said the biggest struggle for him was getting people to take him seriously, even being called “young man” in debates.
“There was always a sense that I was just a kid and you could feel that when you walked into a room,” he said.
Though it would have been nice to make some more waves, Huston said he was satisfied with his experience. The debates were his favorite part because he could bring up the issues he thought were important, generally different issues than what everyone else was talking about.
“My being there forced them to talk about the issues that I brought up,” he said. “There’s a sense of power about that.”
Huston didn’t expect to get many votes, but still, his first reaction at seeing his 70 votes was disappointment. He wasn’t so disappointed about not winning, but he wished students would have taken the opportunity given to them.
Most students don’t realize the value of politics until it’s way too late, he said. But he also feels the street goes both ways. Students should vote more, but government should move equally closer to students.
“People know that students don’t vote as much as they should,” he said. “I think that government should be concerned about this large non-voting body.”
Overall, Huston said it was an “interesting, fun, strange, bizarre experience.” And that if he ever gets involved in politics again it would be a well-planned decision.
Huston plays with his 13-month old daughter Abigail in his home after the primary elections were over. Juggling school, work and family Huston said he had no idea what he would have done if he had actually won. (Jow Rowley )
Mike Huston met with ASUSU president Steve Palmer to find out what issues students were concerned about. Huston´s main goal in running for mayor was to get issues he felt were not being addresse out in the open. (Joe Rowley )
Mayoral candidate Mike Huston gestures with is hands while talking to Jenny Christensen. Huston appeared on Christensen’s radio show, Crosstalk, on KVNU AM 610 to discuss the issues in his campaign. (Joe Rowley )
USU student Mike Huston takes his turn to answer a question during a debate at City Hall during the primary election campaign in September. Huston ran against five other candidates for the office of mayor. (Joe Rowley )