Saira Blair, 18, has won a seat on the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Yesterday in the general election, the pro-gun, pro-family and pro-business candidate defeated her Democrat opponent in a landslide, 63 percent to 30 percent. She plans to temporarily postpone her freshman year at West Virginia University so she can attend the state legislature’s 60-day session.
On her Facebook page, Blair offered these comments about her win:
“I am honored and humbled to have been elected the youngest member to ever serve in the West Virginia House of Delegates. I am deeply grateful to my supporters, volunteers, friends and family for their hard work during the campaign. I also want to thank my opponents for a running a positive and competitive race. For far too long, West Virginians have been burdened by high unemployment, a sluggish economy, and a government unwilling to listen to the needs of its citizens. When I made the decision to run for public office, I did so because I firmly believe that my generation’s voice, fresh perspective and innovative ideas can help solve some of our state’s most challenging issues. 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…”
Saira Blair originally decided to run for office because many of her contemporaries were being forced to leave the state to find employment somewhere else. “I think it’s important for us to bring jobs to the state of West Virginia. I see a lot of people get their high school and their college education in West Virginia and then they leave the state because they can’t find a good paying job,” Blair explained.