<p>A growing group of young politicians is running for, and winning, city council seats in Western Washington. </p>
<p>Cascade PBS and KNKX spoke with half a dozen councilmembers under 30 about their challenges as they enter local government. </p>
<p>Of this group, almost all are renters. Many say housing affordability was a driving issue behind their decision to run. </p>
<p>They also note climate change, transit access and mental health as other key issues facing their generation. </p>
<p>They say their priorities and approach to politics often differ from those of older colleagues. And that young people’s voices continue to be underrepresented. </p>
<p>In Washington, most city council positions are part-time with part-time wages, with Seattle being an exception. But the workload for many is like a full-time job. </p>
<p>Often, older elected officials have the financial resources to work in these roles compared to younger politicians still working to establish themselves and their careers. </p>
<p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/multimedia” hreflang=”en”>Multimedia</a>, <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video-0″ hreflang=”en”>Video</a></p>
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