Will Carter is such a newcomer to Republican politics that he didn't realize there was a $25 fee to attend his Savannah district convention. Someone had to loan him the money to get in.

If not, the 18-year-old rising Mercer University student wouldn’t be Georgia’s youngest delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Kendall Austin has always been around politics. The 18-year-old from Decatur had a front-row seat as his grandmother Sandra Austin, the chairwoman of the DeKalb County Democratic Party, carried him to precinct meetings, caucus gatherings, and state and national conventions.

Now, the rising freshman at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., has his own seat at the big kids’ table.

The two teens are among the youngest of the thousands of delegates headed to Cleveland and Philadelphia this month. Find out more about why they are making their journeys here.

About the Author

Featured

Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC