A 21-year-old has become the youngest person to ever be elected into Florida’s House of Representatives.
She may not have finished college yet, but that didn’t stop voters in Florida from electing Amber Mariano to serve in its state government. She beat out Democratic incumbent Amanda Murphy by 748 votes to win House District 36, near New Port Richey on Florida’s Gulf coast, KGUN reported.
Mariano campaigned for a “new perspective in the legislature.” She said the feedback from voters has been surprising and supportive.
“You’d think they’d be like, ‘Oh wow, you are too young to be doing this,’” she said. “But everyone that I met has said, ‘Wow, you are doing this so young. That’s what we need.’”
Mariano just turned 21 three weeks ago and is a senior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Despite her young age, Mariano has already received endorsements from powerful political players in her home state, including Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio.
Mariano grew up in politics. Her father, Jack Mariano, just won his fourth term on the Pasco County commission. Now, she outranks him.
“He says I’m leap-frogging him,” Mariano said. “He just wanted me to follow my dream, and this is my dream.
Jack Mariano said that his daughter had started saying at 6 that she wanted to become the first woman president.
“We didn’t expect this opportunity to present itself so quickly in her life,” Jack Mariano said, but adding that politics is “in her blood.”
Although she said balancing school and work is “a lot to handle,” she plans to go to law school after graduating while simultaneously serving her constituents.
“I have two years now to do the best I can for my community in West Pasco,” she said. “I’m so honored to be able to serve them.”