J-term course provides an up-close look at presidential politics
This J-term, 16 St. Olaf College students flew to New Hampshire for hands-on experience in the world of political campaigning.
Professor of Political Science Dan Hofrenning has taken a class to New Hampshire five times since creating the New Hampshire Primary and U.S. Presidential Politics course in 2004. Studying the broader nomination process, the course highlights the unique position of New Hampshire as the first state to hold primary elections for a presidential candidate while providing students an academic and internship-based understanding of the primary nomination process.
Hofrenning has written about the 2024 primary election in MinnPost and was interviewed by MPR News to discuss the New Hampshire primary election results and student experiences with campaigning.
“I think the J-term provides a great experience with the heart and soul of democratic politics,” says Hofrenning. “The New Hampshire primary offers a great opportunity for students to both study and get involved in what has been arguably the marquee event of the presidential nominating calendar.”
“I think the J-term provides a great experience with the heart and soul of democratic politics.”
Professor of Political Science Dan Hofrenning
Students didn’t shy away from the not-so-glamorous work of mobilizing voters in a campaign. The countless hours they spent calling voters, canvassing door-to-door, and dispensing candidate yard signs were noted in national media outlets such as PBS, Politico, and CNN.
“It was actually really interesting to see the whole process, but it was also fun to hang out with a lot of people who are all like-minded and working towards a common goal,” Cooper Oleyar ’26 told viewers in a segment on the PBS Almanac program after working for the campaign of President Joe Biden.
The course offered several opportunities for students to see or meet major party candidates and elected officials, such as shaking hands with Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley at a rally or working alongside Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips at the campaign office.
“It feels great to make a difference and participate in democracy.”
David Azcona ’25
“I would encourage other students interested in campaign work or feeling stuck in their political science path to take the opportunity to work on campaigns to gain connections and real-world experience,” says political science major Addie Raum ’26, who worked on the Nikki Haley campaign. “There was an electric undercurrent to the experience that got me up at 5:30 a.m. on election day. Politics is electric, not angry.”
Students soon realized that campaigning is not like the typical 9 a.m.–5 p.m. job. Many describe the experience as being incredibly fast paced in a way that made their involvement in the campaign and the results feel particularly rewarding.
“I would like to be involved in a campaign in the future. It feels great to make a difference and participate in democracy,” says political science major David Azcona ’25, who worked for the Phillips campaign and also asked a question at the Newsnation Democratic Debate.
Cory Hallada ’25, who worked on the Trump campaign and was even interviewed about his work on Fox & Friends, agrees.
“I went on the trip to see if this kind of work was for me and I came out with a more positive view of the field,” says Hallada.
Hofrenning says what he hopes that students take away from this J-term course is that politics is intertwined with policy — connecting the concerns of the voters with the campaigns of candidates and parties.
“Larger policy concerns are juxtaposed with the gritty, hard work of reaching voters to connect them with these concerns and excite them about those concerns,” says Hofrenning. “And that’s really what a democracy is.”