Metal, Hardcore, and Rock Musicians Win Big in Tuesday’s Elections

This past Tuesday, American voters across the country took to the polls to decide who’ll represent them in local, state, and federal elections. From town halls to the halls of Congress, votes resulted in some big changes and firsts. States approved adult-use cannabis, abortion rights were secured, and ultimately most of the people chosen to serve the people won’t actually do shit because who am I kidding, the powers that be only care about the rich. (Yayyyyyy….)

But still, some pretty cool headlines came out from the election results, as some people with ties to hardcore, metal, and rock music ascended to public office in a big way.

Over in New York, Justin Brannan ran as a Democrat and was re-elected to his seat on the NYC Council District 47, which serves Bay Ridge and Coney Island. Brannan’s got some serious bonafides in the hardcore scene, having played guitar for Indecision from 1993 to 2000 before forming Most Precious Blood soon after. It was that second band with which he released four full-length studio albums under Trustkill Records.

Meanwhile, Kevin Phillips, the former Atlanta-based southern rock band Fight Paris, unseated incumbent Joe Devito in the mayoral race down in Port Royal, South Carolina. Though he’s now a practicing attorney in his day job, Phillips’ Fight Paris was at one time signed to Trustkill Records, where they released one full-length album Paradise Found.

And then finally, over in Virginia a state politician who gained some notoriety the last time she ran moved up to higher office, as Danica Roem won her bid to become the state’s first openly trans senator. You may remember Roem from when she previously made history as the first transgender person elected to serve in a state-wise position in the country back in 2017. Well now she’s moved on from the Virginia House of Delegates up to the state’s Senate.

Aside from her sexual identity, Roem is also well known for her deep love of metal, having previously been the vocalist for the metal band Cab Ride Home. I mean, check out her vocals — she can really cook.

Though they still have to prove their worth as elected officials, we’re happy to see metal and rock getting some representation in the halls of power.