With the US midterm elections wrapping up, a young man fresh out of high school last May was elected mayor and became the youngest person elected.
On the 7th local time, foreign media such as CNN and NBC reported that Jaylen Smith, 18, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected mayor of Earle, Arkansas, located in the southern United States.
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Ershi, Arkansas, about 48 km west of the Mississippi River and Memphis, Tennessee, is a small city with a total population of 1,831 as of 2020.
Smith, who was ultimately elected mayor by a margin of 52 votes from his opponent, set a record for being the 'youngest black' mayor in this election.
In an interview with local media following his election, Smith said, "I'm not running to make my name known, I'm running because I want to help our community and move in the direction that the community needs."
Smith, who served as the school's student body president during his high school years, revealed that "his student government experience gave him a passion for serving the community at a higher level."
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Smith's commitments include tackling abandoned housing, expanding police presence, repairing local drainage systems, and relocating large grocery stores to create jobs.
Frank Scott Jr., the mayor of Arkansas' largest city, Little Rock, and Smith's campaign mentor, congratulated him on his election and said, "I am proud of his ambition and determination to enter public office at a young age." said.
In addition, after the election, Smith said on social media, "Citizens of Ursi. I was elected as the next mayor of Ursi," and said, "Now it is time to make a better future for Urcy, Arkansas. Thank you to everyone who supported and voted for me." I also told.
Smith, who has revealed his aspirations to show results to citizens as mayor, is scheduled to take office in the first week of January.
(Photo = Jaylen Smith Facebook)