That doesn’t mean it was simple.

Karol Nawrocki, front, the conservative candidate heading into the second round of Poland’s presidential election, meets with union members in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)At stake is not only Poland’s domestic course but also the international standing of a key European Union and NATO member on the alliance’s eastern flank, in a region

over Russia’s war in Ukraine.Sunday’s vote will either empower Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a pro-EU reformer, with a presidential ally who can advance his rule-of-law agenda — or saddle him with a rival who could veto legislation and block government initiatives.Trzaskowski’s supporters argue that a pro-European leader would enhance Poland’s global standing during a time of war in Europe. Nawrocki’s backers believe only conservative rule can safeguard national sovereignty and traditional Christian values, and they say Trump’s support would greatly enhance Poland’s security.

But the candidate who may ultimately decide the outcome is one who won’t appear on the runoff ballot.Sławomir Mentzen, a 38-year-old far-right politician and beer producer from the central city of Torun, finished third in the first round of voting on May 18, with nearly 15% of the vote. Though eliminated, his supporters — often young, anti-establishment, and deeply skeptical of both Brussels and Poland’s political establishment — have become the most sought-after constituency in the country.

Both remaining candidates have gone out of their way to court Mentzen and his base. In recent days, each man traveled to the north-central Polish town of Torun, famous for being the birthplace of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, to appear on Mentzen’s YouTube channel, where he has built a following with a mix of libertarian economics, nationalist rhetoric, and anti-EU invective.

His influence highlights a broader shift in Polish politics, where the far right — once considered a fringe force — is increasingly shaping the national agenda. It’s also part of a larger trend of hard-right parties gaining traction across Europe.Dr. Jacob Lenz performs an ultrasound at the Oklahoma State University obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)

The city is starting with, among others, low-income residents and those living in public housing. The New Family Home Visits Initiative gives pregnant people and those who’ve given birth visits from professionals such as nurses, midwives, doulas and lactation consultants. Vasan said more than 12,000 families have gotten visits since 2022.Nurse Shinda Cover-Bowen works for the initiative’s Nurse Family Partnership, which has her visiting some families for 2 1/2 years, well beyond the pregnancy and birth. She said “that consistency of someone being there for you and listening to you and guiding you on your mother’s journey is priceless.”

Being grounded in the local community — and its history — is also crucial for Healthy Start projects. The lingering effects of racism are evident in Tulsa, where in 1921, white residents are estimated to have killed 100-300 Black people and, churches, schools and businesses in the Greenwood section. That’s where Jackson lives now, and where health disparities persist.