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Young Blood: Politicians under 40 |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 12 April 2007 |
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 Sure, there’s a lot of political mumbo jumbo out there, but there are also some new voices.
Can you hear them?
These are the voices of young professionals, active adults, newlyweds, singles and families. They’re the voices of Gen-Xers and, though sometimes quiet, these voices are heard at the State Capitol and in local governments. These young leaders are breaking into places traditionally dominated by baby boomers and those before them.
The under-40 crowd is represented on councils in Fort Collins, Evans, Johnstown and Wellington. Even the Weld County commissioners have a 30-something their midst.
But Greeley, Windsor, Severance, Loveland and the Larimer County Commissioners, at present, do not.
“Young, vibrant, up-and-coming leaders are attractive to people,” said 36-year-old Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont. “This is our government. It’s very easy to get involved and impact decisions made by our government. If people really realized how easy it is to get involved in politics — whether local, state or federal — we would have more people voting and being active in the political process.”
Shaffer said he encountered some skepticism when he ran in 2004. He will be up for re-election in 2008.
“I ran into several people during my campaign who discounted me,” Shaffer said. “They didn’t think I was a serious candidate. I really thought the age thing would be a barrier, but hard work pays off. People will recognize that and reward that when all is said and done.”
Shaffer was working for a law firm in Denver when, he said, he got worn down by the daily grind. There was a senate opening in his district, so he decided to throw his hat into the ring.
“It was time to take a risk to do something I would love to do,” he said. “I definitely made the right decision.”
Shaffer’s record as a Naval officer eased many voters’ concerns about his inexperience. And he said the fact he’s a family man with an attractive wife and kids didn’t hurt.
“The time I had as an officer in the Navy really benefited me,” he said. “Tremendous responsibility was tossed at me at a young age.”
Aaron Townsend, 29, of Johnstown also decided to get involved in government, but on the local level. He heard about a vacancy on the town council by reading the paper. His upbringing taught him if he wanted to make the world a better place, he couldn’t rely on others to do it.
So he ran and won the spot on the board.
“Most people in our demographic rely on the older generations to make the right decisions for them,” Townsend said. “They don’t take the time to get involved in issues that affect them. The earlier we can get involved and carry our load, the better off everybody is.”
Townsend said he has learned from other, more experienced, council members and that his four years on council have been rewarding.
But Townsend isn’t the only board member in Johnstown under the age of 40.
Because Johnstown doesn’t have term limits, Chad Young, 34, has served for 11 years.
“I started really young,” he said. Do the math and you’ll see Young isn’t kidding. He started at the ripe age of 23.
Young was born and raised in Johnstown, now a town of about 5,000 in western Weld County, and had a vested interest in the community. Both of his grandfathers had also served the town.
“In a smaller town, you are probably more apt to get younger folks involved,” Young said.
People are also more likely to participate when they are directly impacted by an issue. For example, growth was a big issue in Johnstown and Young wanted to be a part of the decision-making process. In his leadership role, Young also helped get a new library built. He said he had a lot of support also acknowledges that there will always be obstacles.
“Generational gaps of ideas can be a challenge,” Young said. “In cases of spending, so many people who grew up during the Depression are more apprehensive to spend money. Younger generations come along and say you have to spend money to make money.”
Bill Garcia, a 34-year-old from Evans and a Weld County commissioner at large, said several factors tend to discourage younger people from running for elected offices. In addition to his newly held position, Garcia also teaches political science at Aims Community College in Greeley.
“There are so many different things competing for people’s attention, that I think politics sometimes falls behind for younger people.”
Between 60-hour work weeks, driving the kids to soccer and ballet, parent teacher conferences and getting dinner on the table, little time is left for campaigning. Garcia knocked on 11,000 doors during his campaign.
The time commitment is more than a lunch break here or there.
And for those just starting their careers, they don’t always have the flexibility to take on activities outside the workplace. Imagine telling your boss you need to take an extended lunch for the third time in one week. It probably won’t go over so well.
Also, running for an elected position is not always financially conducive. With a mortgage, car payment and student loans due every month — ditching the job is not usually an option.
