FREMONT — In his short career as a political campaign manager, Kollin Frasure is 1-0.
Not bad for an eighth-grade student at Fremont Middle School.
Frasure, 13, scheduled events, knocked on doors and provided a sounding board for Fremont City Councilman Justin Smith, who prevailed with 58% of the vote in his 2021 reelection bid against Cassandrea Tucker.
Politics is his life, Frasure says, and he expects to be following in Smith’s shoes by pursuing his own political ambitions in the future.
“Someday I hope to be supporting him when he runs,” Smith said, as he and Frasure talked about their winning partnership in an interview at Smith’s Fremont home last week.
Frasure’s introduction to political campaigns actually started last year.
He served as an active volunteer for the Sandusky County Republican Party throughout the 2020 campaign.
Frasure had the opportunity to have his picture taken with former Vice President Mike Pence at a Toledo campaign rally in the fall of 2020.
He introduced Sandusky County elected officials at a dinner with Congressman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and emceed at the Sandusky County “Trump Train” parade.
Smith first met Frasure when the city councilman served as a substitute teacher at the middle school.
They found out their families knew each other and Smith and Frasure ended up talking about Iowa’s Republican presidential caucus.
At the local Republican 2020 general election night party, Smith asked Frasure if he’d serve as his re-election campaign manager.
The Fremont teen said yes.
Smith sees himself in young campaign manager
Frasure said his grandfather showed a particular passion for politics.
A Republican, Frasure’s two favorite presidents are Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy.
The most challenging thing about being Smith’s campaign manager involved knocking on doors and advocating for his candidate to strangers, something Frasure acknowledged he’d never done before the campaign.
“That was pretty interesting the first week,” Frasure said, although he called himself a “people person.”
Getting an early start in politics is nothing new to Smith, the city’s second youngest council member.
He’s been following politics since he was 7 and first ran for city council at 18, being elected in 2008 as the Sandusky County Republican Party chairman at 23.
At one time, Smith held the honor as the youngest political party chairman in Ohio.
“He reminds me a little bit of myself at that age,” Smith said of Frasure.
Frasure plans on a future in politics
His immersion in politics is unusual for his age, Frasure said.
None of his friends really share his interest.
Frasure’s biggest takeaway from Smith’s 2021 campaign is that “people aren’t always what they seem.”
He said he learned how to be politically social with people, whether they agree with him or not, and how to hold genuine conversations without arguing about candidates or issues.
Frasure plans to be at Sandusky County GOP headquarters in 2022 and help out with the party’s events
After he graduates from high school, Frasure plans to pursue a political science degree and attend law school.
A run for mayor and eventually Congress are also in the cards, he said.
Smith said Frasure is wise beyond his years and has developed good relationships with local politicians such as State Sen. Bill Reineke.
He cited his young campaign manager as evidence there are teenagers out there who do want to make a difference.
“He’s proof there’s more good young people out there than people realize,” Smith said.
dacarson@gannett.com
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Twitter: @DanielCarson7
