Student finds niche in politics while working new candidate’s campaign
Ben Dotson came to Central Michigan University to study music.
But the Tennessee senior soon realized politics were more in tune with his life ambitions.
“I’ve been involved in politics on campus since the day I set foot here,” he said. “I guess that’s what should have given me a clue that I was really meant to be in politics.”
An advocacy coach for CMU’s College Democrats, Dotson works as deputy campaign manager for local lawyer and Democrat Toni Sessoms, who announced her candidacy Monday for state representative of the 99th district, which includes Mount Pleasant.
Dotson said he has worked on her campaign committee since August.
“Basically,” he said, “I do anything that needs to be done that the candidate asks me to do or the campaign manager asks me to do.”
Politics ‘an outlet’
Dotson said he is working on Sessoms’ media presence by managing her Web site and directing mail packages. He also works with Sessoms’ campaign messaging, platform and policy.
This summer, he plans to go door-to-door as part of an effort to spread the word and increase voter turnout.
College Democrats President Brad O’Donnell met Dotson while campaigning for U.S. President Barack Obama.
He said he approached Dotson in September 2009 and asked him to be the College Democrats’ advocacy coach because he thought Dotson was an instrumental part of the organization.
“And I consider him a very good friend,” the Clinton Township junior said. “He brings a lot to the table no matter what table he’s sitting at, which includes Sessoms’ campaign.”
In addition to working on Sessoms’ campaign, Dotson was the co-president of CMU’s Gay Straight Alliance, interned as a Get Out The Vote intern during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and served on the Michigan Policy Advisory Committee on Social Justice and Civil Rights for the Obama Campaign.
Dotson wants to go into campaign management after finishing his coursework at CMU.
He said every political issue, whether it is education, the environment or the economy, “boils down to social justice issues.” For him, politics is an outlet to fulfill what he sees as an obligation to help others.
“It’s hard to complain about the world around you and the issues that interest you without being involved,” Dotson said. “It’s important that our politics reflect us and for that to happen, we need to be actively engaged.”
