James Harnett

James Allen Harnett (born March 23, 1998) is an American politician and student in Washington, D.C., the United States capital. When he was elected, at age 19, he was notably the youngest elected official in Washington, D.C. Until age two, Harnett lived in New York City, then moved with his family to Upper Saddle River, New Jersey where he remained until he graduated high school.
Harnett attended Northern Highlands Regional High School, graduating in 2016. In October 2014, Harnett was a speaker at TEDxTeen in London. He also participated in the Boy Scouts of America, earning the program's highest rank, Eagle Scout. He attends college at George Washington University, majoring in computer science and political science. In March 2018, he was elected to local government, making him the youngest elected official in the District. During college, he also worked for the General Services Administration and Run for Something.
Political positions
Harnett introduced a resolution in May 2018 to lower the voting age in D.C. to 16, which was approved 5 to 2. A vote to advance the legislation before the Council of the District of Columbia failed 6 to 7, in November 2018. In July 2018, he wrote an editorial in the Washington Post opposing the repeal of Initiative 77 — a voter-approved minimum wage law to phase out the minimum wage exemption for tipped employees — which was overturned by the city council in October 2018. He also introduced a proposal in November 2018, which was unanimously approved, to change the name of the street at the Saudi Embassy in the United States to "Jamal Khashoggi Way", following the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Harnett has been an advocate for more protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure, arguing that the District of Columbia should swiftly build protected streetscapes that prioritize pedestrians over cars. Harnett supports free public transportation. He has also supported climate change and gun control legislation, voting to support a law that mandates drawing 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2032 and eliminating all emissions by 2050, and saying climate change "will kill more of my generation than any other." Harnett considers himself a progressive.

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