Most 18 year olds are off in their first year of college partying and getting accustomed to life away from home. However, this isn’t the path that one freshman decided to take.
William Booker Moore V, a Tallahassee native, grew up in the state Capitol’s backyard. Growing up in a city that lives and breathes politics, his love for local government has inspired him to run for a City Commission seat at just age 18.
Moore, a neuroscience major at Florida State University, is doing something most college students wouldn’t have the courage or time to do.
“I’ve always been a fan of politics. I published my first political book last January when I was 17. But the major drive that caused me to run was the FBI’s corruption investigation in our local government. My family has been here for generations, so it upset me to see how special interests have been manipulating our local democracy,” Moore said.
Even though Moore is only in his first year of college, he has already set up a plan to balance both school and his potential position.
“My role as city commissioner will certainly be my No. 1 priority, and I’ll be taking 2-3 classes which is far less work than the 15 credit hours that I’ve been taking every semester,” Moore said.
“It’s certainly a lot of work balancing school and this campaign, but I feel like I’ve been managing it pretty well so far. Also, there’s been a handful of haters as expected, but the vast majority of people that I talk to really like what I’m doing. Honestly, the hardest part about it is the reason why I’m running: dealing with the corruption in our local government,” he added.
Moore’s determination isn’t something that just came about. His mother, Kimi Moore, bragged about his distinct character even as a child.
“As a kid, Booker was always very strong-willed, intelligent and super active. As you can imagine, once he sets his mind on something he’s all in and very determined. He has always been enthusiastic for learning and strives to do the right thing in every circumstance,” she said.
On the agenda for the 18-year-old is an increase in funding for public schools, rehabilitation programs, and making the city a greener place. Moore says he also wants to change the overall view of our current state of politics.
“We’ve become an extremely bipartisan country, and moderate thinking has been quickly drying up. That’s why I have no party affiliation and do my best to put my prejudices aside when looking at any issue and truly listen to other points of view. My presence on the council will certainly promote this way of collaborative problem-solving,” he said.
Moore says it is important to take action at a young age because it encourages those around him to also make a change.
“I hope that it will be inspiring to finally see someone representing the younger population of the city. I’d love for my campaign to motivate my peers to become active in our democracy and communities,” Moore said.
Moore is running for Seat 1 on the commission, Elaine Bryant currently holds that seat after she was appointed to the position a year ago.
Moore’s future goals include running for president one day, but for now he just wants to serve his local community.