20-Something Pols Urge High Schoolers To Jump In

Youth politics came to a New Haven high school Monday — and students saw up close how running for office can make a difference.

The occasion was a visit by two 23-year-old legislators Westport State Sen. Will Haskell and Hamden Councilman Justin Farmer —to juniors at Metropolitan Business Academy on Water Street.

Civics teacher Julia Miller — who has the phone numbers of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy printed large on her classroom wall — invited Farmer and Haskell to kick off her unit on voting and the electoral process.

The two pols told 100 high school juniors spoke about how they explain Snapchat to their older colleagues, and about the profound responsibilities of being youthful legislators.

“I want students to see examples of young people who have actually run for and won elected offices so they [my students] feel inspired and see it as something actually attainable to do,” Miller said.

Eleventh grade Class President Demarques Stevens and Vice-President Amy Rodriguez posed questions to the visiting pols, including asking why they chose to run for office.

Farmer, whose district is perched on the southern Hamden border where it merges into New Haven’s Newhallville neighborhood, said that when he was growing up there had to be at least 15 to 20 shootings not far from his house. ​“There are two different Hamdens,” he said. One is symbolized by Sleeping Giant, the other by a nearby liquor store. ​“That’s the difference that I wanted to talk about,” and so he ran and ​“for some reason I was elected.”

Haskell said he always had a vague interest in politics, but thought he should wait his turn. Then something happened: ​“I was in college when Donald Trump won, and so many values changed. I didn’t recognize my government. I looked at my state senator, and she had been in office for longer than I was alive. Never challenged. That’s crazy. If nobody challenges, it’s not good for democracy.”

Referencing his predecessor’s opposition to paid family leave, he added, ​“My mom had to go back to work two weeks after she gave birth to me. That’s not right … so I ran. It’s on all of us in the era of Trump to do something.”

Farmer said he was always a reluctant candidate and an unusual one — he wears headphones to deal with Tourette syndrome, so some people assume he’s tuning them out. He knocked on hundreds of doors; he won his seat in an election so close he was only four votes away from a required recount.

“If anyone says your vote doesn’t count, remember Justin’s election,” Haskell said.

“Young people are always being told they are too young” to seek elected office, Haskell noted. ​“But we can’t wait. There’s an existential threat [climate change]. Being a young person isn’t a liability, it’s an advantage.”

Then he offered this reality check: ​“The 18 – 24 bracket has the worst voting record. That’s bad for democracy. Democracy belongs to those who show up. So I decided I’d be proud of being 22. You show up and run for office and stand for [addressing] student debt and climate change. One of my favorite quotes is Shirley Chisholm​‘s: ​‘If they don’t give you a seat at the table, you’ve got to bring a folding chair.’”

Farmer, who is also a student of marine biology at Southern Connecticut State University, described days of balancing meetings, arranging schedules and then rearranging, and then working late into the night to research issues. He described the deep satisfaction at seeing five formerly blighted houses now fixed up due in part to his efforts.

“Every day is different. It’s not so much a job as a lifestyle,” he advised.

Haskell was equally candid. ​“Don’t do it if you want something that pays well. Young people have to tough it out, but if you like helping people, there’s nothing better.”

Haskell said as the youngest legislator in Hartford he perused the 20 committees he might serve on, and then thought one perspective he feels he’s uniquely able to bring is to ask what Connecticut will look like in 20 years. So he was pleased to be appointed to the higher education committee and to become its chair.

“I’m immensely proud that we passed debt-free community college,” he added.

He also specifically asked to be placed on the government and elections committee. ​“It sounds boring but it is so important,” he said, pointing out that Connecticut is only one of ten remaining states without any early voting. ​“Texas has 30 days of early voting, and, also, you ought to be able to request absentee ballots online. It just shouldn’t be so hard to vote,” he added.”

Both legislators cited frequent examples of constituents as well as colleagues asking if they themselves are old enough to vote or are interns walking around the halls of government. They both said that having a sense of humor is also very helpful in responding to such situations. Haskell said State Senate President Martin Looney commented at the beginning of the session that he had a tie that is older than Haskell. Shortly afterwards, Haskell brought Looney a tie that was even older.

“I like being a young person in politics,” Haskell concluded, even though you often have to keep pushing back. ​“I hope I’ll have lots more company.”

Haskell asked people to raise their hands if they are going to be 18 by November of 2020. He urged them to register to vote. The presidential election ​“is going to be watched by history. This is one of those key junctures in American history,” he said. ​“You don’t want to have regrets.”

“Vote, run for office — and be sure to go to your second period,” teacher Miller called out as the session ended. Tuesday she plans to debrief the students on what they heard and ask each to write a response. Later this week come lessons on what is a political party — and, oh yes, impeachment.

“I’m inspired by this,” junior Alona Santiago said of Farmer’s and Haskell’s visit. Now she plans to ask her unregistered stepfather, ​“Why don’t you vote?”