Dorm room campaigning won 18-year-old Republican Saira Blair a seat in the West Virginia state legislature.
Blair, who considers herself a fiscal conservative, will represent a small district in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle after defeating her Democratic opponent. Her district overwhelming voted for the college freshman. She captured 63 percent of the vote, compared to 30 percent for her Democratic challenger and 7 percent to an independent, according to the Associated Press.
“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,” Blair said in a statement.
Blair has pledged to try and reduce certain taxes on businesses. Her anti-abortion and pro-gun positions also attracted many voters, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Blair gained national attention in May when she defeated the 66-year-old Republican incumbent in a primary back when she was just 17-years-old and couldn’t even cast a ballot in her own name.
She will be the youngest state lawmaker in the nation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Of the more than 7,300 state legislators in the U.S., less than 5 percent of them are under the age of 30, WSJ reported.
Blair plans to defer her spring semester to be a part of the legislature’s 60-day session.
