His campaign manager is a college freshman, his most dedicated volunteers are high-schoolers, and the state legislator he’s running to replace took office in 2006 — when he was 9. He’s also gay, trilingual and, at 25, slightly embarrassed to say he’s still living with his parents. If elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, Joe Vogel would be the youngest person sworn into the state legislature next January and nearly three decades younger than most of his colleagues. By many measures, he’s got a good shot: Vogel has raised five times as much money as his main competitor; earned the endorsement of an influential state senator; and recruited more than 40 people to help him reach voters. He strategizes with his friend Will Haskell, who was elected to the Connecticut state Senate at 22, and hosts campaign events featuring his former boss, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). “This is one of the most decisive moments in politics that we’ll experience,” Vogel said in a recent interview, citing the coronavirus pandemic, nationwide protests on racial justice and attack on the U.S. Capitol. “This is a moment that called and said, ‘Get in the arena.’ ” Rebecca Tan, Washington Post
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