NC Politics Still a Tough Play for Millennials and Gen Z
Eliazar Posada, a member of the Carrboro Town Council, never imagined he’d run for office. As a queer Latino millennial, he knew his background was different from that of most politicians.
His mother organized farmworkers in Texas. His family was homeless for a brief period in his childhood, and he made tacos with his mother to sell before school.
“My mom always instilled in us that family and community is what we got. And we have their back, and they’ll have our back,” Posada said.
Posada said he’s glad to defy the usual expectations as an elected official.
Despite the emergence of young leaders like 30-year-old Posada, North Carolina’s political landscape remains dominated by older officials. While political action committees and civic engagement nonprofits are working to help young candidates run and win elections, challenges like campaign costs, low pay and redistricting make it difficult for young people to succeed in politics. Removing some of these barriers for campaigns could help usher in a new generation of diverse leaders.
https://indyweek.com/news/nc-politics-still-a-tough-play-for-millennials-and-gen-z/