by Pichaya Winichakul · October 25, 2014 9:35 AM

Welcome to our ongoing interview series highlighting young elected officials and young candidates. This month we did a Q&A with Natalia Duncan Macker, who is running for State House in Wyoming’s 22nd District.

What motivated you to enter politics/public service?

I visited the State Legislature as part of a local leadership program, and I was genuinely surprised by the lack of women and overall lack of diversity. I had previously been romanced by our history, which earned Wyoming the label The Equality State, but my observations and experiences said otherwise. As I dug deeper, I was also disheartened by the number of districts where incumbents run unopposed. No one likes to vote in an election if they don’t have a choice.

One of the really fun things about Wyoming is the scale of our government and the accessibility of our elected officials in the community. When our legislature makes decisions, you really experience those changes, for better or worse, in the communities, and it is important to hold our elected officials accountable for their decisions. I wanted to enter public service because I have skills to offer, especially in collaborative leadership, that I wanted to use in service to my community. I deeply love this place and want to make sure we make good decisions so my son and his children can have the same opportunities that I’ve had.

Finally, after complaining about our legislature to a friend from college, he simply said, “you should run for office.” I said I have no idea what that even means and certainly don’t have any qualifications. He said, of course you do. And so it began.

Why are you running for State House? 

The hard working folks in my district are not being fairly represented in our legislature. The people in my community are busy living their lives, raising their families, and trying to make ends meet. They need a representative they can trust and who understands and cares about their issues. We also need greater diversity in our legislature so we can find better solutions to the challenges Wyoming faces.

What are the most pressing issues in your district?

My district and state has a lot to be proud of, but we also have some work to do. Wyoming needs to pass Medicaid Expansion, work on making health care more affordable, and address our abysmal ranking on the gender wage gap. Also, as an energy state, we need to be looking to the future to make sure we are responsibly managing our resources and diversifying our economy.

Photo by David J Swift

What were some of the obstacles you’ve had to overcome in your political career?

Like so many others, I was intimidated by my lack of knowledge. I do not have a background in politics, and I never worked on a campaign until I was running my own. Fortunately, I was encouraged to attend the Front Line Leaders Academy, which gave me the skills I needed to overcome my lack of campaign knowledge. There is also a perception that I continue to fight that I am too young. I had my first child two weeks before I filed for office. People make a lot of assumptions about what a new mom can do (or should do). I’ve met some resistance and skepticism, but mostly, my community is excited to have a fresh voice. It’s been empowering to have a community of people get behind me. I’m certainly not the first new mom to run for office, and I know I won’t be the last.

How important is millennial leadership to you?

It wasn’t until I started down the road of running for office that I realized how important millennial leadership is to me. I am so inspired by the work of my peers, and I feel honored to be part of this moment in history. Energy, motivation, enthusiasm, and investment are exactly what we need in our government, and these are traits that millennials have in spades. No one is more invested in passing on a better world than someone who has their entire adult life ahead of them or someone raising a young child. Millennials are also uniquely poised to help address the partisanship that has taken over our county. We are over the monotony of the same old conversations and ready to actually sit down and do the work. We have the relationships and the skills to do it.

Are there any words of wisdom, that you would like to impart to other young people under 35 considering running for office?

Get really good sneakers and really thick skin. Running for office is about talking to people face to face, listening to their issues, and ignoring all the other noise around you. You’re never going to feel like you know everything or have enough money or time, so don’t put it off waiting for those things. Whenever I get annoyed or overwhelmed or start to have doubt creep in, I go knock on doors and talk to the folks in my district. I always get a boost, and I always learn something I didn’t know. It’s not about having all the right answers or knowing everything. It’s about being curious and willing to do the work.