Editor’s Note: This column was submitted to the Texan by a member of the UT community.

As we get ever closer to this year’s all-important midterm elections, it is vital that we as students pay attention. Not only do the decisions made by our elected officials impact us now, but they also set up the world that will be waiting for us when our time at the University of Texas comes to an end. 

Nationally, we will decide who controls the majority in both chambers of the United States Congress. Democrats have had the majority since January 2021. However, they haven’t done themselves any favors with this majority, which, according to a recent Gallup poll, only has a 23% approval rating. 

Here at home, we decide the direction of the state: as Greg Abbott faces Beto O’Rourke in the Texas gubernatorial race, where incumbent Greg Abbott holds a lead of eight ½ percentage points, according to the Real Clear Politics average. 

Finally, local elections here in Austin will decide the future of this city we call home. Elections are about choices, and for me, it comes down to asking the right questions. 

At the local level, one of the biggest issues facing us as a city and campus is the rising crime in West Campus. Student safety is imperative to the success of the University as a whole. 

So the question that needs to be asked here is: should we vote for the same people that just a few years ago voted to cut the Austin police budget by a third, which was the largest percentage cut of any city in America?

For me, the choice is simple. We need to elect the people that are going to prioritize safety, not those defunding the police to the point where citizens are asked to call 911 only for immediate threats to life and property. 

The same questions come up on the state level. Do we want someone who has consistently flip-flopped on the issues, or someone who has helped make Texas the number one state for businesses? Do we want someone who has openly supported the defunding of police, or the person endorsed by law enforcement agencies all over the state? 

When we look at the issues facing us nationally, do we want to support the party that has been unable to get inflation under control, continues to escalate tensions with nuclear-capable nations, and that has been enjoying political control while life for Americans has continued to get more and more difficult? 

For me, the answer is simple. A vote for Republicans this election cycle is a vote for the safety, prosperity, and general welfare of students here at the 40 Acres and citizens all across the country. 

Anderson is a government junior, a legislative director in the Texas House of Representatives and the current chairman of The Young Conservatives of Texas at UT.