New Avon High School Democrats Group Supports Esty During Primary

Rising senior Mike Starr has long felt he was in the minority politically at .

“There was a point three years ago that I thought, ‘Am I the only Democrat at the whole school?’” Starr, 17, said Tuesday.

Avon High already had the Young Republicans and Libertarian group Students for Limited and Responsible Government. Noticing low participation in the Democratic party at the high school level and wanting a group that represented their ideals, he and classmate Jason Leaning, 16, formed the Avon High School Young Democrats.

“We sort of want to get the conversation going,” Starr said.

The group – overseen by advisor and Avon High English teacher Kim Kraner – was established in May. Starr and Leaning created a Facebook page and utilized the school’s announcement system to spread the word. About 20 people came to the first meeting. As of Tuesday, 61 people were listed as members on the group’s Facebook page.

The younger people become involved in politics and vote, the more likely they are to vote when they’re older, Starr said. Just getting one new person to vote would be a success for the high school Democrats, he added.

“The club is what you put into it,” Leaning said.

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Locally, the group will focus on helping Avon resident and Town Councilman ’s campaign against State Rep. Tim LeGeyt in the 17th District. However they will also volunteer where needed for Democratic candidates across the state.

Now a chapter of the Connecticut High School Democrats, part of High School Democrats of America, some of the Avon members went to Connecticut High School Democrats State Convention in June at William H. Hall High School in West Hartford. At the convention, the high school Democrats endorsed Chris Murphy for U.S. Senate and Elizabeth Esty for 5th District to fill the seat that Murphy is leaving.

Starr – field coordinator for the statewide high school Democrats and chief of staff for the local sector of High School Democrats of America – and Leaning – secretary of the Connecticut High School Democrats – volunteered for the Avon Democratic Town Committee at the high school District 1 polling place during Tuesday’s primary. Maureen Herrera, 17, and Connor Young, 17, also helped out. As the four rising seniors held up Elizabeth Esty signs in the rain, they greeted voters arriving at the polling place.  

While none of the four are registered voters, they said they see what is at stake in the upcoming November presidential election. The Avon High School Young Democrats plan to be much more active when school is back in session.

Starr said he hopes the group puts a “passionate” but “positive” effort into the tail end of the campaign season, even as negative campaigning from both parties is happening.

“This election could be the turning point. If Mitt Romney wins, it will change the course of history for bad or for good,” Starr said, noting that President Barack Obama and Murphy can have a “huge impact on our lives.”

Young will turn 18 in time to register for his first presidential election.

“I’m pretty excited,” he said Young, who considers himself socially liberal and fiscally undecided.

For more information about the Avon High School Democrats, visit the group’s Facebook page by following the link provided or contact Starr at mstaroselsky@hsdems.org.