The Incoming Lawmakers Who Worked in Higher Ed

Among winners of Tuesday’s midterm elections were dozens of candidates, on both the federal and state level, with higher education ties. One of the most prominent is Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect for Michigan who has made waves this election cycle. Before entering politics, El-Sayed briefly worked as an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University; he left because he didn’t feel his research was making a tangible impact, according to a 2016 alumni profile.

Other victors include current and former professors, adjunct instructors, university staff and even one former employee of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. In many cases, those candidates helped power the blue wave that flipped dozens of seats from Republican to Democrat this election.

That could bode well for the higher education sector, particularly after the Trump administration has cut research funds, put new restrictions on international students, capped student loans and investigated colleges for what the administration see as discrimination against white and Asian students. Numerous Republican-led state governments have followed an even more aggressive playbook, reducing tenure protections and encroaching on academic freedom.

At least 11 new members of Congress and 21 state legislators with higher education experience were elected this week, and their presence could turn the tide in the sector’s favor. That’s especially true at the state level, where Democrats have gained power in some of the states that have been the most aggressive toward colleges and universities, such as Iowa, Ohio and Texas.

Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, said in an email to Inside Higher Ed that it’s valuable to have legislators who understand the inner workings of the sector from what shared governance entails to what students really need to thrive. She also noted that these legislators can help combat government overreach into higher education.

“Legislators with higher education experience understand the distinction between legitimate public accountability and political interference in academic decisions. Universities are public-serving institutions, and they must be responsive to students, taxpayers, and society. But they also need the independence to pursue knowledge, challenge prevailing assumptions, and allow teaching and research to be guided by scholarly judgment rather than political considerations,” she wrote. “These legislators can also help their colleagues understand the enormous contributions universities make beyond their campuses—to scientific discovery, medical innovation, economic competitiveness, workforce development, and the well-being of communities.”

Ebony Turner, a state representative-elect in Texas who flipped her Tarrant County district blue for the first time since 2011, has previously taught criminal and constitutional law as an adjunct professor. In an email to Inside Higher Ed, she said that she hopes the blue wave will give Democrats an opportunity to make higher education more accessible and affordable.

“Over the past year, we have seen attacks on professional degrees and the rollback of Biden-era student loan forgiveness initiatives,” she wrote. “Restoring a Democratic majority will reinforce the principle that higher education is a goal every interested student should be supported in achieving. Furthermore, it will drive renewed efforts to make bachelor’s and advanced degrees far more financially feasible.”

Legislators aren’t the only winners with higher education connections this election cycle. Two Democratic governors—Amy Acton in Ohio and Phil Weiser in Colorado—have worked as professors at their state’s flagship universities.

Tuesday’s election also marks another higher education first: Aaron Ford, Nevada’s governor-elect, will be the first governor to have participated in Upward Bound, the federal TRIO program that helps prepare high schoolers for higher education, according to the Council for Opportunity in Education.

‘More Constructive Dialogue’

Incoming legislators with higher education ties told Inside Higher Ed they are eager to help strengthen the sector in their states.

John Henkelman, an adjunct assistant teaching professor in the University of New England’s School of Marine and Environmental Programs, was elected to Maine’s House of Representatives on Tuesday. He said he hopes to make higher education in Maine more accessible by expanding student loan forgiveness for students who graduate into critical fields like healthcare.

“In Augusta, I will bring my perspective as an educator and analytical scientist to … ensure higher education serves as accessible economic infrastructure rather than a driver of Maine’s youth drain,” he wrote.

Multiple incoming legislators stressed that they hope to funnel more funding into higher education and that Congress can reverse the Trump administration’s cancellation of billions in research grants.

Chriselle Martínez, a representative-elect in New Mexico’s state legislature who has worked in numerous positions at the University of New Mexico, said she wants the state to put more money into student services to improve retention and student outcomes. Racquel “Rockee” Armstrong, a representative-elect in Arizona and an Arizona State University professor of education, said that politicians “must prioritize sustainable funding models that recognize higher education as a public good and an essential investment in our state’s economic future.”

But funding institutions isn’t enough on its own, they said.

A professor emeritus of history at Idaho State University, Kevin Marsh, who will serve in the state’s House of Representatives, identified “rebuilding broad public support after many years of ideological attacks on higher education” as one of the key issues facing the sector right now.

Armstrong, similarly, said that she hopes the newly elected Congress and state legislatures will offer an opportunity to create “more constructive dialogue between policymakers and higher education leaders.”

“Over the past decade, higher education has increasingly become a focal point of political debate, particularly around institutional funding, academic freedom, research priorities, and the role of universities in addressing societal challenges. Regardless of political affiliation, we must recognize that strong public universities are essential to economic competitiveness, workforce development, scientific innovation, and the long-term prosperity of our communities,” she wrote. “In my new role, I want to contribute to that dialogue by advocating for evidence-based policies, strengthening partnerships across sectors, and ensuring that higher education remains accessible, innovative, and responsive to the evolving needs of our state and nation. The success of our universities should not be viewed through a partisan lens, but rather as a shared investment in our collective future.”