On October 17, Demz hosted CT District 30 State Senate candidate Justin Potter for a meet and greet in the Faculty Room.
What led you to run for CT state Senate?
In January, I was approached about running. I was initially hesitant—I have a lot going on as president of Kent Affordable Housing, and I have a family. But it was an opportunity to create real, positive change on a large scale. There are not a lot of people who want to run for office; I’m fortunate to be in a situation where I can, so it was important that I step up.
What national issues do you think are the most important right now?
It is a challenging time at the national scale. There is so much happening with the Supreme Court—precedents we thought were settled are suddenly getting overturned, and that has great implications for CT.
One specific issue I think is very important at the moment is immigration. If Congress had a frank discussion about the immigration system and started working to modernize it, people who wanted to come to the U.S. could come in an orderly fashion.
My wife is a consultant at a firm in New York, and they have issues with employees who aren’t able to get or extend their visas to work here, which is a ridiculous situation.
Another problematic issue is our healthcare system. It is so convoluted and so expensive. This affects people all over the country and needs to be dealt with at the federal level to bring the U.S. in line with other developed countries in terms of reasonable healthcare policy.
Why should young voters care about this election?
Current events are always impacting you, even before you graduate high school. After graduation, these issues become even more pertinent, as you enter the job and the housing markets.
It’s crucial to pay attention and start shaping the world you’re part of.
What would you say to students who are interested in pursuing a career in politics or public service?
Get involved now! Getting involved civically, whether it be through nonprofit organizations or with campaigns, is extremely important.
Campaigns offer a great opportunity for someone with no experience to learn in a unique way. My campaign manager has no prior experience, and he has done a fantastic job so far, simply by not being afraid to jump in and by being prepared to do the necessary work.
