Campaign kids bring energy, fresh perspective to local races

Homework. Sports. Student council. Hanging with friends.

Oh yeah, and campaigning.

As a Glenbrook South High School junior, Dillon Waldron's life was busy enough at the start of the school year.

But after seeing an advertisement in his high school bulletin looking for volunteers for Democratic state Rep. Elaine Nekritz's campaign, Waldron decided to add one more activity to his plate.

Twice weekly for the past two months, the 17-year-old has canvassed neighborhoods in the 57th House district - which includes Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Northbrook - collecting votes and asking residents to post yard signs. Nekritz is running against James Tatooles, a Northbrook Republican.

Waldron makes calls in the phone bank at campaign headquarters in Northbrook. And on the occasional light day, he volunteers for Barack Obama's campaign. "I don't get a lot of sleep," Waldron said. "Maybe like five hours a night."

Waldron is an example of a national trend suggesting that teens and young adults are ready and willing to get involved in politics. A newly released study by Harvard's Institute of Politics concluded just that. Of the 2,406 18- to 24-year olds surveyed this fall, 60 percent said they were interested in signing on for some form of public service to help the country. A third said they would think about getting involved in a political campaign. Nearly one-fifth said they would consider running for office one day.

The youthful participation crossed party and gender lines, and didn't stop with just one candidate, the study found.

In the Chicago area, high school and college-age volunteers are confirming the study's results, bringing technology, energy and a can-do spirit to local and national races.

"This age range, they're very much enthusiastic about politics and they want to make a difference," said Tim Pajak, campaign organizer for state Rep. Ruth Munson's campaign. "They're idealistic, they've got a ton of energy." Munson, an Elgin Republican, is running against Democrat Keith Farnham in the 43rd District.

Cook County Clerk David Orr said his office has received more than twice as many applications from high school students interested in being election judges this year than in the primary. And they're coming from three times as many schools.

"Teenagers not yet 18 may not be able to vote, but they want to participate in this historic election," he said in a news release.

Schaumburg High School had 94 applicants, Palatine High had 92.

Starting her first year at University of Chicago's Graduate School of Public Policy, Downers Grove native Kristin Paulson is saddled with late night study sessions, mounds of reading and papers galore.

Still, Paulson, 23, serves as the college outreach coordinator for the Illinois Young Professionals for John McCain, which consists of about 1,000 18- to 40-year old volunteers in the Chicago area, spokesman Shawn Healy said.

Paulson hands out fliers at train stations, works the phones and travels up to swing-state Wisconsin on weekends. Plus, as college outreach coordinator she works to band together different college Republican clubs in the area.

"I think some (student groups) around here feel really isolated," she said. "Just because we're college students and we're young, we're not necessarily going to vote for Obama," she said.

Even remotely, Elgin native Abe Lopez is logging several hours a week for Munson's re-election campaign. The freshman at Illinois State University works as an active part of her "Youth for Ruth" campaign group, blogging, making calls and networking in and around campus.

Though youth were involved in Munson's 2006 campaign, the impetus for the organized youth effort, Pajak said, was a large part the kids themselves.

By putting on different Youth for Ruth activities like bags tournaments and mini-golf fundraisers, along with traditional campaigning, Pajak said, "This was a way to get them involved, to make it a fun experience."

Like Nekritz and Munson, Democratic state Sen. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat, has tapped into a younger audience in the 33rd District, speaking recently at Maine Township District 207 high schools about volunteering for the campaign.

"The response has been terrific" Kotowski said, noting 35 students signed up to volunteer after a talk at Maine West in Des Plaines. Kotowski faces Republican Mike Sweeney of Arlington Heights.

Maeve Kelliher, a 16-year-old Maine South High School sophomore, has her parents and grandparents drive her to Kotowski's campaign headquarters twice each week.

Kelliher learned of the need for volunteers at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Park Ridge, where both Kotowski and the Kellihers are members.

"I'm not old enough to vote yet, but this is a way for me to help out," she said.

Collecting voter information, campaigning door-to-door and making calls to district residents, "I usually am one of the youngest volunteers," Kelliher said.

"When they put me on the computer, they don't have to explain how to do this and how to do that. That's time saving."

As Nov. 4 nears, she said, "I'm getting excited. I'm anxious to see if all the work is going to pay off."

Along with collecting votes, volunteers describe gaining insider knowledge of how to handle themselves in a political environment.

Campaigning with Nekritz on several occasions, Glenbrook South's Waldron said he's learned "little things I didn't know would make a difference."

"Like when we go door-to-door and people aren't there, she writes notes on the fliers, saying 'Sorry we missed you.' I never would have thought to do that," he said.

He admits the balance is tough, especially keeping up with the reading in his English class. Still, Waldron said experience has also opened his eyes to a future in politics. "It's easy. It's surprisingly easy to get into if you look for opportunities," he said.

Campaigns: Young volunteers bring fresh energy