February 3, 2020

By Caitlin Danborn

MU senior Dawson Lemmons has extensive campaign experience and is ready to apply that to an even bigger goal: getting Elizabeth Warren elected as president of the United States.

Warren, a Democratic senator who launched her 2020 campaign in February 2019, is one of several Democratic candidates who are trying to defeat President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection.

Warren is known for her “I have a plan for that” attitude, one reason why Lemmons finds her an attractive candidate.

“She has by far the most structured plan for literally any issue you can probably think of,” Lemmons said. “She has a plan for it. She’s one of the most qualified senators to ever run for the presidency.”

Lemmons also wants to see a female president, as Warren would be the first woman to hold the office if she were to be elected. Warren is one of three female Democrats running for the position this year, alongside Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

As of Feb. 2, Warren is polling around a 15% average for national polls, according to FiveThirtyEight. She is currently polling behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

Mizzou for Warren was formed over the winter break as Lemmons was contacted by the regional director for Warren’s campaign.

Although Missouri voted for Trump in 2016, Lemmons hopes the state can turn blue in 2020. He said Missouri voters often vote for more liberal ideas — such as legalizing medical marijuana — but more conservative representatives. Lemmons said, in this case, it is a matter of figuring out how to market Warren and her policies to the people.

“So we voted for very liberal issues, but those same voters voted for Republican representatives,” Lemmons said. “So it’s just really trying to learn how to market to those people and help them understand the people they are voting for are going against the exact issues they care about.”

Mizzou for Warren will focus on grassroots campaigning in the coming months, including hosting text and phone banks and knocking on doors. Missouri’s close proximity to Iowa, where the first caucus will take place on Monday, has been central to Mizzou for Warren’s strategy as well. The group has carpooled up to Iowa to canvas for Warren.

Students who are interested in joining Mizzou for Warren can contact Lemmons directly via his email, dtl7c4@mail.missouri.edu. They can also follow @Mizzou4Warren on Instagram.

_Edited by Ben Scott | bscott@themaneater.com_