(Photo courtesy of Office of Congresswoman Lori Trahan/Emily Lindtveit) The UMass Lowell College Democrats with Representative Lori Trahan

Emily Lindtveit
Connector Staff

March 6, 2026, was a snowy one for those up in Lowell, but for a small group of students, this day offered something a little more political; lobbying at the U.S. capital. From March 5 to March 8, the UMass Lowell College Democrats took a group of students to Washington D.C. for the first national lobby day. While not the first lobby day any group at UMass Lowell has participated in, this was the first coordinated trip to the nation’s capital and included other universities including Clark University and Catholic University of America. There were a total of 40 students from UMass Lowell, plus another 10 from Clark University. UMass Lowell students lobbied for 5 bills, ranging from a formal recognition of the genocide in Gaza to advocating for grants targeting women and minorities in STEM. The bills had a common theme: issues that young people and working-class people care about.  

This trip wasn’t a spur of the moment thing for this club; it had been in motion for months. “We called over 75 offices [for meetings], fundraised to bring hardworking students an opportunity to learn in our nation’s capital and put the needs of young people on the map” said political Affairs director Matthew Kelly. Although 75 offices were called, 4 offices were visited. The day started off strong with some students starting their day off at Rep. Chellie Pingree’s office, with students focusing their advocacy on veterans’ affairs and representation for women and minorities in STEM. Next was the most exciting meeting of the day with Lowell’s very own representative, Lori Trahan. Students were able to meet with her directly to advocate for their bills.  

Representative Trahan spoke candidly with students about her experience in Congress and gave students insight into how the process of fighting bills operates. Students spoke about their opposition to the Iran war, the need for qualified immunity for law enforcement and personal experiences related to being in the STEM field. Afterwards, the full group of UMass Lowell students were able to meet with Senator Ed Markey’s office. This meeting gave the majority of students to talk, since there was enough time to go over all the bills, and advocate for similar resolutions to be introduced into the Senate. Finally, the Dems met with the youngest member of congress, Representative Maxwell Frost and were able to see themselves represented in congress.  

The trip was offering more than lobbying; it was offering a chance for students to step into the role of self-advocates. “We were given the opportunity to lobby for bills we truly care about, while also utilizing our communication skills in professional meetings and settings with well-respected political representatives,” said junior Hailegh Harris, who was not a member of the chapter before taking the trip. The bills discussed focusing on the community are what drove a lot of interest. Kelly talked about his pride in the efforts the general body put into this saying “Our club conducted ourselves in the way that national democrats should all around the country; unapologetic about working class issues…a change was made because of our general body’s dedication to the community.”