‘This is our future’: Young Democrats urge youth involvement in politics

News admin May 31, 2026 0 Comments

‘This is our future’: Young Democrats urge youth involvement in politics

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Members of Democratic youth organizations were among hundreds in attendance at this weekend’s Democratic Party of Hawaii convention.

Democratic advocates at the high school and college level said they’re focused on issues they believe will shape their future, including women’s reproductive rights, universal access to voting, and rising housing costs and gas prices.

“Ultimately, young people are the ones inheriting this world and all of these challenges,” said Amelia Sofos, chair of the College Democrats of Hawaii. “So what isn’t addressed now is going to be our problem.”

“We have a wage stagnation problem here,” said Cori Terayama, president of Young Democrats of Hawaii. “The cost of items has also greatly increased over the past few years.”

Sofos said she is frustrated to be living in a time where young people and their struggles feel unheard.

“We lobby legislators, we talk to our elected officials, and they don’t listen to us, and it’s ultimately us who are going to be replacing them one day,” said Sofos. “It doesn’t quite make sense when they act that way, but it’s very important because our youth are our future.”

Young Democrats attended dedicated breakouts on housing and testimony development, aimed at discussing issues and advocating for solutions.

“A lot of our youth and teens rely on public transit to get around, whether that’s accessing medical services, getting to and from school or university,” said Sofos. “Expanding that to be a free public transit program would be incredibly helpful for youth, just in Hawaii in general.”

Terayama called on local leadership for more help.

“The state can better assist our youth by providing more opportunities for young people to move up in their careers. Hiring people young, as well as increasing those wages, to make sure that it keeps up with the pace of inflation,” said Terayama. “It all ties back to cost of living.”

Youth advocates urged their peers to get out and vote in the upcoming election cycle to make their voices heard.

“We want to make sure that we have a future where we’re being protected, where there’s access to education,” said Isabelle Enriques, national vice chair of the High School Democrats of America. “It’s so important to make sure that young people have a space for advocacy and know that we can change our lives just by being there and showing up.”