It’s never too early to start talking about the upcoming elections in November, especially to you, my young professional friends. Because the trends are disheartening. In 2006, another off-year election, only 25.5 percent of people aged 18 – 29 voted, while almost 54 percent of people aged 30 and older voted. (This statistic, and a full report on youth voting trends can be found here.)
Even though it is an off-year, it is still important that you be engaged in the political dialogue because Connecticut residents will be electing a new governor.
If you haven’t been staying on top of Connecticut politics, here is a quick rundown:
M. Jodi Rell, the current governor, has served in the position since 2004, but announced last year that she will not seek reelection. A number of candidates stepped up, hoping to fill the vacancy. The Democrats have two candidates vieing to win the primary election in August, while the Republicans have five.
For this blog, I’ve asked each candidate to answer a set of questions pertaining to issues affecting young professionals. I will post each candidate’s responses as they come in.
The questions are:
1. What do you think are the three issues young professionals in Connecticut are most concerned about?
2. How would you retain young professional talent in Connecticut?
3. What kinds of initiatives would you enact to create more affordable housing for young professionals?
4. What would you do to improve public transportation?
These are general questions, and it’s your responsibility as a voter to do a little extra research on specific issues that you’re passionate about.
