Saira Blair, an 18-year-old Republican from Martinsburg, WV, just became the youngest elected state legislator in the US. She trounced the two candidates running against her with 63 percent of the vote.
Saira Blair, a very conservative 18-year-old, is now in West Virginia’s state legislature
Libby Nelson was Vox’s editorial director, politics and policy, leading coverage of how government action and inaction shape American life. Libby has more than a decade of policy journalism experience, including at Inside Higher Ed and Politico. She joined Vox in 2014.
But that’s not even the most impressive thing Blair, the daughter of a Republican state senator, has done this year. She beat a two-term incumbent state delegate in the primary — when she was 17, too young to vote for herself.
Blair is a freshman at West Virginia University. She's very conservative, according to her very comprehensive issues page: she was endorsed by the NRA, opposes abortion rights, supports voter ID requirements, opposes the Common Core, wants to drug test people who receive public assistance, and opposes gay marriage.
“When I made the decision to run for public office, I did so because I firmly believe that my generation’s voice, fresh perspective and innovative ideas can help solve some of our state’s most challenging issues,” she said in an election night statement.
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