Younger people these days seem less inclined to seek public office amid a toxic political environment that appears to discourage good people from becoming involved in government.
From the halls of Congress to south and southwest suburban schools, municipalities and other taxing bodies governed by locally elected officials, the median age of public servants seems to be increasing.
“We need a new generation,” U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Oct. 9. “We need new blood, in the House, the Senate and White House. I think that the country has been saying that.”
I’ll add that we need new blood on city councils, village boards, township boards, park boards, library boards and other local units of government.
Statistically, people in their late teens and 20s are least likely to exercise their right to vote in elections. Voter turnout has historically been lowest among eligible voters who are 18 to 27 years old.
With the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and other seismic shifts in our legal system, young people are about to discover that if they don’t get involved in politics, politics is going to get involved in them.
The best way for future leaders to gain experience needed to capably serve in statehouses and Congress is to seek and hold local offices. A good example is state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights.
DeLuca, 52, served on the Bloom Township High School District 206 Board from 1995 to 2003 and as mayor of Chicago Heights from 2003 to 2009 before becoming a state lawmaker.
“I was 25 when I was first elected to the school board and 32 when I became mayor,” DeLuca told me Wednesday. “When I was running I talked about bringing in a fresh set of eyes. We often talk about, ‘Well, that’s the way we’ve always done things.’ Usually younger people bring a new perspective.”
Robbins Mayor Darren E. Bryant also sets a good example for the next generation of civic leaders. Bryant, who teaches physical education at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, was 29 when he took office last year.
Bryant said at the time his research indicated he was the youngest Black person ever elected mayor in Illinois and the second youngest person overall to be a mayor in the state.
Face it, many of our nation’s leaders are getting long in the tooth. President Joe Biden, the oldest person to take the oath of office as president, turns 80 on Nov. 20. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 82. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is 80. Former President Donald Trump is 76.
This older class of politicians appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon. President Barack Obama was 47 when he took office in 2009. Bill Clinton was 46 when he was sworn in as president in 1993. They were only slightly older than the youngest person ever elected president, John F. Kennedy, who was 43 in 1960.
The percentage of members of Congress age 70 or older has skyrocketed from about 10% in 2000 to 23% today. The increase in median age of elected officials seems to correlate with the rise of partisanship and division and the decline of civility in our political discourse.
Who can blame younger people for staying on the sidelines? What young person today would want to give up spending time with family and friends to serve the public and subject themselves to lies and vicious attacks from political opponents?
Our communities and our nation benefit from the wisdom and experience of older leaders. But those leaders should be sharing their expertise directly with a younger generation. Ideally, local governing bodies and legislatures would have a balanced mix of younger and older members.
People in the 20s getting involved in public service should be the norm, not the exception.
Donors clarify campaign contributions
A representative of donors to state Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, contacted me to offer clarity and context about contributions that Jones recently reported to the Illinois State Board of Elections. I initially included information about the donations in a column
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that appeared in Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Southtown.I routinely examine quarterly campaign finance reports that candidates are required to file with the state. The information is public record and I share it with readers because I believe it is important to “follow the money” and to let people know who is financially supporting their elected officials.
Jones has represented the 14th Senate District since 2010. The district covers part of Chicago’s Far South Side and all or parts of Palos Heights, Oak Forest, Crestwood, Blue Island, Alsip, Midlothian and Riverdale.
In September, federal authorities charged Jones with bribery in connection with an investigation into corruption involving red-light cameras. Jones has pleaded not guilty. He is uncontested in the Nov. 8 election and has resisted calls by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and others to resign from the Senate.
Public records showed that during the quarter ending Sept. 30, Jones reported $24,000 in donations from two trusts and another entity linked to Todd Schwartz, founder and CEO of OppFi and partner and Schwarz Capital. Additionally, Jones reported a $12,000 contribution Oct. 17 from OppFi, also known as Opportunity Financial.
A representative of Opportunity Financial asked to share a statement about the contributions.
“Emil Jones had represented to us that he was concerned with access to credit, financial education and inclusion, things we care deeply about,” OppFi said. “This was our understanding of Emil Jones’ beliefs and policy objectives when we made these donations to Jones in July 2022, prior to federal charges being filed against him in September 2022.”
“Todd Schwartz and OppFi are committed to the mission of expanding credit access and financial education, and will continue to support the leaders and legislators, on a state and federal level, that are aligned with this mission,” OppFi said.
Entities that help entrepreneurs in the south suburbs and elsewhere gain access to capital provide valuable services and opportunities that historically have not been easily available to small business owners and others in the Southland. In other words, they’re the good guys.
The company’s response raises questions about the timing of when Jones reported the contributions. Candidates are required to report when contributions are deposited. In other words, candidates must report when they cash checks, not when they receive them.
Jones did not immediately respond Thursday to a message left at his district office. Efforts to contact his campaign were unsuccessful.
Ted Slowik is a columnist for the Daily Southtown.