Washington may have a new candidate running for state office. But it's not who most people would expect.

Although 17-year-old Anthony Bittner is not yet old enough to vote, he said he plans to run for a seat in the state's House of Representatives after turning 18.

Anthony, a senior at Skyview High School, says he wants to make a difference in the state's 18th district.

"I'm running as a Republican a new generation of a Republican that was born and raised in a nation that is taxing and spending our future in decline," he said.

"I think that I'm the only candidate that is really advocating for small business and that's what my family and most of this community are," he said. "And I don't want to wait around hoping someone else will take care of it."

His father Chris seemed quite pleased with his son's ambitions.

"It's exciting," Chris Bittner said. "I kind of looked forward to this day. It's a little earlier than I thought it would be, but it's exciting."

Anthony's family said he's been interested in politics from a young age so his decision to run wasn't a surprise. The teenager has even been involving his friends with his political strategy for the past three months.

Although most of the other candidates are more than three times his age, Anthony is far from intimidated. He said he'll be able to "get more things done than most people think."