Wuncpolitics

Wyatt Gable, a 21-year-old student at East Carolina University, unseated 10-term Republican Rep. George Cleveland of Jacksonville, who’s in his 80s and is one of the oldest members of the state House. Gable will face Democrat Carmen Spicer in November, but House District 14 leans heavily conservative and he’s likely to become the youngest member of the state legislature next year. Gable spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about how he won a surprise victory in the primary and how to get more young people involved in politics. He also explained the issues he wants to prioritize. He wants North Carolina’s education system to better prepare young people for a tough economy, and he wants to see stronger oversight of major road projects.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.