Submitted photo Elias Coop-Gonzalez will be sworn into office as the 67th District delegate Wednesday in Charleston.

ELKINS — Elias Coop-Gonzalez, the 20-year-old newly elected 67th District delegate, will be sworn into office Wednesday in Charleston.

In the 67th District race in the Nov. 8 General Election, newcomer Coop-Gonzalez, a Republican, defeated Cody Thompson, a Democrat, to win the newly created delegate seat.

Coop-Gonzalez moved to West Virginia from Guatemala when he was 13. He graduated from Tygart Valley Christian Academy in Randolph County. During former President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign in 2020, Coop-Gonzalez was the youngest member of the Republican National Convention from West Virginia.

He went on to intern for Congressman Alex Mooney and work for Leadership Institute — an educational non-profit that prepares conservatives to win in the public policy process.

The Inter-Mountain interviewed Coop-Gonzalez this week in anticipation of his swearing-in ceremony. The following are The Inter-Mountain’s questions and the answers provided by Coop-Gonzalez.

THE INTER-MOUNTAIN: What will be your top priority as a delegate?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “My top priority is to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and West Virginia to the best of my ability. This should be the top priority of every delegate.”

I-M: What goals do you hope to achieve in your first term?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “There are many, but my top three are a state income tax cut, resources for pregnant women, and protection of second-amendment rights.”

I-M: How did you become interested in politics?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “In America, ordinary citizens can better their lives by getting involved in defending liberty. When I was 13, I campaigned for Ted Cruz in 2016, and then for Donald Trump.”

I-M: Ben Queen will be the state’s youngest state senator at 27. What is your age, and will you be the state’s youngest delegate after being sworn in?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “At 20, yes — I will be the youngest member.”

I-M: What is your planned career path, and what is your current occupation?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “I am currently a sophomore studying economics at Liberty University. My career path is not certain, but it will be related to business. I will go wherever God leads me.”

I-M: Who has been your mentor in politics?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “Leadership Institute President Morton C. Blackwell, who employed me as his personal assistant for most of 2021. He was also a special assistant to President Reagan and is today the most senior member of the Republican National Committee.”

I-M: Is there anyone in public or private life that you would like to model yourself after?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “Calvin Coolidge.”

I-M: Do you believe being a young person gives you a different perspective than other state politicians?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “The emerging generation will suffer the most from the legacy of gross fiscal mismanagement, such as we now see in Washington. From that standpoint, my views on budgetary measures might differ from that of some older legislators.”

I-M: What impact has your Guatemalan heritage had on your life, and do you feel it gives you a unique perspective among West Virginia legislators?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “My perspective is governed less by heritage than by ethics and real-world experience. Being born and partly raised in Guatemala taught me much about how the rest of the world operates. The United States is unique – and worth preserving. But is my perspective among West Virginia legislators unique? Almost, but not quite; we have a state senator from Venezuela who (like me) also chafed under corrupt government.”

I-M: Have you spoken with Ty Nestor, the Republican delegate representing the newly established 66th District, since the general election? Has he given you any advice about being a delegate?

COOP-GONZALEZ: “I spoke to Ty recently. He gave me some valuable insights. I look forward to working with him and consulting his astute legal knowledge on the floor.”