Young political activist: Mobile, AL

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MEET THE AUTHOR

NAME — Millie Cripe
AGE — 15
GRADE — 9

YOUNG POLITICAL ACTIVIST: MOBILE, AL

By Millie Cripe, 15

Heidi Bentley, 19, ran Tom Parker's campaign in Mobile, AL.

Heidi Bentley, 19, from Mobile, AL

Anyone who knew Heidi Bentley wouldn’t have guessed that she could play a significant role in a campaign to elect Tom Parker to the Alabama Supreme Court. Even the twins, Alex and Brett Harris, who delegated the tasks to her didn’t know exactly who Heidi was. They thought she was her 24-year-old sister.

But the self-described shy 17-year-old stepped far out of her comfort zone, doing whatever work was necessary to help elect a justice whose message she believed in. Although she received support from her parents and is thankful for it, Heidi was the primary coordinator in any task delegated to her.

She didn’t come from a family that was active in politics, although her whole family supported Parker’s campaign. She suggests that young people get involved by finding a candidate that they are passionate about, hearing them speak if possible, and then volunteering whenever possible.

What was your specific role in Tom Parker’s campaign?

Basically my whole job was to help get information out in my area and try to influence voters’ opinions. It was basically kind of just getting the vote out and I helped all our state, 60 individual counties, to set up meetings and I went to events and just helped represent the candidate, passed out flyers, shook hands…basically anything that involves getting the names out in public.

What made you support Tom Parker?

[My friends and I] went to his announcement of candidacy, and that was in Montgomery. So we went, my family went up there and we heard him speak, and I was just really impressed with the way he declared what he believed, and he had faith-based convictions that motivated his stands in areas of morality and the rights of unborn children and justice for criminals. And he was a real man of integrity. I just wanted to see him in power in the election.

What would you consider your biggest success in the election campaign?

Basically the biggest success about the campaign, I think, was that in the end he only lost by 22 points and he was out spent about eight to one… that’s a significant amount. And I think it was mostly because he had so many dedicated people, a lot of which were young people, teenagers, who put so much into the campaign just ‘cause they believed in it.

Do you see yourself being politically active in the future, doing any more campaigns?

Yeah, I think when there are candidates who I believe in strongly, I will give all I can to help them, and mostly that would be people who are morally, they stand on moral issues and are very strong about what they believe and convictions to do what is right and constitutional.

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