Older candidates may have saved up money or can take a sabbatical from their work. Garcia was fortunate because he owned his own law practice.
“I could pick and choose when I was going to work late, whereas if I had to account for my hours to a boss, it would have been harder,” Garcia said.
Sometimes, as populations change in a community, so does the board to better reflect its constituents. Wellington, a small burg north of Fort Collins, has an increasing population of first-time home buyers and young families. Two members under age 40 were elected last year.
Travis Stevens, 32, has lived in Wellington since 2001 and owns his own insurance agency. He said many younger voters wanted someone in their age bracket to have a voice on the board.
“For a long time it had been the good ol’ boys type thing,” Stevens said. “I have been able to bring a more youthful and family perspective to the board.”
In Fort Collins, where people 18-39 make up about 46 percent of the population, there were no council members under 40 until the election on April 3.
Lisa Poppaw, 38, of Fort Collins and new council member for District 2, changed that. Though she recognized she would be the only woman on the council, it didn’t dawn on her that she would also be the youngest.
“What mattered is we need diversity,” Poppaw said. “That’s important. We need more woman involved, particularly in a generation like ours. We have so many extraordinarily talented women. I’d like to see more women get involved. We’ve got a lot to offer.”
Poppaw, who was an active school district volunteer, decided to run because she said her opponent did not reflect her values. Though it was a heated campaign, Poppaw said she found strong support. She tried not to read criticism on blogs or in newspapers during the campaign.
“At the end of the day, if my family and friends still love me, then I’m OK,” she said. “And if my kids still think I’m a good person, then I am good.”
Running for office may bring a tinge of fear, but for those destined to break the mold, it can be a powerful experience.
“We are a generation that was told there is nothing we can’t do,” Poppaw said.
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MUGS YOU MIGHT SEE AROUND TOWN
Want to get to know who represents you? Here are a few of northern Colorado’s young faces in government.
 Lisa Poppaw
Age: 38
Residence: Fort Collins
Title: City Council member for District 2
Years served: Elected April 3
Bio: Poppaw graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and is active in the Fort Collins community. She has served on the city of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission and as a Parent Teacher Organization chairwoman.
 Debbie Lambert
Age: 37
Residence: Evans
Title and affiliation: City Council member for Ward Three, Republican
Years served: 2006-present
Bio: Lambert has lived in Evans for more than 13 years and has been employed at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center for seven years. Prior to that, Lambert did licensed day care from her home for eight and a half years. She is studying in the Early Childhood Education program at Aims Community College and hopes to be re-elected in 2008.
 Bill Garcia
Age: 34
Residence: Evans
Title: Weld County commissioner at large.
Years served: 2007
Bio: Garcia was born in Kentucky and moved to Colorado in the early ’80s. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Louisville and his law degree from the University of Denver. Garcia has owned his own law practice for nine years.
 Chad Young
Age: 34
Residence: Johnstown
Title: Mayor pro tem, Republican
Years served: 11 years
Bio: Young was born and raised in Johnstown and works for Allnutt Funeral Services in Greeley. He earned an associate’s degree from Aims Community College. Both of Young’s grandfathers also served in politics in Johnstown.
 Aaron Townsend
Age: 29
Residence: Johnstown
Title: Town Board member, Republican
Years served: 2003-present
Bio: Townsend, originally from Kansas, earned an engineering degree from Kansas State University. He moved to Colorado seven years ago and works for FCI Constructors.
Travis Stevens
Age: 32
Residence: Wellington
Title: Town Board trustee, Republican
Years served: 2006-present
Bio: Stevens earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wyoming. He moved to Fort Collins in 1997 and opened his own insurance agency. Two years later he moved the business to Wellington and then made that town his home in 2001.
Travis Vieira
Age: 35
Residence: Wellington
Title: Town Board Trustee and Planning Commissioner, Democrat
Years served: 2006-present
Bio: Vieira has lived in Colorado since he was 6. He grew up in Wheat Ridge and earned a degree in health sciences from Metropolitan State College of Denver. Vieira has lived in Wellington for five years, owns his own restaurant, Henry’s Bistro, and works at the Athletic Club. | Only registered users can write comments.
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