This could be the nicest thing you read today, via the Wall Street Journal:
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.
How awesome is this?
Tweeters are as impressed as we are:
@ELLEmagazine GO GIRL!!!,you just inspired all young people to work hard and follow our dreams.
— chinenye (@chineny13) November 5, 2014
More like her! "@ELLEmagazine: This 18-year-old college freshman just made political HISTORY: http://t.co/Sjuk5S2OPv pic.twitter.com/508W42ST7E"
— La Reina del Thrift (@LaTHRIFTanista) November 5, 2014
“@ELLEmagazine: This 18-year-old college freshman just made political HISTORY: http://t.co/QXMCnXucrc pic.twitter.com/z3b20Nk5d8” bad ass
— Brianna Walker (@BriannaWalker) November 5, 2014
Well, not everyone is as impressed. WTF is wrong with liberals?
https://twitter.com/Mannyghosting/status/530004818304438272
https://twitter.com/TortiousTroll/status/530006254991974401
This is not impressive. This is dysfunction :: MT Saira Blair (18) is now in West Virginia's state legislature http://t.co/cKz0wXOZ3X
— #CitizenG (@TheG_ist) November 5, 2014
That an 18 year old can be elected as a very conservative Republican says to me that it's really just posturing. http://t.co/qwCtI84ICd
— Logan Robertson (@LoganR) November 5, 2014
Do they grow these weird mutants in a tank somewhere?http://t.co/diDJITPGAR
— Paul Black (@MrFist) November 5, 2014
And she sounds psychopathic RT @voxdotcom Saira Blair just became the youngest elected state legislator in the US: http://t.co/PxgMGAlGQj
— Sam Unsted (@SamUnsted) November 5, 2014
@voxdotcom Oh good, a young ammosexual.
— Rarian Rakista ? (@rarianrakista) November 5, 2014
https://twitter.com/Maggyw519/status/529928576523845633
@voxdotcom @mattyglesias Fair play to her … unfortunate she seems slightly to the right of Atilla The Hun, though.
— Murray Harrold (@hurrymurray) November 5, 2014
Exit question: What does the Venn diagram look like of libs who are trashing Ms. Blair but defended Lena Dunham for putting pebbles in her sister’s vagina?
Editor’s note: A tweet that was inadvertently included has been removed from this post.
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