An 18-year-old Jaylen Smith has emerged as the youngest black major in the United States. This is after defeating his opponent for the position in a small Arkansas town.
ALSO READ: First of them all: Smart young lady becomes first Doctor in Neuroscience from Niger
Smith, a fresh graduate of Earle High School, noted that although he was quite “confident” he’d win the runoff election, he was still stunned when he received the news of the victory. He will be the mayor of Earle, a town that has just under 2,000 people, according to the 2020 census data, close to Memphis, Tennessee.
Smith received 218 votes, whereas his opponent, Nemi Mathews Sr.., had 139. Smith mentioned that he decided to run for the position at the beginning of his senior year.
Smith added, “it feels awesome; generations to come will read about these historical moments.”
ALSO READ: Akoi grace: Portable all smiles as he flaunts pool of cash he gathered from a show
As the new mayor-elect, Jaylen Smith said he plans to focus on transportation, public safety, and bringing a major grocery store to the city. Increasing residents’ access to food sources, noting that these are the things he’s passionate about.
The young politician said the win is very important to him as a person diagnosed with a learning disability. He added that his disability makes it difficult for him to do well in standardized tests, however, he said it does not take away from what he is able to do.