Teen could become youngest legislator in nation.

• Author: Gordon, Dianna
• Position: Jon Williams, candidate for Montana Legislature

He's sharp, he's articulate, and he's only 18. But when he hit the campaign trail, Jon Williams was 17, turning 18 on July 24, and that's all that counted. The secretary of state sent him a "nice letter" basically stating that yes, he could run for the Montana Legislature since he would be 18 and a registered voter by Election Day.

It's a rather youthful age, admits Brenda Erickson, NCSL starter who tracks legislative issues. Most states, she adds, would not have let him file a petition as a candidate until he was 18.

Regardless, Jon Williams of Missoula will be the youngest legislator in the United States if he is elected in November.

"You're right when you say it's unusual to find a 17-year-old doing this," he agrees amiably during the middle of his campaign in early July. But Jon began a long history in politics, relatively speaking, when he joined the Young Republicans at age 12. He also worked in an attorney general campaign in Nevada and was with the Young Republicans in Arizona and San Diego.

After four years of activity in Montana, Jon was recognized by the legislative recruiting and campaign committee, as well as the chairman of his county's Republican party, who tapped him to run for the Missoula District 66 seat in the House of Representatives.

Drawing on a response that may be straight out of his campaign, the teen notes, "A citizen legislature, like we have in Montana, needs representatives from all ages, jobs and walks of life. There are no people in the Legislature right now from my walk of lite and age group."

Jon, who is fairly self-sufficient (he rents his own rooms in town since it's closer to jobs and college - his father is a minister with a church 70 miles away in the "middle of nowhere"), has applied and been accepted by...