Ryan Ewing ’01 won a seat on the town council in Brunswick, Maine, after waging a grassroots campaign in which he neither accepted nor spent a dime.

Here is the story in the Political Science and Theatre major’s own words.
 
“We took scrap material, stuff people were going to throw out, and made big white signs with red lettering. They didn’t cost anything. We got them up in the key places, and it turned out they were bigger than the opponent’s signs.

“I made a pledge to hit every door. I met close to 800 or 900 people, and only missed maybe 50 households out of 2,000. I believe that presence worked in my favor.

“Everybody was nervous on election day. You want to make sure the efforts have paid off. As much as they refine political campaigning to a science, there are still no guarantees.

“I spent my day at the polls. Turnout was high. 730 people voted and I won by a healthy margin.

“Now I’ll be sworn into the council in January. There are many issues to tackle, like the recent closing of the Naval Air Station, affordable housing, and infrastructure needs.”

Ewing, originally from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, was the first of three siblings to attend McDaniel College. His brother Andrew, a Bates Prize winner, graduated in 2003 and is pursuing his doctorate in Economics. His sister Claire Ewing is currently a senior Biology major.

For more about Ryan Ewing, click here: http://www.ryanewing.com/.