Working for 26 years as a high school science teacher isn’t what got John Mannion elected to Congress. But that unusual background—and the classroom skills he acquired—may serve him well in today’s raucous political environment. “I already know how to deal with juvenile behavior,” jokes the central New York Democrat, who on 5 November ousted first-term Representative Brandon Williams (R).
Although the blue wave Democrats needed to gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives never materialized, Mannion won handily with a message that he would represent all the voters in the Syracuse-area district where he has spent his entire life.
“There are a lot of decent New Yorkers that support [President-elect] Donald Trump, and there are a lot of decent New Yorkers who also oppose him,” Mannion told Syracuse.com shortly after the election. “We need to recognize our differences, sow trust in our government and our institutions, and foster compromise.”
Mannion is the rare new member of Congress with a clear science connection. He taught high school science—mostly Advanced Placement biology and chemistry—in the Syracuse area and also served as president of the teachers bargaining unit for the district before being elected to the New York state Senate in 2020 from a district long held by Republicans.
Mannion, 56, sat down with ScienceInsider on 20 November to talk about his background, the state of U.S. science education, and his plans. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
