On Feb. 24, Beverly Hills City Council incumbent, Lili Bosse, held a campaign event at the restaurant Il Cielo targeting a very specific and sometimes forgotten demographic: millennials. “When I ran for office the last time, I was the only candidate who was using social media to really connect with all generations,” Bosse told the Courier.
Bosse is savvy when it comes to using Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to connect and engage with residents, particularly those who are younger. “I do my own social media, so anybody who wants to reach out to me will hear from me directly,” said Bosse.
“I don’t let anyone do it. Social media has always been my voice, so everything you see, that’s me personally posting or commenting.” On reaching millennials, Bosse said, “I don’t think I have difficulty reaching younger voters because, in my mind, I don’t see an age difference. I really listen to what an 18-year-old has to say and what an 88-year-old has to say.”
Many younger voters at the event know Bosse through their parents and the community, but most don’t know the names of all six candidates. A generation of younger people who grew up in the city and are fresh out of college or are early in their careers, can’t afford to live in Beverly Hills. Their families still live in Beverly Hills, but their friends don’t. Voters in their 20’s told the Courier that if there was a more active millennial population, they would be more inclined to be more present.
Among the crowd, there was a general sense of hopefulness that the future of Beverly Hills will help enable them to come back home and raise families of their own here. In large part, their opinions are shaped by their positive experience at BHHS where the consensus was students felt academically challenged and stimulated.
