Politics often feels distant to teens. As a teenager, witnessing the constant debates online regarding our upcoming midterms, I often wonder if anyone in Washington really hears people like us. Scrolling through the tiktok comments and twitter threads, all anyone can see is adults arguing over bills, policies, and different promises from their favorite or local politician. Does Washington really hear us? I look around me every day asking that question. What started off as just my own curiosity has just developed into frustration, not just for me, but Youth all around us.

The decisions congress, the president, and the government makes, decisions about climate change, funding, education, student debt, and even what the US does overseas are being made by people who have never lived my experience. They are championed by the same individuals that even refuse to have town halls with their constituents, or truly represent the wants of their citizens, their eyes clouded by special interests and corporations.

Watching from the side as a 17 year old, I feel like my voice is trapped in the noise of our national political chatter, drowned out by the echo of adult and PAC priorities divided by constant partisan battles, where instead of taking accountability, both sides continue to blame the other.

It makes politics feel like a complex game of chess rather than a system meant to represent everyone, especially teens, the ones who will inherit the outcomes of the decisions that politicians make every day.

However, as we have started this initiative through the TeenView exclusive, the politicians we are grateful to meet with every month have slowly started to change my perspective.

This past week, The TeenView was grateful to sit down with Candidate Andrew Sneed, running for US Congress from District 5, from our very own community of Huntsville. His message truly inspired me to believe that politics could actually feel different, and not just in theory.

Sneed was raised in our very own community, even going to Lee Highschool, and through our conversation I could see how the issues that we talked about, in school, at home, and in our neighborhoods are issues he thinks about too. He grew up here, started his own business, and even acted professionally. Experiences that shape someone who doesn't just talk about politics, but has actually lived through its effects.

His initial message to us was of how he has "..always been committed to listening to others. And now I want to turn the temperature down in politics.” This initial message really stood out to me. After countless interviews over the past months I have completed and even debates I’ve followed over the past months, it's rare to truly hear a politician directly acknowledge the anger, frustration, and disconnect that many of us feel toward the same system. He voiced the same belief that I have held, saying that politics to him too feels like a now distant game, full of taking points, with little recognition of the real experiences of people, especially the young ones, who are watching, listening, and wondering if anyone is paying attention.

What impressed me apart from his message was the way he approached young people, like ourselves. Modern day teens often don't have a voice in politics, but Sneed doesn't see us that way. He mentioned a want to create forums where we can ask questions, engage directly, and learn how accountability actually works, for both teens and their elected officials. That struck me deeply, because for the first time it felt like someone in politics actually understood what it’s like to grow up here, in our communities, and be affected by decisions we have no control over.

He emphasized his welcoming approach to leadership, while also recognizing that in a state and district like our own here in Huntsville, that comes with challenges. This led me to ask how he would truly represent the people of Alabama and of District 5, given the wide range of political beliefs. To this he told me and emphasized that he doesn't want to label or divide people, saying that he needs to listen first and find shared ground amongst him and the people he represents. He explained that the way the government communicates can often create division, and that much of the partisan battles are unnecessary. This approach is something District 5 truly needs, especially when contrasted with our current representative, who hasn’t held a town hall in over two years.

For Mr. Sneed, he emphasized to me that to him, listening isn’t a formality that is required by every politician. It's a principle of his campaign. By actually engaging with constituents, including young people like ourselves, his aim is that he hopes to rebuild trust and show that the government can work for everyone, not just those with political influence or special interests.

As we continued our conversation, I had to ask how he would represent District 5 overseas, given the current state of our world today. And what truly resonated with me was how he tied global issues back to the people he serves at home, saying that when Congress fails to function effectively, it truly impacts the communities at home. Decisions made in Washington, ripple down to our schools and even our small businesses, something he understands firsthand as a small business owner.

He further stressed that right now our district’s voice is not being represented enough on major international decisions, and emphasized the urgency of voting on a way to power resolutions, particularly with the ongoing tensions in Iran. He further warned against aggressive postures against Greenland or Canada, saying that it just doesn't reflect our American values, and these tones that set overseas need to be aligned on collaboration and openness.

To him, however, he noted that our most pressing issue isn't just our geopolitics, but making sure that congress actually can work effectively so our local community isn't left out of our foreign decisions. What truly shocked me is that his perspective is actually reflected through his work, as he mentioned one of the initiatives he works through, known as the BAC movement.

Sneed explained that BAC, which stands for the Balance, Accountability, and Candidates movement is designed to hold politicians like himself actually accountable and create real transparency in the government. This includes requiring pledges on ethics, limiting stock trading, and actually promoting checks and balances in our government, ideas that are central to not only his campaign but the way he approaches leadership.

As we ended our conversation, something Mr Sneed repeated over and over again was a core message about participating in the government. Telling us that “Your voice matters, This campaign is not about me, the government belongs to us. If we want to see it endure, we have to get involved. Believe in us because we are worth believing in.”

That is what I truly took away from our conversation, the power of belief. Not just belief in a candidate, but belief in ourselves and our ability to shape the world around us. Something that stands at the cornerstone of what the TeenView truly believes in.

Walking away from our conversation, today I feel a sense of possibility that I hadn't experienced in months after following politics and debates online. Although it may take time, for the first time someone's message showed me that politics doesn't have to feel distant for teens our age, but it should actually be shaped by our voice. And for people like me, it's a reminder that the questions we ask, the opinions we hold, and the energy we bring actually have a place in shaping the future.

And for that I would like to thank Mr. Andrew Sneed for our wonderful conversation.

To learn more about Andrew Sneed and his current movement to represent us here in District Five, please visit https://www.sneedforcongress.com/