A 17-year-old Jupiter High School student helped manage one of the biggest upsets of this year’s election, according to the candidate who hired her. Elizabeth Holmes defeated incumbent Meg Weinberger for the state House seat representing District 94.
Holmes said she met Hannah Russell at a school board meeting where Russell spoke in favor of teacher pay raises. Holmes first brought Russell on as an intern, then asked her to become campaign manager within weeks.
Russell said she did not think she was qualified for the job. “I was just like, sure, throw me in,” she said. Holmes said Russell organized door-knocking, voter phone calls, campaign events and get-out-the-vote efforts while keeping up with her classes.
Russell said the balancing act was hard. “I’m still trying to recover some of my grades,” she said. She also said she loved every minute of the work.
Holmes said some people doubted her decision to hire a teenager and warned that voters would not take the campaign seriously. Holmes said those people changed their minds after meeting Russell.
Russell plans to attend college, so it is unclear whether she will join Holmes in Tallahassee. Both women said they expect to stay in touch.
