Caroline Gleich does not look like a Senator, and she’s wisely using this fact to her credit. Knowing how little faith American citizens have in Congress, why would you want to appear to be one of them? In a sane world, you’d do everything you could to distance yourself from the way it is in Washington today.
When you’re a ski mountaineer and climate activist from Utah, you naturally connect with Utah voters via things they already know and love—the outdoors and skiing.
Gleich is bravely going against the grain in ultra-Republican Utah. Does she have a chance of winning? In a state where many people of LDS faith do not care for Don Trump, I believe she does. In a year that calls for women of all political stripes to unite and restore the the right to bodily autonomy, I believe she does.
She wrote an eloquent an op-ed recently, highlighting one of the primary reasons she’s running for office.
One of these crucial issues that this year’s elections will have a massive impact on is the unprecedented attacks on reproductive freedom. I have been especially horrified to witness the attacks on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) coming from extremists across the country.
This issue is deeply personal to me: a year and a half ago, I decided to freeze my eggs and embryos for fertility preservation, using the same technology that thousands of women across Utah and across the country use every year to start a family. The idea that politicians could get in the middle of the decisions made between a doctor and a patient is sickening – everyone should be able to make the decision that I did. Americans are tired of being pawns in these increasingly extreme political games, and, here in Utah and across the country, we need leaders who will fight back.
Gleich is clearly articulating her positions and offering Utah voters a new choice. She has summited Mount Everest and testified before Congress. This sounds to me like the exact sort of training a peaceful warrior needs. She also has a large following on Instagram.
Does it seem impossible to elect a Democrat to the Senate from Utah? Okay, but once upon a time California was controlled by Republicans, and Texas was run by Democrats. Things change, even entrenched things like voting Republican in Utah.
