If the oldest man ever elected president can “tweetlike a kindergartner,” why not flip the script andsee if a youngster can be elected to office andgovern wisely?

如果一个“推文幼稚的像个幼儿园小朋友”一样最年长的人，都可以当选总统，那为什么反过来不试一下，看看年轻人能否当选并明智地执政?

That's part of the logic, anyway, behind theunlikely candidacy of Ethan Sonneborn, a 13-year-old running for governor of Vermont, one of just twostates with no minimum age requirement for theoffice.

不管怎么样，这就是这位看起来不太可能的，但正在竞选佛蒙特州州长，13岁候选人桑尼伯恩背后的逻辑。佛蒙特州是美国仅有的两个对竞选州长无年龄要求的州之一。

Sonneborn, who lives in Bristol, Vermont, with his parents and younger sister, Julia, 11, isseeking the Democratic nomination.

桑尼伯恩和他的父母以及11岁的妹妹朱莉娅住在佛蒙特州的布里斯托尔，他正在寻求民主党的提名。

A candidate's age is no gauge of their effectiveness, Sonneborn tells PEOPLE, saying thatdespite Donald Trump being the oldest person elected to the U.S. Presidency, “He tweets like akindergartener.”

“候选人的能力并不能用他们的年龄来衡量”，桑尼伯恩告诉《人物》(美国杂志)说，”尽管唐纳德·特朗普是当选美国总统的人中最年长的，但是“他的推文就像幼儿园小朋友一样”。“

Sonneborn says he's been dismayed not only by what he sees as Trump's troubling decisionsand juvenile moments but also by the president's response after a counterprotester was killedduring the August white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia — which is what cementedSonneborn's decision to seek office.

桑尼伯恩说他不仅对特朗普的错误决定和无知时期感到失望，同时也因为总统对8月在弗吉尼亚州夏洛茨维尔举行的白人种族主义集会上反抗者被杀害后做出的回应感到失望——这也更加坚定了桑尼伯恩竞选州长的决心。

The eighth grader's candidacy is also about overcoming age discrimination, which he sees asa barrier to equality, and he says his quest for the top state spot is no joke.

这位八年级学生的候选资格还包括克服年龄歧视，他说，他对最高掌权者州长的追求不是开玩笑的。

“It was the real 'I have to do this' moment,” he says.

“这是真的“我必须去做这件事”的时刻了，”他说。

“I saw a woman die and I saw the president of the United States refuse to unequivocallycondemn the people who killed her.”

“我亲眼见到一个女人死了，并且我看到美国总统拒绝明确谴责杀害她的人。”

“I think the best way to engage young people in the process is to win,” he says.

他说：“我认为在这个过程中让年轻人参与的最佳方式就是赢得比赛。”

If he wins the primary, he would face off against first-term Republican Gov. Phil Scott, 59.

如果他赢得初选，他将与59岁的共和党第一届州长菲尔·斯科特对决。

“This young Vermonter clearly has an interest in service and anyone putting ideas forward withthe goal of making Vermont a better place is appreciated here,” Scott's spokeswoman, Rebecca Kelley, tells PEOPLE.

斯科特的发言人丽贝卡·凯利告诉《人物》杂志:“显然这位年轻的佛蒙特人对服务很感兴趣，任何人提出的想法想让佛蒙特成为一个更好的地方，都能。”

“As we work to keep and attract more young professionals and job creators, we appreciateevery young person who is engaged and invested in our state.”

“我们正努力留住并吸引更多的年轻专业人士和创业者，我们感谢每一个在我们国家工作和投资的年轻人。”