‘A better chapter’: 18-year-old man elected mayor of Arkansas town

(Reuters) – Jaylen Smith, who counts his highschool commencement earlier this yr amongst his prime accomplishments, can now add yet one more: election as mayor of small-town Earle, Arkansas, on the age of 18.

Smith beat out Nemi Matthews, superintendent of sanitation and streets in Earle, by a margin of 235 to 183 votes on Tuesday, in line with native media.

The city, situated in japanese Arkansas, about 30 miles west of the Mississippi River and Memphis, Tennessee, has a inhabitants of 1,831, in line with the 2020 census.

“It’s Time to Construct a Higher Chapter of Earle, Arkansas,” Smith stated on his Fb web page following the Election Evening victory, echoing his marketing campaign slogan and thanking his supporters.

“My mother cannot cease crying,” Smith instructed the Washington Publish on Wednesday.

Through the marketing campaign Smith, who graduated from Earle Excessive College in Might, referred to as for enhancing public security, restoring or eradicating deserted properties and buildings and implementing new emergency preparedness plans.

“Why ought to I’ve to be nice someplace else once I could possibly be nice in Earle, Arkansas?” he instructed the Publish.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot)