C.J. Pearson may look like a political novice, but the 21-year-old has been involved in politics for half his life. And this week, the Augusta, Georgia-area native announced he will run in the special election to replace state Rep. Barry Fleming, the Republican who is leaving the House to assume a judgeship.

Pearson burst onto the political scene at the tender age of 12 by making viral, in-your-face videos attacking then-President Barack Obama. His biting rhetoric quickly earned him a place on the Georgia GOP’s radar as a young Black spokesman for a party desperate to attract young voters and minorities.

Since then, Pearson has led a string of conservative groups, attracted vast social media followings, dabbled as a political operative and served as a commentator for the conservative PragerU outlet. He once discussed running for mayor of Tuscaloosa.

He dropped out of the University of Alabama last year, three semesters shy of graduating, telling Fox News that school was “force-fed indoctrination.” He then moved to Los Angeles to join PragerU. But his family calls the Augusta suburbs home, and he said he’s now back there full-time to run for state office.

“The people of my district don’t want to elect just another Republican to this seat; they want to elect a conservative who knows how to fight like the future of our country is on the line. Because it is — make no qualms about it,” Pearson said.

Along the way, Pearson has made plenty of enemies. He served as campaign manager for Vernon Jones, the ex-Democrat whose disastrous far-right campaign against Gov. Brian Kemp imploded.

Moments after word came out about Peason’s run, we heard from a handful of Republicans who said they would walk through glass to defeat him — and said they expect to line up behind a local GOP activist who has yet to announce.