After college, most twenty-somethings move their way into the working world of offices and cubicles for the first time, alternately laboring furiously, scouring the internet for entertainment during slower hours, and attending any number of post-work happy hours. Sam Brooks bucked this trend — at 24, he ran for public office.

Surprising the District’s political establishment, Brooks jumped in the race for an at-large seat on the City Council, coming in third to challenger and eventual victor Kwame Brown and incumbent Harold Brazil with 13 percent of the vote. And while far from victorious in a hotly-contested city-wide vote, Brooks received more nods in Ward 2 than either of his competitors and out-voted Brazil in Ward 3. The Post recognized the political newcomer for his “encyclopedic knowledge of local issues and closely reasoned positions,” a sentiment shared by other political activists and observers.

This year Brooks has thrown himself into the campaign for the Ward 3 seat on the council, set to be vacated by three-term council-member Kathy Patterson, who is currently vying for the council’s top spot. And this time around, Brooks has clearly chosen an easier battle.

Ward 3, encompassing much of upper Northwest, includes the tony neigborhoods of Glover Park, Cathedral Heights, Woodley Park, and the Palisades, among others. It is 83 percent white, enjoys the city’s highest median household income (at $53,584, it is more than $10,000 more than second place Ward 2), and is populated by the District’s most educated residents (79 percent are college grads). Best yet, Brooks doesn’t face much competition as of yet — only dental technician Jonathan Rees has so far announced his candidacy for the seat. Spare a scandal or an able challenger, Brooks may well be sworn in as a member of the City Council at the age of 27 — around the time many of us go looking for that next job.

DCist caught up with Brooks — now living in Forest Hills — and asked him some introductory questions.