19 is old enough

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You think that Ashwin Madia is on the young side in running for Congress at the age of 29? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Meet Ytit Chauhan, a 19-year-old Indian-American running for city council in Atlantic City, N.J.:

Picture shamelessly cradle-robbed from his Facebook profile

The first round of campaign finance forms shows that this year’s City Council candidates may spend tens of thousands of dollars to land a seat on the resort’s governing body. While files are incomplete, the candidates raised a cumulative $103,141, while spending $77,578 for the Nov. 6 contest.

Leading the pack is Steve Layman, a Republican running independently who is challenging Councilman Tim Mancuso, a Democrat.

Unendorsed Democrat Ytit Chauhan is also running in that race, but he signed forms indicated he planned to spend no more than $3,500. [Link]

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p>Chauhan has even caught the attention of David Letterman and his company WorldWide Pants. Variety reports:

David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants production banner is spearheading an untitled feature documentary about young adults running for public office. The doc will follow five men and women ages 18-20 who are seeking elected posts in a range of states, including New Jersey and Tennessee.

The film is the first docu and the first noncomedy project for Worldwide Pants. Doc will be directed by Michael Moore’s former assistant Jason Pollock, and “An Inconvenient Truth” producer Lawrence Bender is attached to produce.

The candidates include Ytit Chauhan, 18, a first-generation Indian-American running for city council in Atlantic City, N.J.; and George Monger, 18, who successfully appealed to lower the Memphis voting age from 23 so that he could run for city council. [Link]

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p>Here is an excerpt from an interview with Chauhan on the blog The Atlantic City Scoop:

(Jesse Kurtz) Mr. Chauhan, thank you for agreeing to appear on The Atlantic City Scoop. Why are you running for Sixth Ward Councilman?

(Ytit Chauhan) I have always had a deep passion and appreciation for public service. Even though Atlantic City elected officials have disgraced and misused the public trust time and time again, I would hope that average people still have the ability to respect the few honest and sincere individuals out there who pursue elected office as a means to better their community. I love Atlantic City, and I can no longer be an innocent and inconsequential bystander and watch this city deteriorate politically and culturally. The people are yearning for change, and I entered this race because I believe I am the only candidate in this city who can unite the many political factions in order for the greater good for the city at large. Petty bickering and opportunistic decision making has left this city with many mediocre politicians. The voters on November 6th will reject all the non-sense, and elect common sense. [Link]

A local newspaper’s crack investigative team is already reporting on rumors of impropriety by the Chauhan campaign:

Ytit Chauhan wants a seat on Atlantic City’s City Council.

But if you ask Wikipedia, it’s already his.

On Friday afternoon, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit lists the 19-year-old as the 6th Ward councilman. Tim Mancuso, who has represented the neighborhood since Chauhan was 4, was nowhere to be found.

Turns out a high school buddy had some fun with Ytit and Tim.

Wikipedia’s logs show someone at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., “elected” Chauhan at 7:03 p.m. Sept. 18.

Chauhan has only one friend who goes to school there, according to the social networking Web site Facebook: 19-year-old Alex Rovins, a high-school classmate, now a dean’s-list sophomore.

Chauhan professed no hand in the now month-long scheme. He swore Rovins only told him about it last week.

In any event, Chauhan wants Rovins to fix it: “I told him to get rid of it before Tim Mancuso Googles me and starts coming over to my house and knocking on my door at 3 a.m…” [Link]

This might be the most exciting race outside of Stephen Colbert’s.

18 thoughts on “19 is old enough”

  3. he’s in the same year as me and already running for political office?? …i am such a failure. 🙁

    (i’m kidding)

  4. Does that sound out like Yitit? The confusion with that name would be enough to send the locals into a tizzy. Can’t you just see the Op-Ed headings: “If Indians Can’t Even Pronounce His Name, Then How Can We?”

    Joking aside, yit does make for a refreshing story.

  6. Ytit?
    Can’t you just see the Op-Ed headings: “If Indians Can’t Even Pronounce His Name, Then How Can We?”
    ytit. gold mine.

    C’mon guys, it’s not like he has a totally ridiculous name like, I dunno, Slade.

  8. he’s in the same year as me and already running for political office?? …i am such a failure. 🙁

    nala, just don’t tell your parents. 😉

    Beta, when Ytit was 19 he was running for office. Why aren’t you running for office? If you are not going to be a doctor, please at least to run.”

  9. Oh. My.

    Y-tit?

    Up there on the list of “shit” like Indian names that should be banned in the US – Ashit, Shital, and now Ytit.

  10. Ytit Chauhan has much energy in his political strivings. I invite you to read the rest of his interview at The Atlantic City Scoop. I have met Ytit (pronounced yuh-teet) and had a good conversation with him, Jason Pollack, and some Ytit supporters.

    We have his interview, a summary of a debate that he participated in, and a review of his and his opponents’ positions and performance. My overall impression is that it is noble and good for young people to run for office. As a young person, I connect with him on that level. His positions, on the issues, are not as well-thought-out as I originally thought. I find his stance on Badar Field impractical and improper. I also disagree with his advocacy of a total casino smoking ban.

    I am enjoying observing the Sixth Ward Councilman race.

  11. “Up there on the list of “shit” like Indian names that should be banned in the US – Ashit, Shital, and now Ytit.”

    or how about giving credit to people who keep those names despite some of the puerile teasing they probably face and who don’t give in to the mob mentality?:)

  15. should the opposition go: “ytit’s an ass” in their slogans, perhaps? or maybe ytit should adopt it himself, given the preference for GGW in this country these days.

    wtf kind of name is that? anyway, high-school politics come of age i guess.

  16. Hello, I’m Ytit Chauhan, and it’s pronounced Yuh-teet. My parents named me Ytit, 5 years later they chose to name my younger brother Neel. I got the short end of the straw. Surprisingly many people don’t have problems saying the name at all. I thought campaigning would have been tough having to introduce myself with a name nobody has ever heard of, but it’s not been that bad at all.

    Thanks for taking some notice about my campaign, 5 days to go!!! I slept 3 hours today, don’t plan to sleep now until election day. Be on the lookout for this documentary, it’s going to be quite good and inspiring if I may say so myself.

    • Ytit Chauhan

  17. Atlantic City’s political scene is filled with corruption and disingenuous politicians who place their personal agenda ahead of the voter and taxpayers. What does this create? It creates bitter feelings towards government and a feeling that nothing will change. Atlantic City’s sixth ward yearns for a councilman who is concerned about the people and the issues at hand. What has the current councilman accomplished for voters and residents of the sixth ward? Tim Mancuso has raised property taxes consistently over 15 years. A change is in order.

    As Chauhan’s Campaign Adviser, I truly believe that Ytit has the dedication and devotion to his ward required to get the job done. Ytit’s youth, energy, and intelligence is an asset which few his age possess. Atlantic City government can change for the better and the city’s glory can be restored over time. Mancuso employs tactics such as verbal threats and intimidation to influence voters in the ward. Perhaps Mancuso’s intimidation tactics are a result of his fear that people will elect a new candidate. This type of behavior should not be tolerated and certainly will not be tolerated on election day. The Chauhan campaign has the most competent and dedicated people working to achieve two distinct goals: change and progress. Change is innovative, beneficial, and necessary at this juncture. Ytit Chauhan will bring about a new era of change and politics in Atlantic City. End the unacceptable trend!

    VOTE NOVEMBER 6TH YTIT CHAUHAN (D-8)

    -Alex Rovins (long-time friend of Ytit)

  18. oh hey Ytit. Good luck and all. (only coz you’re dem 🙂 ). Sorry about that cheap shot.