Nevada Congressional District 2 candidate Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D) hosted a town hall at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) on Monday, Oct. 26 organized by the Young Democrats of UNR (YDUNR). Thompson addressed students’ concerns about cost of living, employment, affordable education and immigration.
Benitez-Thompson said worrying about employment opportunities after graduation is a legitimate concern.
“You spent a lot of time investing in your degree program,” Benitez-Thompson said. “You want to know that there’s jobs for you after the fact.”
She said Congress should prioritize understanding how AI could affect employment over the next five to 10 years and consider safeguards against its potential effects on workers.
Dillon Moss, president of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada , said housing costs, food insecurity and tuition are among the issues students want elected officials to address.
“I think it’s really important to engage in conversations, especially during election time to really get students out there to participate in discussions around policies that are affecting us,” Moss said.
Rose Barber, president of YDUNR, said they wanted to give students an opportunity to hear directly from a candidate seeking to represent Northern Nevada.
“It was important that we have somebody that is also a Wolf Pack alumni coming back talking to students face to face about things that matter to them,” Barber said.
As Barber moderated the event, Benitez-Thompson criticized recent changes to federal student loan policies.
She said borrowing limits should account for differences between professions and the costs associated with obtaining particular degrees.
“Those caps don’t make sense across all professions,” Benitez-Thompson said.
She also shared her perspective on immigration and geopolitical issues such as the U.S.-Iran war.
She said the country can maintain border security while pursuing immigration policies that treat people humanely. She then mentioned how her opponent David Flippo (R) supports mass deportations.
“People, especially my opponent, want to make you believe that you can’t have secure borders and humane immigration enforcement at the same time,” Benitez-Thompson said. “They want to make you believe that this is an either-or conversation.”
In an interview with The Nevada Independent, Flippo said deportations are necessary to ease the housing demand and make job salaries more competitive for American workers, especially in the construction trades. He then added that the country’s deportation policy must focus on the needs of American citizens.
On the topics of Israel and Gaza, she said U.S. foreign policy should consider the security and rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. She called for changes on the U.S. and Israel relationship and showed opposition to unconditional support for offensive arms sales.
She then criticized the war with Iran, questioning the administration’s objectives and costs of the continuous conflict.
“Congress has to force this administration to talk about the clear goals and objectives because they have changed constantly,” Benitez-Thompson said
At the end of the town hall, several students approached Benitez-Thompson and asked any more questions they may have had regarding her policies.
