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SALT LAKE CITY — The youngest woman elected into the Utah Legislature is proposing a resolution to lower the required age to run for state office.
Currently, the minimum age a resident can run for state office in Utah is 25. Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, who was elected at 26, wants to lower the minimum age to 21 years old.
According to Pierucci, 25 is older than the age requirement in "a lot of other states in our country." In California, for example, the minimum age to run for state office is 18.
Pierucci said young people offer a valuable perspective to policymaking.
"As someone who has a young family and who has to balance a home budget, I have a different perspective on things," she said. "I feel like it's helpful to have that diversity of thought in the (legislative) body. There's no need, in my mind, to have an arbitrary age of 25."
She argued that if you're old enough to fight and die for your country, "you should be able to run for office."
If the House and Senate approve the resolution, it will be on the ballot in November as a constitutional amendment.
