Sebastian Matta, a sophomore at Arizona State University, is in many ways like other 19-year-olds. He enjoys following Argentinian soccer, playing Animal Crossing, and watching movies. But he’s also about to become the boss of more than 600 employees and oversee a $65 million budget.
In last week’s elections, Matta rode a wave of Democratic victories to win the position of clerk of Maricopa County Superior Court, the seat of the greater Phoenix area. The job puts him at the intersection of local government and the judicial system in Arizona’s largest county—and the fourth-largest county in the country.
“It’s not about the glory for me,” Matta told The New York Times. “I saw this opportunity, and I believe firmly that I can make a change in my community, and no one else was stepping up.”
Matta won more than 790,000 votes, or about 54% of the electorate, defeating Republican opponent Jeff Dial, who received just over 680,000 votes. Dial, 31 years Matta’s senior, served in the Arizona Legislature from 2010 to 2017 and later worked as a real estate agent.
The job pays a respectable salary of $97,000 a year, but Matta knows his age may raise employees’ eyebrows. He added to the NYT that “I demand respect like anybody else’s boss.” Even so, he plans to take his time before making any major changes.
“The first long while of my tenure will be getting to be friendly with the staff, ensuring them that their jobs are safe,” Matta told local affiliate ABC15. “I mean, I understand that it’s very scary to have a 19-year-old be your boss, but I’m not just any 19-year-old.”
After winning election to oversee 600 employees, Matta still plans to finish his college degree
Democrats, Matta said, had not put up a candidate for the clerk’s position since 2018. As someone studying the philosophy of law, politics, and morality—and former high school debate team member—he decided to throw his hat into the ring, without necessarily expecting to pull off such a decisive victory on Election Day.
Unlike members of Congress, who must meet minimum age requirements of 25 for the House and 30 for the Senate, candidates for Maricopa County clerk must be just 18 years old. Matta needed roughly 4,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot and reportedly raised $20,000 for his campaign.
But even after winning, Matta isn’t quite ready to go full in and become a college dropout. He plans to continue living at home and finish his degree on a part-time basis online.
Arizona secretary of state Adrian Fontes, who advised Matta during his campaign and is assisting him form a transition team, was relieved to see the 19-year-old win.
“Frankly, I think it’s refreshing,” Fontes told the Arizona Mirror. “It’s a kick in the pants to one of the biggest courts in the country.”
The job carries significant responsibility. Maricopa County has been at the center of persistent election-fraud allegations since the 2020 presidential election, making public trust in its government and election administration a particularly sensitive issue. But Chris DeRose, a Republican who served as clerk between 2018 and 2019, said Matta’s age shouldn’t necessarily be a disadvantage.
“There are some very talented young elected leaders in the country,” DeRose added to the Arizona Mirror. “This is a really highly specialized office with a lot of people. To rely on them and to listen to them and find ways to make their jobs easier, and if he does that, he’ll be a great success.”
Fortune reached out to Matta for further comment.
Gen Z is slowly entering political leadership nationwide
Matta joins a small but growing group of Gen Z Americans winning elected office.
In Congress, 27-year-old Michael Alfonso, a Republican from Wisconsin, and 29-year-old Melat Kiros, a Democrat from Colorado, will join 29-year-old Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who became the first Gen Z member of Congress in 2022.
Matta hopes more members of his generation will step forward to bring a more accurate representation of age to government. As for his own political ambitions, though, he’s taking things one step at a time.
“This isn’t a stepping stone for me. This is just something I have a deep-seated passion about, and I hope that the voters can recognize that,” Matta said. “I know my stuff, and I’m hoping that anybody who thinks that they may have taken a gamble on me, I hope that they realize that their gamble will hopefully pay off.”
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
