By Alyssa Weston and Rachel Gobep
Youngstown State University will host former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday at 4 p.m. as he headlines in support for Richard Cordray, Ohio’s democratic nominee for governor, and his running mate, Betty Sutton, in the Kilcawley Center Chestnut Room.
Doors for the event will at 2 p.m., but people started forming a line hours before. As of 1:45 p.m., there are 46 people waiting in line.
Donna Kasza, a Youngstown community member of over 20 years, was the first in line before 11:30 a.m.
Kasza plans to vote democratic in the upcoming Nov. 6 midterm elections and has been encouraging other people to register to vote.
“I came because I wanted to see Joe Biden. I’m hoping there’s no trouble today, but I want to hear what they have,” she said.
Kasza is hoping Biden announces his candidacy for president.
“We need Biden in there. I think he is a good, honest, level-headed man. He’s not going to plan this party favoritism we’ve been watching,” she said.
Kaza said she thinks Biden will stick to Ohio related issues and not discuss national topics as much.
“I think he is going to stick to why’s he’s here, to help Cordray and the Democratic party and I think [supporters] are going to do the same thing I would do, which is to ask him to please run because we need him,” she said.
Devon Diggs, a freshman pre-dental hygiene major at YSU and Columbus native, waited in line hours before the doors opened for the event.
“I really want to listen to Joe Biden because I feel he is a very influential person to our generation,” he said.
“I think he is going to say a lot of interesting things so I want to hear his opinion on things that have to do with Ohio,” Diggs added.
Carson Markley, president of the YSU College Democrats, said he supports Cordray because he is “the only good candidate.” The college democrats have been the volunteer organizer for the event.
He said he has high expectations for the rally.
“I think we’re going to pack the house and have to put people away at the door,” Markley said.
James Mullarkey, president of the YSU College Conservatives, said the Mahoning County Young Republicans in conjunction with the college conservatives will be holding a “peaceful and respectful demonstration for Biden and Cordray’s visit” at the rock outside of Kilcawley Center at 2 p.m.
“It’s a referendum of where Ohio has been under the leadership of Cordray and Biden when he was vice president,” he said. “It’s a repudiation of their policies and what they have stood for.”
Mullarkey wants to be civically active through this demonstration and show that there is another side.
“People don’t have to buy into one political party, but they can exercise their own viewpoints, as long as they are educated voters,” he said.
Photos by Rachel Gobep/The Jambar