//Tony LaBranche is one of the youngest elected officials in the nation's history

Tony LaBranche is one of the youngest elected officials in the nation's history

WMUR’S JEAN MACKIN INTRODUCES US TO THE NEWEST STATE REP FROM AMHERST. (ON CAMERA) <XXXXXX CLIP 98 2:04 I AM 18 YEARS OLD, TURNING 19 NEXT WEEK, AND I AM STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR AMHERST, NEW HAMPSHIRE (SLIGHT LAUGH) 2:10 XXXX> (áDO NOT SHOW THE CAMPAIGN PHOTOS HERE – IT’S NOT THAT CAMPAIGN) TONY LABRANCHE… (DISSOLVE TO STATE HOUSE EXTERIOR – THEN HIM WALKING?) ….IS ABOUT TO BE SWORN AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE. THE TEENAGE DEMOCRAT SAYS HE GOT THE IDEA WHILE CAMPAIGNING FOR SOUHEGAN COOPERATIVE SCHOOL BOARD – HE LOST THAT RACE, BUT MET A LOT OF PEOPLE <XXXXXX CLIP 98 2:54 TRULY HEART BREAKING STORIES FROM PEOPLE FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES DUE TO EVER RISING PROPERTY TAXES 3:00 XXXXX> (CHILDHOOD PHOTOS – HOPEFULLY COMING SOON – COVER THE NEXT SOT UNTIL HE SAYS “COST OF HEALTHCARE”) TONY SAYS HE REALLY BECAME CIVIC MINDED WHEN TACKLING CANCER AS A CHILD <XXXXXX CLIP 98 5:46 IT STARTED AT AGE 10, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 3 COLON CANCER – I WAS ALSO THE YOUNGEST EVER COLON CANCER SURVIVOR EVER AT THAT TIME AND SEEING THE COST OF HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES HURT ME 6:03 XXXXX> (NOW USE THE CAMPAIGN PHOTOS) SO TONY, AND HIS CAMPAIGN WORKERS – LOTS ARE FRIENDS FROM HIGH SCHOOL – PUT IN THE WORK TO WIN A SEAT IN THE STATE HOUSE <XXXXX CLIP 100 ROLF VANBIBBER / STUDENT / CAMPAIGN STAFF 10:58 FOR A SECOND I WAS IN DISBELIEF, WE ACTUALLY HAD THE ELECTION MODERATOR RE-READ THOSE RESULTS 11:06 XXXXXX> <XXXXXX CLIP 100 SARAH TUPPER / STUDENT / CAMPAIGN STAFF 10:01 BEING 16 YEARS OLD HELPING WITH A STATE REP CAMPAIGN AND THEN PROCEEDING TO WIN IS PRETTY SHOCKING (HA) 10:07 XXXXX> <XXXX CLIP 109 STANDUP 14:32 – 14:38 THE LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE WON’T INTERFERE WITH TONY’S EDUCATION – THAT’S ALL PART OF THE PLAN XXXX> <XXXXXX CLIP 98 5:07 I ACTUALLY PLANNED THE NEXT TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE AROUND THIS, I’M GOING TO NASHUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO SAVE MONEY AND TO SERVE AMHERST 5:15 XXXX> (COVER LAST TWO SOTS) <XXXXXX CLIP 98 6:41 I WENT FROM BEATING CANCER TO RUNNING FOR STATE REP AND HERE I AM 6:45 XX

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Tony LaBranche is one of the youngest elected officials in the nation’s history

Tony LaBranche was elected to the New Hampshire state legislature on Tuesday

A New Hampshire teenager has just won a seat in the state legislature as one of the youngest elected officials in not only New Hampshire, but the nation. Tony LaBranche, 18, will be sworn in as state representative for Amherst. The teenage Democrat said he got the idea while campaigning for Souhegan Cooperative School Board. He lost that race but used the opportunity for networking. He said he became civically minded when tackling cancer as a child.“It started at age 10,” LaBranche said. “I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, I was also the youngest colon cancer survivor ever at the time and seeing the cost of health care in the United States hurt me.”So, he and his campaign workers — many are friends from high school — put in the work to win a seat in the state House.“Being 16 years old, helping with a state representative campaign and then proceeding to win is pretty shocking,” said Sarah Tupper, a student and member of the campaign staff.With a plan to attend a local community college to save money for the next two years, the legislative schedule will not interfere with LaBranche’s education. “I went from beating cancer to running for state rep and here I am,” LaBranche said. “I look forward to working across the aisle to get stuff done.”

A New Hampshire teenager has just won a seat in the state legislature as one of the youngest elected officials in not only New Hampshire, but the nation.

Tony LaBranche, 18, will be sworn in as state representative for Amherst. The teenage Democrat said he got the idea while campaigning for Souhegan Cooperative School Board. He lost that race but used the opportunity for networking.

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He said he became civically minded when tackling cancer as a child.

“It started at age 10,” LaBranche said. “I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, I was also the youngest colon cancer survivor ever at the time and seeing the cost of health care in the United States hurt me.”

So, he and his campaign workers — many are friends from high school — put in the work to win a seat in the state House.

“Being 16 years old, helping with a state representative campaign and then proceeding to win is pretty shocking,” said Sarah Tupper, a student and member of the campaign staff.

With a plan to attend a local community college to save money for the next two years, the legislative schedule will not interfere with LaBranche’s education.

“I went from beating cancer to running for state rep and here I am,” LaBranche said. “I look forward to working across the aisle to get stuff done.”