Raghib Ismail Allie-Brennan

• Raghib Allie-Brennan is a 27 year old United States politician representing Connecticut's 2nd House District. He came into office in 2019 as a Democrat.
• He claims to be bringing "fresh, new ideas and perspectives to Hartford to support small businesses and fix the budget crisis, advocate for public education, and invest in Connecticut's green energy future."
• He grew up in Bethel, gaining an understanding of the basic needs of the district.
• Before his role as a state representative, he was a Congressional advisor, which grounded his understanding and familiarity with the "energy and environmental issues, emergency response/disaster relief, and civil rights."
• Raghib is a 2013 graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, with a degree in international relations.
• Analysis of his social media posts reveals that he is a supporter of actions towards climate change, education reform, environmental change, support for small businesses, and the LGBTQ community.
• Raghib can be found on the following social media platforms: Twitter @raghibct, Instagram @raghibct, Facebook @raghibct, YouTube — Raghib Allie-Brennan, and LinkedIn — Raghib Allie-Brennan.

Matt Lesser

• Matthew L. Lesser is a Democratic senator representing Connecticut Senate District 09. He is from Middletown and was born on April 29, 1983.
• Matt is a graduate of Wesleyan University.
• He represented Connecticut District 100 from 2009 to 2019, and was elected as a U.S senator in November 2018.
• Since becoming a senator, he has sponsored about 25 bills. Some bills he is sponsoring or has sponsored include taxation of retail marijuana sales, the prohibition of sales of tobacco products and all forms of nicotines to persons below 21 years, and providing "victims of domestic violence greater protection through increased access to legal representation."
• Analysis of his social media posts reveals that he is a supporter of actions towards tackling climate change, the reduction of high drug prices, equal pay for all workers, Canadian drug importation, and reduced cost of healthcare.
• Matt can be found on the following social media platforms: Twitter @MattLesser, Instagram @matthew.lesser, Facebook @SenatorMattLesser, Flickr — Senator Matt Lesser, and LinkedIn — Matthew Lesser.

Geoff Luxenberg

• Geoff Luxenberg is a United States politician representing Connecticut District 12. He came into office in 2019 as a Democrat.
• Mr. Luxenberg is Jewish by religion, hails from Manchester, was born on 20th October 1983, and has a daughter, Zoey, with his wife Kelly. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in political science from North Carolina State University.
• Before his role as a state representative, he served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, during which "he secured $300,000 to complete Manchester's sidewalk upgrade project. Also, he delivered $425,000 to make the Whiton Library ADA accessible and to prevent it from closing."
• Geoff helped in creating the "Earned Income Tax Credit to help working-class families and defended it from budget cuts."
• Mr. Luxenberg is known to stand with the LGBTQ community in Connecticut. He believes in quality education, reduced cost of living, provision of affordable health care, and the resolution of Connecticut's financial state.
• Matt can be found on the following social media platforms: Twitter @MattLesser, Facebook @SenatorMattLesser, and LinkedIn — Matthew Lesser.

Dennis Bradley

• Dennis Bradley is a 36 years old United States politician representing Connecticut District 23. He came into office in 2019 as a Democrat.
• He hails from Bridgeport and obtained his Bachelor's degree in 2009 in political science and government from Norwich University and a JD from the University of Massachusetts.
• Mr. Bradley is a known supporter of the tribal Casino bill. According to him, "a viable solution would be for the state to pass the proposed Connecticut Jobs and Revenue Act in a special session. The bill was proposed at the end of the 2019 legislative session and would maintain the tribes' hold on gambling in the state."
• Dennis was formally a "Democratic and Working Families Party at-large representative on the Bridgeport Board of Education in Connecticut from 2015 to 2019. He won his seat on the board in the general election on November 3, 2015."
• Analysis of his social media posts shows that he is against all actions in support of gun violence. He has enabled his district to secure a $1 million grant in the campaign against cancer and also pushing the campaign for affordable houses.
• Dennis can be found on the following social media platforms: Twitter @DennisABradley, Instagram @dennisabradley, and Facebook @SenatorBradley.

Stephen G. Harding

• Stephen G. Harding is a United States politician representing Connecticut District 107. He came into office in 2015 as a Republican and is serving a second term in office.
• Mr. Harding was born on 31 July, 1987.
• Stephen obtained his Bachelor's degree from "Albertus Magnus College and a J.D. from New York Law School" and initially worked as an attorney at his law firm.
• He is committed to the transportation sector in Connecticut and has held several coffee breaks for discussions on the topic. Stephen is also a believer in affordable education, judging from his social media posts.
• He previously served on both the "Zoning Board of Appeals and Brookfield Board of Education, where he chaired the Board's Policy Subcommittee. Also, he is a member of Brookfield Cares, an organization that addresses substance abuse and other mental health issues facing the town and surrounding communities."
• Stephen can be found on the Facebook @SenatorMattLesser and Twitter @RepHarding107.

