100,000 First Bosses

The underdog story of Will Haskell, who became a Democratic state senator in 2018 at age 22 – taking on an incumbent who had been undefeated for Haskell’s entire life and earning an endorsement from President Obama – and is determined to pave the way for his peers to transform government from the bottom up.

President Obama left office with these parting words for Americans: “If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.” Twenty-two-year-old Will Haskell decided to do just that. If he ran for office and won, he would become the youngest state senator in Connecticut history.

For years, Haskell’s hometown had reelected the same politician who opposed passing paid family leave, fought increases in the minimum wage, and voted down expansions of voting rights. Haskell’s own vision for Connecticut’s future couldn’t be more different, and he couldn’t stand the idea of an uncontested election. In 2018, he would be a college grad looking for his first job. Why not state senator?

When Haskell kicks off his campaign in the spring of his senior year, he’s an unknown college kid facing a popular incumbent who’s been in office for more than two decades – as long as Haskell’s been alive. Haskell’s campaign manager is his roommate, and his treasurer is his girlfriend’s mom. He doesn’t have any professional experience. But he does have a powerful message: There’s no minimum age to being on the right side of history.