LOS ANGELES — Decades ago, when he was studying political science at the University of Southern California and later law school, Timothy Walker voted. Everyone in his family voted Democratic, including him.
Then his path took a turn. Cocaine addiction took hold of him, and he spent years in and out of drug treatment centers. He lost his home and his job as a marketing manager at a law firm. He never passed the bar exam. Elections came and went, largely unnoticed.
This year is different. He completed a faith-based recovery program at the Los Angeles Mission, a Christian nonprofit that helps the homeless and others in need. He’s been clean for almost two years. He’s got a job again, writing thank-you cards to donors in a small office at the mission.
And for the first time in about forty years, he’s thinking about voting.
He’s not sure he’ll vote and won’t say if he’s leaning toward a particular presidential candidate. But he credits his faith with changing his life and wants to see that faith in the presidency.
“A Christian in the White House would be moral, ethical, grounded in love, and would want the best for humanity — not just for himself or a particular company,” said Walker, 64.
The two major party nominees, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, are both Christian, though neither has made their religious beliefs central to their campaigns.
Walker is a cheerful man and an optimist. He believes that God will help America. But he is also realistic about the enormous divisions in the country.
“Do I think that all the hearts of America will change and people will just be nice to each other and love each other?” he asked. “I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
“There is too much judgment, envy, jealousy, racism and sin.”
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