Mike. A Bressler, a student at Harvard Business School (HBS)—and a staunch Republican—raised thousands of dollars for his friend Barend with a fundraiser he organized at HBS.

“I’ll be very upset if George Bush does not win. But in the end of the day, I will support someone I do not ideologically agree with if that someone does good things,” Bressler said. “She sees the world well.”

Bressler says that on some core issues, he agrees with Barend, even though they identify with different parties.

If she runs, Barend would be the only Democrat vying for the seat in this 29th district, which went to Bush in 2000, tossed 25 percent of its vote to Ross Perot in 1992, and has four Republicans who have declared that they will run if Houghton retires.

Still, Barend is not deterred.

“They’re independent spirits out there. They can’t be pigeonholed,” Barend says. “These are folks who respect public officials, those who put policy above partisanship.”

Barend considers herself a “sensible centrist” who is in the middle of the political spectrum. After all, she points out, she mastered her KSG class “Understanding Conservatism,” earning an A.

AGE IS BUT A NUMBER

Houghton has spent nearly as many years representing the 29th district as Barend has been alive. But her supporters say Barend’s relative youth won’t hurt her potential candidacy.

“Her age is a plus,” says King. “People always ask why young people don’t get involved in politics. I’ve watched people of all ages respond to her. She brings that piece of politics that is missing: coming home.”

Rob P. France, who worked with Barend on the I-86 project and is a resident of Barend’s own Steuben County, agrees that Barend’s age should not be a concern.

“Wisdom is not measured by age,” said France. “Sam is full of energy. She’s just an incredibly motivated person. You can’t oversell that.”

Barend is not fazed by the prospect of being the youngest woman to serve in Congress—or the race to get there.

“I’ve always been a competitive athlete,” said Barend, who ran track in high school and college. “I’ve never entered a race unless I’ve been prepared and believe in my heart that I can win.”

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO CONGRESS