Erin Schrode is a 25-year-old Democrat running for a seat in the House of Representatives. Should she win the 2nd Congressional District in California, she would be the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Congress.
While she has expressed support for Bernie Sanders, Schrode compares her campaign to Donald Trump's, as she considers herself a political outsider.
"Our campaign is certainly tapping into that energy that you see on both sides of the aisle. Supporting Sanders, supporting Trump — of the outsider, the ignored, the excluded, the disenfranchised, the people who have never seen themselves represented in government," Schrode told INSIDER.
In terms of her campaign, the excluded group Schrode wants to represent is that of millennial voters. And though her critics see her age as a liability, Schrode views it as a strength.
"Our generation is revolutionizing every sector of society, using technology and innovation in science, in communication," Schrode explained. "Where is that approach in politics?"
Schrode has unbridled confidence in her peers, claiming that millennials are more willing to take risks, not as beholden to special interests, and capable of working across the aisle.
She says the millennial voice is needed in the political landscape, and she may be right, as the average age for members in the House of Representatives is 57.
However, she not only wants to see more young people in politics, but more women as well.
"Don't vote for me because I’m young, and don’t vote for me because I’m a woman. But young people are better equipped to lead the future of the state," Schrode said. "And women, progressive female voices, do result in better policy."
Schrode faces a tough primary opponent — the incumbent Democrat, Jared Huffman, who's running for his third term in office. Huffman, 52, told INSIDER that Schrode is playing "identity politics" by asking his constituents not to consider her age or gender, then turning around and "justifying her candidacy entirely based on her young age and her gender by claiming these things make her inherently 'better.'"
One thing is for sure: the young politician has been busy building a personal brand over the last few years. Eleven years ago, while still a teenager, Schrode co-founded Turning Green, a student-led non-profit organization promoting global sustainability. Schrode says it was her work as an environmental activist, in which she encountered policy roadblocks over and over again, that got her into politics.
While the environment is a central component of her platform, her campaign is about more than that. She's also fighting for better public health and reproductive health, financial reform in education, paid leave for mothers, gender equality, and criminal justice reform.
Though she doesn't have experience as a lawyer, or legislating on the state level, or years serving in Congress like her opponent, Schrode thinks her background uniquely qualifies her for a Congressional seat.
"Are years behind a corporate desk, in a law office, or walking the halls of Washington, D.C. more valuable than boots on the ground, activism, education, and entrepreneurship?" Schrode asked.
No matter what happens in this election, Schrode says she is planning on living her life as a public servant, whether it's through activism or government office.
"Well, I've got to wait 10 years to run for president, so there’s that, but really this is about purpose, not a position."
Written and produced by A.C. Fowler