New Haven 17-year-old casts DNC’s youngest vote for Harris

CHICAGO — The youngest delegate participating in Tuesday’s roll call at the United Center affirming the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz Democratic presidential ticket got his start handing out palm cards in fourth grade for Hillary Clinton outside New Haven’s Mauro-Sheridan School.

Now he’s one of nine Greater New Haven delegates participating in a fired-up four-day convention to nominate the first ever Black or Asian-American woman to head a major party presidential ticket.

The delegate, Jacob Schonberger, is the youngest of the party’s roughly 4,700 delegates, said DNC senior spokesman Kevin Munoz. The oldest? A 99-year-old Georgian named Jimmy Carter.

Schonberger joined other delegates in formally voting electronically to nominate Harris before the convention. Tuesday’s planned roll call is a ceremonial show of support.

Schonberger said he was thrilled to cheer along with an SRO crowd in the Untied Center Monday night as party leaders like Harris and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock delivered rousing speeches seeking to build momentum for the general election campaign.

“The electricity of the room last night and how exciting it was to be part of it — was amazing,” Schonberger said.

“I think it’s been a little hard for youth in politics usually. It felt like a bunch of old guys with no choice,” he said. The energy behind the suddenly changed Democratic presidential ticket has offered a new energy.

Schonberger, the son of Upper Westville Alder Amy Marx, never shared that generational ennui. Since that first election outside Mauro Sheridan, he has done phone banking for local candidates ranging from New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker to the Lamont-Bysiewicz gubernatorial ticket, called voters in Arizona and Pennsylvania for the 2020 Biden campaign, done opposition research for Connecticut U.S. Rep. Jim Himes. The rising Hamden Hall senior finds it fun to meet voters and work on campaigns.

“I’ve always loved being politically involved,” and serving as a delegate ​“seemed like a naturally amazing way to get involved.”

“When you have the opportunity to do something special like sending the youngest delegate to a national convention I think you do that,” said New Haven Democratic Town Chair Vincent Mauro Jr. ​“One day Jacob may pay it forward by sending someone like Martin Dunleavy as the oldest delegate in about 30 years.”

Party rules allow 17-year-olds to serve as delegates as long as they’ll be able to vote in the Nov. 5 general election. Schonberger turns 18 on Oct. 16.

And, he said, he knows whom he plans to vote for. He’s cast one vote for her already.

This story was first published Aug. 20, 2024 by New Haven Independent.