100,000 FIRST BOSSES

The youngest man to ever occupy a seat in the Connecticut state legislature tells the story of his unlikely run for office and the lessons learned as a freshman senator.

When all his fellow college juniors were thinking about their first jobs or graduate school, Haskell decided to run for the Connecticut General Assembly. Though he didn’t boast “the typical résumé of a candidate for state Senate—no law or business degree, no decades of service on a local board or commission, no spouse and kids to put on a glossy mailer,” he did have an Obama-inspired belief in the power of positive change and a profound distrust of the Trump administration. His underdog status against a far more entrenched political insider fueled his determination to not only win, but also break the Democrat-Republican tie in the state senate and end political gridlock. Coffee-shop conversations with local politicos that felt like “job interviews” led to discussions with other plugged-in political figures, who regarded Haskell with extreme skepticism. Undaunted, he found the beginnings of support in a state representative who began schooling him on major issues affecting Connecticut. A grassroots campaign effort followed along with the eventual support of seasoned political consultants who helped Haskell win over older voters. Seeking to stay “above the fray” and ignore his opponent’s attacks, Haskell won the 2018 state senate race. He then began his yearlong political education in fighting for the policies about which he was passionate, including free college and gun control, while learning from his mistakes (dozing off during a congressional session). Refreshingly candid and optimistic, this account offers much-needed hope to all Americans and especially to the politically underrepresented younger generations seeking change in a world increasingly hostile to their pursuits of health, wealth, and happiness.

Inspiring reading for aspiring politicians or anyone seeking substantive change.