"The transition for high school to college is still in my mind. I know what I was prepared for and what I wasn’t. I don’t know if I was adequately prepared for college and I think that can be the key to succeeding in college.

"I think that I will also be someone that students especially high school/middle school kids can relate to more. I am younger than their parents so most wouldn’t see me as a parental figure, but still as a role model. I worked in underage drinking prevention for about three years. The students would relay to me that someone that is talking to them that is closer to their age was more believable than someone that is their parents’ age. I would hope that students would feel comfortable enough to shoot me an email or send me a Facebook message or anything to that affect."

Facebook is a powerful tool for campaigning for these city elections for several young candidates. Dodge P. Landesman's facebook page says he's running for New York City Council as a "Ron Paul Democrat" with a platform that includes better fiscal policies and smaller government. Even though he's not enough to drink alcohol he's campaigning for the legalization of marijuana and hopes to develop it into a multi-million dollar industry that can help stimulate NYC's economy. Standing against a railing overlooking the city, Dodge has that Trump-esque look with a hint of optimism.

Will Smith might have a famous name but he doesn't have a multi-million dollar Hollywood career. Instead he's dedicating his life to public service in Jackson, Mississippi. Campaigning on a promise of change, Smith believes in a safer and healthier community where people can live and work. A dedicated teacher he knows first hand the "lack of resources in our schools" and says the "problems within our community are what drives him."

Texas has a great community of young people in Austin as we learned at Netroots Nation, now a young leader active in state and local government is stepping up for an elected position. Perla Cavazos has been on the Austin Planning Commission, the Commission for Women, and is the president-elect of the National Women's Political Caucus in Texas. Her hope for Austin is to strengthen financial literacy and credit counseling to prepare families for the unstable economy, promoting entrepreneurialism and innovation through micro lending, and create more affordable housing, transpiration, energy, and health care.

In Atlanta, Georgia Amir Farokhi believes his youth gives him a much broader perspective particularly for using technology in government.

"I think we have yet to come close to maximizing the use of technology in government. Government could save a lot of money and be more efficient if we allowed residents and businesses to interface with government using the Internet for a wide range of tasks. We are used to doing everything online and requesting a garbage can or applying for a building permit should be no different. Why can't I get a text message telling me that my water bill is due or that a street near my house will be closed tomorrow? Why can't I instant message with the city to get an answer to a question or to report a broken street light? There's no reason government can't do those things.

"...Government has yet to fully employ technology to improve the efficiency of service delivery. From tracking the use of fleets of cars to minimize redundant trips to being able to swiftly reallocate resources to meet demand, there is a lot of room for improvement. Also, government needs to use the web to better disseminate information and improve transparency. All public information should be easy to find and digest online."

Amir was born and raised in Atlanta, and with his life long love for the city he pledges to implement a transparent government by creating a "strong electronic presence to communicate with residents and make it easier for residents to get information..."

There aren't many other City Council candidates talking about issues like this. We often try to cover many young candidates and allow FM as a forum for them to talk about the issues in their race and in their districts but I wanted to make sure we focus on those local offices up this spring.

Older candidates have unique qualities that they bring to their offices, but young candidates are invested in the future because its their future. Older candidates only look at the future as something they give to their children. Long-term policies that look particularly at innovative ways to utilize new technologies are what a contemporary council needs and candidates who are connected to the future understand this often times more than older candidates.

Even though the 2008 campaign is over - we still have work to do at our local levels. Don't forget to vote in your city elections this spring. And if you're looking for a place to get involved and run for office city council is a great place to begin without waiting for another two years.