A 22-year-old was chosen to represent the 14th District in the North Carolina House of Representatives Wednesday night, making history in one Eastern Carolina county.
On election night, Wyatt Gable, 22, was elected as the 14th District’s state representative.
“It feels weird,” Gable added. “It feels amazing, though. We put in a lot of effort; it’s been over a year since we’ve been a part of it, and it’s been amazing, and I’m glad it all worked out in the end.”
Gable defeated Democrat Carmen Spicer by a landslide, with more than 8,000 votes.
This victory follows a remarkable primary contest, in which Gable defeated incumbent George Cleveland by 95 votes. Cleveland would have been serving his 11th term in that area of Onslow County.
“Trying to beat a 20-year incumbent is very hard but we were able to do that with a lot of hard work and had a lot of help too,” says Gable.
Gable claims he and his colleagues investigated the archives and believe he is the youngest general assembly member in North Carolina history.
Hours after winning, Gable is now focused on another essential task: getting to class at East Carolina University.
He claims that being a student has made him more aware of policies that he believes should be implemented. “Focus on education. So I believe that making home economics required will help students learn how to write checks, understand interest rates, and apply for loans, all of which are important life skills.
Gable attributes his victory not only to himself, but also to those who assisted him in knocking on doors, making phone calls, and sitting outside polling places. He claims that without them, he would not be in a position to serve Onslow County.
Gable said his emphasis is now on the caucuses, which will take place in the coming weeks.