GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — Scott County native Landin Stadnyk became Kentucky’s youngest elected official on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old ran unopposed for a position to Scott County’s Conservation District Board.
2020 is not his first election. In 2018, at age 15, Stadnyk ran for the same position but ultimately lost.
"I was wondering whether there were any positions you don't have to be 18 to run for. This was one of them and it's one where I felt I could make a difference because I've seen some of the effects firsthand,” he said about his decision to run for election in 2018.
Stadnyk told LEX 18 he hopes his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors can look past his age so they can focus on the collective goal of improving life for Scott Countians.
"The negative effects of what is being done to the environment aren't going to impact my parents or grandparents, that generation. They're going to impact me, our generation, and our kids. I think it's really important we take a step in fighting for what we want to see,” Stadnyk said. “My hope is to leave the world a better place than I found it.”
When asked about his priorities, Stadnyk explained he hopes to focus on improving areas of farming, livestock and water quality in Scott County.
“I want Scott County to be a good area for people now and I want it to be a place where people can come back to and continue growing in,” Stadnyk said.
