As 2,472 delegates gather in Cleveland for what could either be a unifying or ugly four days for the Republican Party, Hensley will be one of the youngest delegates in the middle of it all. And despite his age, he intends to deliver a message.

“Personally, I feel my job is to try to speak out and encourage Donald Trump and his supporters to take on a more positive and unifying tone,” Hensley told the Washington Examiner. “Much of what Trump has said, I don’t think it represents the Republican Party.”

The college student — or congressional aide, “depending on which day of the week you call [him]” — defeated a mix of veteran conservative activists and local elected officials in mid-March to become one of three delegates representing Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District.

He was committed to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio then and now (Tennessee delegates are bound to vote for the candidate they pledged to support on the first two ballots, even if he or she exited the race long before the convention).

“Trump’s message has to be more broad and appeal to a larger base, and I think that’s where Rubio supporters such as myself can help,” Hensley said.

In the month leading up to the spectacle in Cleveland, Hensley signed onto the “Free the Delegates” movement. The group’s main goal was to convince the 112-member convention rules committee to pass a “conscience clause,” freeing delegates bound to certain candidates and opening the door for an alternative to Trump.

“Who we nominate in Cleveland will impact our party’s success in future elections for the rest of my lifetime,” he said. So while Hensley had yet to shake his trepidation over Trump just four weeks before the convention, he was at the very least eager to be a part of history.

“What I’m most looking forward to is just the fact that we’re going to have several thousands of Republicans coming from across the country to gather in one place,” Hensley said. “We all have different perspectives, so it will be interesting to see how our party platform is shaped and how these perspectives come into play because we are the real big-tent party.”

Niraj Antani

Niraj Antani is the youngest serving lawmaker in the Ohio General Assembly. He is also among the youngest delegates heading to the convention from the crucial battleground state.

Antani, 25, represents Ohio’s 10th Congressional District and is one of 66 delegates from the state pledged to support John Kasich at the convention. He spoke to the Examiner the same day he got his first bill — allowing automotive technicians to enroll in a workforce scholarship program — signed by the Buckeye State governor.

“It’s my first time going, and I’m going as a Kasich delegate who has various concerns about our nominee and how he’ll play in my home state,” Antani said. “There’s going to be an interesting dynamic because the party establishment here is sort of behind Kasich in that they’re not going to do a lot to support Trump.”

Antani continued, “I became much less excited when Kasich dropped out. Secondary excitement would have just been a contested candidate or maybe a white knight candidate. Now I’m much less excited because we do not have a contested convention. We’re nominating Trump.”

Kasich said last month he “just can’t” endorse Trump despite the critical role Ohio will play in deciding the next president. Like his governor, Antani harbors concerns about Trump’s rhetoric, particularly how his divisiveness might repel millennial voters.

“A lot of young people are already fed up with the gridlock and constant bickering,” he said, noting that the GOP nominee would largely benefit from welcoming the input of those who “grew up in the 9/11 generation.”

At the convention, the 25-year-old lawmaker will encourage young Republicans like himself to remain involved in politics and not let their age restrict them from running to represent others. “I’m working on a big effort to combat brain drain in Ohio, and I want to be a voice for young people across the country.

“In my state, 20 percent of voters are between ages 18-29, but only two legislators are in that same age group,” Antani noted. “We need to get more young people involved. We need more proportionate representation. I hope my position as both a delegate and a state legislator might, at the very least, interest others in pursuing similar paths.”