Kevin Kiley '07 and Eric Lesser '07 are among the many Institute of Politics alumni serving in elected office. Kiley is a Republican Assemblyman representing California's Sixth Assembly District. Closer to Cambridge, Lesser is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts State Senate. Kiley and Lesser are bonded by their IOP connection, and by another commonality: their efforts to set the record straight about millennial voting.
The two elected officials co-authored an op-ed in ATTN: pointing out the overlooked statistic that more millennial students voted in the 2016 presidential election than in 2012. If the trend continues, they say, millennials "will emerge as a potent force in American politics that elevates issues important to young people like housing costs, college affordability, and the country’s debt to the top of the agenda."
The Institute of Politics works to encourage young Americans to vote and engage with politics and public service and echoes Kiley and Lesser's civic education in our Civics program and Youth Poll.