(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -At just 25 years old, Matthew Sutherland has already started his run for Congress in the 2018 midterm elections. Sutherland hopes to represent the 5th Congressional District and faces many challenges ahead, but says his age isn't one of them.
Sutherland is the only Democratic candidate running against Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. He said fundraising would be a hurdle. "The biggest obstacle is obviously going to be the corporate donors and backers that don't reflect American interests," he said.
On Saturday, Sutherland was at Spokane's pride parade talking to people about his grass roots campaign. He graduated from Washington State University this year with a pre-law degree in political science and he sees his age as a bonus, not a challenge.
"We see that as an asset going forward we are a new face. People are looking for something different in politicians."
If his campaign makes it past the primaries he will be competing against incumbent Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers who has represented the 5th District since 2005. But Sutherland does have one other problem.
"We're addressing the problems of name recognition obviously if we want politics to change this is how we do it and we are going to start working today."
There are about 15 months left until the primary elections.