It’s not often that you find Benicia teenagers interested enough in Benicia City Government to volunteer to work on a candidate’s campaign. You don’t have to look any further than Benicia High School students Matthew Lee and his sister Emery. While both are not old enough to vote, Matthew is in the 10th grade and Emory is a 9th grader, they wanted to contribute to the community and decided to get involved with the 2020 election.
After researching the various candidates running for office through their websites and social media platforms, and considering their personal concerns over cannabis dispensaries in Benicia, they decided on Christina Strawbridge for Mayor.
Because of Covid-19, volunteers had different duties and rules in order to spread the word about a candidate. Matthew and Emery’s main job was to distribute a campaign flyer to thousands of Benicia residents’ doorsteps. They were not allowed to knock on the door or have personal contact with a Benicia voter and always wore a mask.
Emery stated “I wasn’t sure what I was signing up for and it was a lot of walking.” Matthew added, “I was surprised the work was so physical!”
Both agreed they were not sure if they wanted to do it again.
