Seth Thomas got his first taste of political life at age 16, when he organized a successful grassroots campaign against a proposed storage facility in his Thornton neighborhood.
But when the facility was approved — after being submitted to the city a third time — the now 21-year-old Thomas decided he wanted to be in elected office.
“It was a real bummer for my community,” Thomas said. “It was from then on that I felt we didn’t have a voice.”
This year, Thomas learned that Thornton is one of the last cities in Colorado — along with Denver — that still requires candidates for office to be at least 25.
So Thomas, whose grandmother J.J. Dove is on the Thornton City Council, made some calls and persuaded other members .
Despite some concerns, including from the mayor, the city will pose the question to residents on the fall ballot
“I think there are some 21-year-olds who could handle it,” said Thornton Mayor Heidi Williams. “I think there are a lot who still need more maturity.”
But Thomas argues that running for office takes effort, something that will weed out candidates who aren’t serious.
“Any 21-year-old who is not already connected with local government, they have no clue they can even run for City Council at 21,” Thomas said.
Among his growing list of supporters is Rep. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, who was 24 when he became a Commerce City councilman in 2009 — the youngest person in Colorado elected to a city council.
Moreno said a woman in San Luis who was elected when she was 22 now holds the state record.
“It’s kind of the idea that if you’re old enough to vote, that should be enough for running for office,” Moreno said. “Part of participating in a democracy is being an educated and active voter, and we shouldn’t be restricting this opportunity for young people who want to be involved.”
Thomas said even if voters approve the measure, he likely will wait until his grandma leaves the council to launch his own run.
“It’s not just for me,” Thomas said. “Younger voices will bring fresh new ideas.”
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, yrobles@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yeseniarobles
Minimum age to run for office:
Thornton: 25, Denver: 25, Aurora: 21, Lakewood: 21, Commerce City: 18, Westminster: 18