Research Strategy

Ben Florsheim

• Ben Florsheim is the mayor of Middletown, Connecticut. At the age of 27, he is the youngest mayor in the city’s history.
• He is a graduate of Wesleyan University where he studied political science and history and became involved with the Middletown Democratic Town Committee.
• He volunteered for the election campaign of Mayor Dan Drew in 2011 and worked to register Wesleyan students to vote.
• Florsheim has no city hall experience but has been an outreach advisor for Senator Chris Murphy in the last five years.
• Ben Florsheim's Twitter handle is @bdflorsheim. 
• He can be found on Facebook, @BenForMiddletown.

Will Haskell

• Will Haskell of the Democratic Party is representing District 26, of the Connecticut State in the US senate. He took office in 2019. His current term expires on January 6, 2021.
• He is 23 years old.
• His values are quality, justice and respect.
• Haskell defeated incumbent republican Toni Boucher who had served in the Connecticut’s state senate for 23 years.
• His name has been included in the Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list.
• Will Haskell can be found on Twitter, @WillHaskellCT, Facebook, @WillHaskellforCT, and Instagram, @willhaskellforct.

Erin Elizabeth Stewart

• Mayor Erin Elizabeth Stewart is the 40th Mayor of the City of New Britain, Connecticut. She is the youngest mayor in the history of the city and New Britain's first female mayor to be elected for more than one term.
• Mayor Stewart was born on May 4, 1987, in New Britain.
• She was only 26 years old when she was first elected in 2013. After her first term, she was re-elected overwhelmingly to a second term in 2015, and a third term in 2017.
• During her first term, she closed a deficit of over $30 million, increased the City's Rainy Day fund to $18 million, and brought stability and transparency back to the city's finances, which earned her recognition for her leadership.
• Erin Elizabeth Stewart can be found on Twitter, @erinstewartct, Facebook, @ErinStewartCT, and Instagram, @erinstewartct.

Brandon L. McGee Jr

• A native of Hartford, Brandon L. McGee Jr. is serving his fourth term in the US house of representatives. He is representing areas of Windsor and Hartford, Connecticut.
• Brandon L. McGee Jr. was born on March 1, 1984.
• Brandon is the House Chairman of the Housing Committee legislature and the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus Chairman.
• He also sits on the Education Committee and the Human Services Committee as a strong advocate of quality education for all.

• He is an advocate for social equality, improvement of criminal justice, empowerment, and voter registration for people of color and their communities.
• Brandon can be found on Twitter, @Mr_BMcGee, and Facebook, @RepBMcGee.

Kara Rochelle

• Kara Rochelle, born March 29, 1983, is a democrat, representing Ansonia and Derby's District 104 as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
• She took office in 2019 and her current term ends on January 6, 2021.
• She is the Housing Committee's Vice Chair and sits as a member of the committees for higher education and employment advancement and commerce.
• Kara works with a non-profit that is affiliated with Yale University (Source 10)
• She devoted many volunteering hours to the Valley United Way Youth Leadership Program in her youth and continues devoting time to various community service projects like Derby Elks and Young Democrats in the Naugatuck Valley.
• Kara can be found on Twitter, @KaraRochelleCT, and Facebook, @KaraforAnsoniaAndDerby.

Caroline Simmons

• Representative Caroline Simmons, Democrat, serves the 144th District in Stamford, Connecticut.
• Simmons, born February 10, 1986, worked for the Women’s Business Development Council in Stamford before being elected. There, she helped women in Connecticut by providing entrepreneurial, financial, and professional development training programs.
• She attended Harvard University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She also received a Master of Arts degree from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
• She is the House chair of the Commerce Committee and serves on the Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee as well as the Public Safety Committee.
• In 2017, she received NARAL’s Legislative Champions Award for her work on various women’s issues. Simmons stated, “‘I will continue to fight for health care rights for women and families in Connecticut. Women—and all citizens in the state—will suffer greatly if efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act are successful. That’s why I’m working at the state level to safeguard our accomplishments.’”
• Representative Simmons has a Twitter account (@CSimmonsCT) and an Instagram account (@carolinesimmonsct).

Devin Carney

• Representative Devin Carney is a Republican State Representative serving the 23rd District in Connecticut.
• He was born on May 10, 1984. Representative Carney’s hometown is Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He studied Politics and American Studies at Brandeis University and graduated with a BA in 2006.
• Carney co-sponsored Public Act (PA) 19-191, which requires pharmacies to offer counseling to patients on the risks of using prescribed opioids. He also seeks to expand coverage for hearing aids. He supports legislation to reduce vaping noting that he is “concerned about the growth of this habit among young people and look forward to working to see how we can further reduce the influence of e-cigarettes.”
• Representative Carney has a Facebook account and is also available on Twitter(@RepDevinCarney).

Antonio Felipe

• Representative Antonio Felipe, Democrat, serves the 130th District in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is 24 years old.
• Felipe serves on the State Appropriations Committee and prior to election noted: “I know that Bridgeport’s best days are ahead of us and that my background as a Park City native and a son of the 130th District has prepared me to fight for our city up in Hartford.”
• He is the second-youngest member of the state House of Representatives and was called “‘young, an outsider, a ‘carpetbagger’,” said State Rep. Chris Rosario, “‘Know what they can call him now? State representative.’”
• His Twitter handle is @ToneFelipe130.

