Teen Wins Spot at Dem Convention

RICE LAKE, Wis. – He hasn't reached voting age yet, but Jason Rae has earned a place at the red-hot center of the Democratic Party. The 17-year-old has won the election to one of Wisconsin's four spots to the Democratic National Committee (search) and will go to Boston's convention next month.

Rae will be a senior in high school next year and has an impressive resume: first in his class, student council president, editor of the yearbook, active in his church.

He's also earned his political chops. Rae serves on the re-election steering committee of Sen. Russ Feingold, has worked on the gubernatorial campaign of Tom Barrett and is a vice chairman of the Barron County Democratic Party.

"He's one in a million," said Cecil Kippenhan, 73, chairman of the Barron County Democrats. "He knows almost as much at 17 as I do after all these years."

Although Rae will attend the Boston convention, he won't be seated officially to serve a four-year term until after the presidential nomination.

Rae started preparing himself since way back. At 5, he urged his parents to vote for Bill Clinton in 1992.

"He's been watching C-SPAN for I don't know how long," said his father.