Well hello there! Welcome to my campaign website. My name is Ilan Cohen, and I am a 17-year-old from Maryland. I am honored to be a Gubernatorial candidate for the great state of Kansas. The main reason for this seemingly odd campaign is to show the youth of America that politics are not just for "the grown-ups." My generation complains seemingly endlessly about society, but until now we have not seen many teens standing up and trying to fix it. In a sense, this campaign transcends party politics. Too often, authentic political debate is stifled by a poisonous political culture. We can’t recognize that the other side has valid ideas, even if we disagree with them, so we don’t engage in trying to understand them. For the future of an informed democracy and a unified America, we need to encourage young people to join in political debate and engage in the political process. I have always been motivated by a deep passion for civic engagement and politics. Whether it was asking my parents if I could skip school in first grade to knock on doors during the 2008 Presidential campaign in Ohio or joining my school's debate team and various political clubs throughout high school, civic engagement has always been a central element to my identity. It’s a great honor for me to be able to get this belief of mine out there to a wider audience and I can’t wait for the chance to make a difference, both in Kansas and across America.