Cody Bannick has been exposed to a variety of political perspectives in his time: from the more conservative leanings of his hometown, to the liberal and progressive views you'll more easily find in Detroit. Bannick is a native of Bad Axe, Michigan—a small community in the Thumb. He's also a junior at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he is a part of the on-campus organization Warriors Vote.
Bannick said he was disheartened by how his hometown voted two years ago.
"If you look at the map, in 2024, when Trump got elected, it's very red. I think there's only a couple people that voted for the candidate Kamala Harris. And, it was very disheartening, you know, because I feel that — where I'm from — everyone is persuaded by their parents."
He acknowledged that, as someone whose political positions lean Democratic, he's an outsider back at home — even in political debates with family members.
"It's kind of like I'm the black sheep of the family, but that's what makes me different."
One of the things that shapes his views, he said, was his religion. While he believes many in his community are "not open to change," he feels they should "be open to the idea," as he's of the belief that "having a clear, open mind" can broaden one's horizons.
A frustration of his, Bannick explained, is that he doesn't think people his age are given the ability to have their concerns heard, and taken seriously, by older adults.
"It's like adults don't see us younger adults as adults. And I think that we're all very smart. We're all very educated. We all believe in different things. And I think that's why some students don't feel like they want to vote, because their vote doesn't matter."
It's not as if members of Gen Z, like Bannick, aren't staring down real issues. One of them, he noted, was the rising cost of living. He says "it's tough out there."
"I was gonna go find an apartment myself and rent was $900. I know my friends are doing it, but their parents are helping them a little bit."
Coming from a single-parent household, he explained, means that extra parental support isn't an option for him. In fact, he said that's meant taking on additional responsibilities himself.
"We don't have that second income that's coming in. That's why my mom has to work those 12 hours, and that's why I'm working 80 hours to help support my mom."
The pressure from an economy in which costs have climbed substantially is part of what is driving his participation in this year's midterm elections.
"The reason I'm voting this term, and that I voted last term, is to see change. I really want to see change in the world, because I want our world to go back to how it was three years ago. You know, where things are affordable, families are enjoying life."
