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Updated 09/27/2012 10:29 PM

Student gives youthful boost to ballot

With a little more than six weeks before elections, a new candidate has emerged in the race for Broome County Legislator. YNN's Chris Whalen introduces us to the youngest person on the ballot and what his candidacy means for youth in politics.

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BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- Flanked by supporters at Binghamton University, Anthony Galli made it official.

"It's time that we have a new voice for Vestal. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Anthony Galli and I'm running for Broome County legislator to be that new voice," Galli said.

A Long Island native and a junior at Binghamton University, Galli says he wants to focus on keeping students, like himself, from leaving after their four years on campus.

"We need more jobs to make this a reality for more people. The happiest day of my life was the day I got accepted to BU and now that I'm here I never want to leave," Galli said.

Galli is 21-years-old and the second Binghamton University student to run for office this political season.

At local colleges, like BCC, political science professors they're excited to see more young people getting involved and hope the trend continues.

"I think the notion of having people want to step up, have their voices heard is really important, so I'm really sort of encouraged, because for a long time, there wasn't anybody really young running," said Doug Garner, a political science professor at BCC.

Galli will face incumbent democrat Dan D. Reynolds for Broome's fourth district seat. He too says it's good to see youth getting involved, but feels voters in his district will prefer someone who has spent considerable time in the area being represented.

"My neighbors who I live with, I think are going to just instinctively prefer a candidate who lives in the town, who raised a family in the town," said Reynolds.

But whether or not those voters choose Reynolds or Galli, experts say the fact alone that a young candidate is running is a good sign.

"If you don't start developing a young generation to move in to positions, in terms of party organizations, and in terms of running for office, you're going to run out of human capital pretty quick," said Garner.

Win or lose for Galli, it's a step in the right direction for the future of local politics.