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Saira Blair, teenager, wins state office election in West Virginia

Posted at 5:34 PM, Nov 05, 2014
and last updated 2014-11-05 17:38:40-05

A freshman at West Virginia University has been elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates.

Republican Saira Blair, 18, easily beat Democrat Layne Diehl to represent West Virginia's eastern panhandle. When she takes office, Blair will be the youngest state lawmaker in the country.

“History has been made tonight in West Virginia, and while I am proud of all that we have accomplished together, it is the future of this state that is now my singular focus,” Blair said Tuesday in a statement.

She ran the campaign from her dorm room. Her Facebook page encourages constituents to, "call my cell."

Blair will be able to continue her studies at WVU, since the West Virginia legislature convenes only during spring term, January to March.

She is the daughter of West Virginia state senator Craig Blair.

Gavin Stern is a national digital producer for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on twitter at @GavinStern or email him at gavin.stern@scripps.com.