West Virginia Elects America’s Youngest State Lawmaker
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- Republican Saira
Blair, a fiscally conservative 18-year-old, will represent a small
district in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle.
- AP
A West Virginia University freshman who did most of her campaigning out of her dorm room became the youngest state lawmaker in the nation Tuesday.
Republican Saira Blair, a fiscally conservative
18-year-old, will represent a small district in West Virginia’s eastern
panhandle, about 1½ hours outside Washington, D.C., after defeating her
Democratic opponent 63% to 30%, according to the Associated Press. A
third candidate got 7% of the vote.
In a statement, Ms. Blair thanked her supporters and family, as well
as her opponents for running a positive campaign. “History has been made
tonight in West Virginia, and while I am proud of all that we have
accomplished together, it is the future of this state that is now my
singular focus,” she said.
Ms. Blair campaigned on a pledge to work to reduce certain taxes on
businesses, and she also holds antiabortion and pro-gun positions. She
defeated Democrat Layne Diehl, a 44-year-old Martinsburg attorney, whose top priorities included improving secondary education and solving the state’s drug epidemic.
Ms. Diehl congratulated Ms. Blair on running a good campaign and said
she knew she was also up against broad dissatisfaction with Democrats
in the state, partly from the widely held view that the Obama
administration’s energy policies are hurting the coal industry.
“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.”
Ms. Blair gained national attention in May when she defeated the 66-year-old Republican incumbent in a primary when she was 17.
She will be the youngest state lawmaker in the nation, according to records kept by the National Conference of State Legislatures. There are more than 7,300 state legislators in the U.S., and fewer than 5% are under the age of 30, according to Morgan Cullen, a policy analyst at NCSL.
Ms. Blair said she would defer her spring semester to attend the
part-time legislature’s 60-day session and make up classes in the summer
and fall. She promoted her youth as an asset during the campaign,
saying the voice of younger voters should be heard in the state capitol.
An economics major, she hopes to become a financial planner, and she
supports term limits.
She also contributed nearly $4,000 to her own campaign.
“Candidates should have some skin in the game,” Ms. Blair said in a recent interview. “I wanted voters to know I was serious.”
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- Republican Saira Blair, a fiscally conservative 18-year-old, will represent a small district in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle.
- AP
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