Brother Garret Shetrawski, Theta/University of Massachusetts 2016, became interested in politics at an early age. He was one of the top aids on the Rich Bastien state representative campaign, field organizer for Dan Winslow during his run for U.S. Senate, and he also served as a campaign manager for a mayoral candidate in his district.
Now, with the support of his parents, Shetrawski has announced his candidacy for Massachusetts State Representative in Worcester's Second District.
"My parents are very supportive of this endeavor," said Shetrawski. It was the first thing I needed to make sure of. Having their support has been great, and they will be actively working on behalf of the campaign as it starts to unfold," he said.
When asked why he decided to run for a state office instead of local, Shetrawski had this to say.
"I think local offices are great, and people overlook their town and city governments. My decision to run for state office had nothing to do with any sort of ill will or lack of appreciation for local office," said Shetrawski. "I just feel that I can make a bigger difference as State Representative, and in my town my local elected officials do a great job so there was really no reason to run against them," he said.
The University of Massachusetts is offering Shetrawski 15 internship credits to run for State Representative.
"I cannot begin to thank UMass for how supportive they have been throughout this process. To my knowledge this is something the University did specifically for me, I think I am the first student to run for office like this, so it was definitely a unique scenario, but they have been great," said Shetrawski.
What are his education plans should he win in November?
"When we are successful in November, I plan on taking a few online classes, and perhaps a few classes at Umass Boston, to finish my degree. Continuing my education will have no effect on my job as legislator.
To those who say that age does matter, Shetrawski had this to say.
"One of the first things you learn with working in politics, and especially being a candidate is that no matter what you say or do, people will still not like, or vote for you," said Shetrawski. "My age should have nothing to do with this. In my opinion it derives from the issues, how you carry yourself, and how you deliver a message. I am confident that if I do this in a positive way, regardless of my age we can be successful in November," he added.
To check out Shetrawski's campaign page, click here.
The article below was posted with permission from Stephen Hewitt, Editor of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
UMASS sophomore Garret Shetrawski runs for state representative
By Aviva Luttrell/The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
University of Massachusetts sophomore Garret Shetrawski may be just 19 years old, but youth hasn’t stopped him from running in the upcoming Massachusetts State Representative race for the Second Worcester District seat.
Shetrawski, a Republican from Winchendon, is trying to unseat Democrat Jon Zlotnik, who has held the position since 2012.
Shetrawski, a lifelong resident of the district, is a political science major at UMass and has been involved in politics since he was 16. After sitting on the sidelines, he said he’s ready to take on a more active role.
“We always hear people talk about our generation (being) doomed or heading in the wrong direction, so (instead of) sitting back and just complaining about it, I think now is more the time than ever to go out and do it yourself,” Shetrawski said.
“I come from a decently political family so it was always something that was discussed around the house (growing up).”
His great grandfather, Robert Abare, worked for the Kennedy Administration beginning in 1960 when he joined the Interstate Commerce Commission. In 1980, he retired from the ICC as Regional Director in Boston. Shetrawski’s grandfather, Jim Abare, is a school committee member and longtime coach in Gardner.
The University has granted Shetrawski 15 internship credits to run for State Representative, so he will move home to his parents’ house in Winchendon to campaign during the fall semester.
“It’s a win-win. If it happens, that’s great, but you (also) get great first-hand experience,” he said. “It was really kind of a no-brainer in my eyes.”
Although he’s never held public office, Shetrawski brings several years of political experience to his candidacy.
In 2012, Shetrawski worked on the state representative campaign for Republican Rich Bastien, the previous incumbent for the seat Shetrawski is now running for.
“I worked very actively on his campaign, I was one of the top aids,” he said, adding that he would usually work four or five days a week.
Last year, he was field organizer in central and western Massachusetts for Dan Winslow during his run for U.S. Senate. Shetrawski has also worked as a campaign manager for a mayoral candidate in his district.
“That was really good experience, to be able to manage my own race from the top down,” he said.
For the past three years, Shetrawski has also been working on a book about World War II in the Pacific and has interviewed over 200 veterans from across the country.
“(That’s where) I get a lot of my drive from,” he said. “Hearing these guys’ stories first hand gives me a unique perspective of what America used to be, and kind of how we’re trailing away from that.
“These guys have definitely given me a lot of push towards the right direction,” he said.
If elected, Shetrawski said he would focus on reducing regulations for small businesses and helping veterans.
“These mom and pop stores, these are the economic drivers of my area,” he said. “I know these people individually, and they definitely feel (the brunt of tax increases).
“My thing is that there is a lack of oversight on Beacon Hill from the one-party system,” Shetrawski said.
Shetrawski graduated from Gardner High School and was a three-sport varsity captain in football, basketball and baseball. He is currently a brother at the Theta Chi Fraternity and is actively involved in the UMass College Republicans.
“A lot of people know me from sports, from being around and working on the campaign, so it’s cool to actually see them and have them on my side this time around,” he said.
Shetrawski said he plans to use social media to his advantage during the campaign. His Facebook page, launched on Feb. 7, had nearly 300 likes as of Tuesday.
“For something like this, I don’t see age playing a factor at all,” he said. “I don’t think kids should be discouraged from going after something because they’re young.
“I think it’s really derived from the issues, how you carry yourself, how you send your message – and I think that’s how this race is going to be won.”
To view the original article, visit http://dailycollegian.com/2014/02/19/umass-sophomore-runs-for-state-representative/