HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — As delegates at the Democratic National Convention wait to officially certify a historic Harris/Walz ticket, one Huntersville teen is making history of his own.
"I was born in 2006, 2008 being Barack Obama's first time elected. I think that I have lived through probably one of the most politically tumultuous times in recent US history," 18-year-old Eric Willoughby, North Carolina's youngest Democratic delegate, said.
Willoughby joins more than 4,500 at the DNC in Chicago, a handful of whom are teenagers. He believes it's a sign of a larger push in politics to get young voters engaged.
"I've seen just a lot of excitement for Gen Z, not even just coming purely from Gen Z. I know Millennials, Gen Xers, Baby Boomers," Willoughby said. "A lot of eyes are on us to make sure that we do the right thing."
He's joined in Chicago by his mom, Debbie, who says she saw his political passion from an even younger age.
"It was probably around [age] 5 or so," Debbie Willoughby said. "He always had an interesting perspective on things and came at things from a different angle, so that was pretty early on that we knew that."
Estimates from Tufts University show that 8 million young voters, like Eric, will age into the election in 2024.
He hopes this momentum will continue beyond the convention, especially to more of Gen Z in his home state.
"It's not that hard," Eric said about getting involved in local politics. "I don't care what party you are. We just need to get involved as young people."
As for what's next for his life and potential political career, Willougby says "Stay tuned."
North Carolina will take center stage at the DNC on Thursday, with Gov. Roy Cooper expected to speak.