Jacob Horowitz is a new man in an old city.

Horowitz, 24, is the youngest Cambridge City Council hopeful in a field crammed with veterans of the local political scene. He hopes to capitalize on a fresh face to come from behind and win one of the coveted spots.

Energetic and optimistic, Horowitz has racked up several important endorsements—from the local activist party, the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA), gubernatorial candidate Warren Tolman, and even from the Youth Action Coalition, a group of high school students known for its efforts to lower the voting age in Cambridge.

“I’m at the disadvantage of not being an insider, but on the other hand, it’s an advantage,” Horowitz says.

From Florida to Cambridge

A native of South Florida, Horowitz came to the area to attend Northeastern and moved to Central Square after college. After graduation, he joined the staff of the Jewish Advocate, a Boston-based weekly newspaper, which he currently edits.

He hopes to be a new voice on the council—but many people are wondering what attracts the young newspaper editor to join the crowd of activists, politicians and pundits who frequent the Sullivan Chamber.

“[Why] is a question I’ve been asked a lot about,” Horowitz says. “I’ve been watching the city for some time. I watched with a lot of pride and admiration, but also frustration.”

The council, he says, needs to have less political infighting and more working on the issues.

“There’s lots of things I admire about the council and the politicians,” Horowitz says. “[But] lots of people are losing sight of things.”

On the Issues

Horowitz wants to take a new look at one of the city’s oldest issues—how the city can make housing more affordable.

One of his campaign’s key goals is “to ensure that people who live here can afford to,” he says.

Rent control, which once defined Cambridge politics, was ended by a statewide referendum in 1994.