A cool story out of West Virginia: Conservative Republican Saira Blair, who is a mere 18 years old, was elected yesterday to West Virginia's state legislature, becoming the youngest state lawmaker in the nation. Blair, a freshman at West Virginia University, ran her campaign from her dorm room and plans on deferring her spring semester in order to serve her constituents.
Blair made headlines back in May when she defeated a two-term incumbent who was nearly 50 years older than she was--before she had graduated high school and before she could even legally vote.
While Blair's district was small, she campaigned hard on a platform that touted her youth, social conservative values, and pledged to lower taxes for businesses. News of her victory dominated the top spot on Facebook's "trending" sidebar for much of Wednesday morning.
Even Blair's opponent, 44-year-old attorney Layne Diehl, praised her political skill and remarked that she likely has a bright future in the state.
“I’m very proud of the race that was run on both sides,” Ms. Diehl said. “Quite frankly a 17- or 18-year-old young woman that has put herself out there and won a political campaign has certainly brought some positive press to the state. I look forward to seeing what her leadership brings to the state of West Virginia.”
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When I was a college freshman I was mostly concerned with making it to class on time, never mind having to serve a district of constituents. Major props to Blair for kicking off her political career with a bang and proving that not all millennials are liberal Obama-zombies.
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