David Arconti, Jr.

• Representative David Arconti, Jr. serves the 109th District of Danbury Connecticut.
• He is a 33-year-old Democrat who graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University.
• Representative Arconti is a member of the Danbury Old Timer’s Association and a board member on the Danbury High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. He currently serves as House chair of the Energy and Technology Committee and also serves on the Environment and General Law Committees.
• His record notes that he has “a deep understanding of the current and the many overall environmental challenges facing our planet, and the need for finding alternatives for clean energy and developing a strong green economy.”
• Representative Arconti maintains a Twitter account (@StateRepArconti).

Sean Scanlon

• State Representative Sean Scanlon, Democrat, serves the 98th District of Branford and Guilford, Connecticut.
• He was born on December 20, 1986, and during his first term led legislation that targeted the state's opioid epidemic. “In 2015 he co-sponsored Public Act 15-198, a landmark law that required education for doctors and other prescribers on prescription drug abuse, cracked down on ‘doctor shopping’ for prescription drugs, and allowed pharmacists to prescribe life-saving anti-overdose drugs like Narcan over the counter.”
• Representative Scanlon serves as the House chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and serves on the Public Health, and Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees.
• In 2018, as part of a bi-partisan group that opposed cuts to the shoreline by the Department of Transportation, Scanlon organized the group to come together. "'For over twenty-five years Shore Line East has been a tremendous asset to our constituents and communities," said Scanlon. ‘People in 2018 want reliable public transportation options besides sitting in traffic on I-95 and almost every town on the route is currently working on economic development surrounding transit-oriented development. To scale back service now is a huge mistake and I'm proud to stand with my colleagues from both parties to strongly urge the Commissioner to rethink these cuts.'"
• He has a Twitter account (@SeanScanlonCT).

More Millennials are Moving to Connecticut

• According to a new survey by the National Association of Realtors, more millennials are moving to the New Haven-Milford area.
• The survey revealed that "New Haven-Milford and Madison, Wisconsin saw the largest share of arrivals among millennials" compared to other age brackets.
• The percentage of "recent millennial movers to recent movers of any other age bracket" is 75% to 25% (3:1).
• Over two-thirds of the recent millennial movers to cities in the United States are people moving to the New Haven-Milford area and Madison, Wisconsin.
• In the New Haven-Milford area, millennials account for about 22% of its population.

Why Millennials Love Connecticut

• One of the significant reasons for millennials choosing to live and work in Connecticut is the ease of landing a job.
• A report by the UConn opines that 60% of the 2019 graduates from the University of Connecticut secured a job in the State within six months of graduation.
• Also, 75% of graduates from all university systems and school colleges in the State decide to start their work career in Connecticut.
• Another reason for millennials to stay in Connecticut is the salary offered. In the U.S, "the greater Hartford area offers the fourth-highest salaries for millennials."
• Currently, the median salary for millennials in Hartford is $49,116. The difference between the median income of millennials working in Connecticut and millennials moving to the State is $20,100.
•  Marroquin, a graduate from the University of Connecticut, shares his opinion about settling in Connecticut, "What I like about Connecticut is that it is not that big of a state, so you can have a big-city feel and be in a rural town in no time."
• According to a survey by the U.S Census Bureau, the city of Storrs in Connecticut has the highest number of millennial inhabitants. 50.9% of the city's population are millennials.
• One of the reasons pointed out by Marroquin for choosing to settle in Storrs is that the city of Storrs is quite different from other parts of Connecticut because of its quietness and serenity.

Increased Number of Registered Millennial Voters

• According to a recent registration data, the number of millennials who registered to vote in the state's November 2018 election saw a significant increase.
• The report by the Secretary of the State's office revealed that a significant number of millennials in Connecticut registered as unaffiliated voters than affiliates of the two major parties.
• From January to October 2018, "36,597 millennial voters registered unaffiliated, 25,755 voters registered with the Democratic Party, 10,416 voters who registered with the Republican Party, 1,365 registered with the Independent Party, 189 registered with the Libertarian Party, 62 with the Green Party, and 24 with the Working Families Party."
• This means that a total of 74,408 new millennials registered to vote in Connecticut.
• Some underlying factors that have led to the growing interest among millennials to vote are the school shootings and the State's political trends.

The Millennial Workforce in Connecticut

• A 2019 study of businesses in Connecticut by the CBIA/Marcum suggests that 41% of business workers fall into the millennial category (40 years and below).
• Also, 25% of managers fall within the same category.
• Millennial is the age group with the highest number of side hustlers for additional income. Millennials across Connecticut are known to leverage their talents and skills towards making ends meet.
•  Side hustle for extra income is fast becoming a trend among millennials who live in Connecticut.
• Different side hustles adopted by millennials in the state include "child care services, becoming a ride-share driver, starting a small business, writing for local publications on a freelance basis or offering a rare service."