WEST VIRGINIA – A freshman who attends West Virginia University and campaigned out of her dorm room has become the youngest state lawmaker in the nation after she defeated her opponent by a wide margin.
The Wall Street Journal reports that 18-year-old Saira Blair will represent a small district in West Virginia after the Republican defeated Democratic opponent Layne Diehl, 44, by 63 percent to 30 percent.
Blair posted on her Facebook page: “Today, the voters of the 59th District in the great state of West Virginia sent a clear message that the path to prosperity and success is rooted in conservative values and principles.
I am honored and humbled to have been elected the youngest member to ever serve in the West Virginia House of Delegates.”
Click here to view the full statement.
The Wall Street Journal reports Blair is a fiscal conservative who pledged to work to reduce taxes on certain businesses. Blair won a primary election in May against a 66-year-old Republican incumbent, and at the time she was only 17 years old and was too young to even vote for herself.
Blair reportedly spoke about her age as a benefit rather than a drawback during her campaign, and she states on her campaign website: “This campaign is not about me, it’s about you and about us demonstrating to today’s youth that you don’t have to wait until you’re 40, 50, or 60 to understand the value of conservative principles!”
Click here to visit her website.
The Wall Street Journal reports data from the National Conference of State Legislatures indicates she will be the youngest state lawmaker in the United States. For more on this story, visit the Wall Street Journal.
