CJ Pearson, 13. provided by CJ Pearson

Fellow conservatives rush to meet CJ Pearson when he attends GOP events.

They want to take a picture, exchange a few words, and pick up some wisdom from someone who has used social media to connect with the younger fringe of the movement.

But when Pearson, 13, goes back to his eighth-grade class in Georgia, no one seems to care much.

"A friend of mine says, 'CJ, you might get 100 retweets, but around here you're just CJ,'" he told INSIDER. "While I am that big conservative activist ... and leading on all these issues, I'm still a 13-year-old boy and it kind of has that perfect balance."

Pearson — the leader of "Teens for Ted," a group backing US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for president — has gained a large following for his explosive conservative rantings online. Regardless of whether you agree with his views, it's an impressive feat for someone who's still in middle school.

His Twitter account is followed by nearly 40,000 people, while his Facebook page has more than 65,000 likes. A video Pearson posted to YouTube criticizing US President Barack Obama for inviting to the White House the Muslim teen who was arrested for bringing a clock to school was viewed more than 1 million times.

Naturally, being 13 makes it hard to go ahead and run for office. Georgia law is clear that one must be 21 to run for a seat in the Georgia General Assembly, so the determined Pearson worked to introduce legislation in an attempt to lower that age to 18. Regardless, he thinks he'll be a state representative in a decade, even if he can't run as soon as he'd like.

Pearson said he first became a conservative when he was 8. What drew him in were the aspects of limited government and the idea that one must take personal responsibility, he said.

One of the biggest government policies affecting his life today is the Common Core, which he called "a complete government takeover of education," adding that "it essentially dumbs down the quality of education that I receive."

Raised by Democrats, Pearson said his family supports almost none of his political views, which is OK by him. He said they're entitled to their own views and, being a 13-year-old, he appreciates that they're still willing to drive him where he needs to go.

"I wouldn't be able to do as much as I do without transportation," he said.

His upbringing is part of why he supports Cruz for the presidency. In a Democratic household, he feels rebellious for believing in conservative ideals. And Cruz is the most rebellious of the lot, he said.

Pearson has a couple goals for the near future. The first is being able to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.

"There hasn't been a speaker who can unite behind this one voice for young people across the country," he said. "I think it's something that conservatives who are deeply loyal to the party have even questioned. I think it would be great to have a speaker that can represent my generation."

That would seem absurd for any 13-year-old, but it doesn't seem that crazy for Pearson.

Don't be surprised if you see him there.

Also, don't be surprised if he gets his other wish: an interview with Obama. He has a White House petition to do so, which got more than 1,300 signatures in its first day.

"I'd ask him where that hope and change is that he promised us," Pearson said. "While I have been critical, and I think many people should be critical of the president, I think that's the point of him being elected. So I think that's something I would definitely hope that doesn't impact his decision" to do the interview.

Although he admits that he's hard-right on most issues — such as immigration, abortion, and foreign policy — he agrees with Obama's stances on Cuba and criminal justice reform.

"So I think there are issues we can talk about that we agree on and still have a productive conversation," he said. "It would truly be an honor to sit down and talk with our president about these issues to have reassurance that our nation is in good hands and that we can move forward without my generation and anyone worrying about the future."

Pearson's Twitter bio may say he is "13 years old going on 35," but for someone who has attracted a mass following, interviewed a presidential candidate, and wants to speak at his party's national convention, Pearson said he's still getting used to fame.

"Like I said, when you go to those big conservative gatherings, they're just like, 'Hey, I've seen you do this, I've seen you do that,' and I'll be honest with you, you know, I'm a big people person, but I'm kind of introverted sometimes," he said. "I think you've just got to adjust to it."

Video by Alana Yzola | INSIDER