The race for Connecticut’s 40th House District features an unusually youthful head-to-head: 25-year-old incumbent State Rep. Dan Gaiewski, the youngest member of the General Assembly, will face 17-year-old Republican challenger Isabelle Roode in November.
The average age in the General Assembly is about 53, making the Groton matchup — where the candidates’ ages together do not reach that average — an outlier in Hartford’s Legislature.
What this means for residents
For Groton voters, the contest underscores an established trend in the shoreline town: local political bodies and party organizations have nurtured early involvement in civic life. That environment has produced both a steady flow of young participants in town government and a history of youthful legislators from the area.
Gaiewski, a Democrat representing the 40th District, is seeking re-election. Roode, who is still in high school, secured the Republican endorsement and earned a spot on the November ballot. According to source reporting, she works as an EMT and runs a small business.
"It's obviously an anomaly," said Gary Rose, a political science professor at Sacred Heart University.
Groton’s pipeline of young leaders
Local institutions and party groups appear to have played a role in encouraging early political engagement. Groton’s Representative Town Meeting — a body that can propose legislation and approve the town budget — includes members in their early 20s. The Groton Democratic Town Committee also counts roughly 10 members in their 20s among about 90 total, according to party officials cited in reporting.
Groton has previous precedent for youthful state legislators. State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, first elected in 2014 at 20, became the youngest lawmaker in Connecticut history. Bumgardner now represents a district that includes Groton, Mystic and Stonington and serves as a reminder that early entry into state politics is not unprecedented in the area.
- Candidates: Dan Gaiewski (D), 25; Isabelle Roode (R), 17
- District: 40th House District, Groton area
- Context: Connecticut General Assembly average age ~53
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Age of incumbent | 25 |
| Age of challenger | 17 |
| Average lawmaker age (CT) | 53 |
| Groton population (approx.) | 39,000 |
As the campaign proceeds, voters in the 40th District will weigh the candidates’ priorities and experience. The matchup will also serve as a local gauge of how effectively young candidates can translate civic involvement into electoral support in a state whose legislature remains older on average.
Campaign developments, endorsements and any formal policy proposals from both campaigns will likely shape whether the generational contrast becomes the defining issue of the race or simply an unusual footnote to a standard local election.
— Connecticut correspondent
