20-year-old Monroe council candidate explains why he’s getting involved

Though he only turned 20 years old on Tuesday, Jake Walker says he’s passionate enough about the City of Monroe to get politically involved as a city council candidate.

“I’ve always wanted to get into this kind of work and I saw an opportunity to represent the city I’ve lived in for two decades,” Walker told KIRO Radio’s Jason and Burns.

We’ve seen a number of young Republicans become involved in politics recently. Melanie Stambaugh, for example, became the youngest woman elected to the Washington State Legislation since 1936. Another example is Nate Nehring, who was elected to the Snohomish County Council at 21 years of age.

So what is Walker’s inspiration?

“Dick Cheney.”

He’s kidding. However, he added that leaders such as Marco Rubio, who is passionate and speaks his mind, is an inspiration.

Is he worried about voters being skeptical of electing someone who not long ago graduated high school and is currently taking online classes? It’s something he’s thought about, but he says that while he may not have decades of community service under his belt, politicians should be representatives of the people they serve, and he believes he can provide that representation.