US town elects youngest Black mayor in nation's history

By Burak Dag

ANKARA (AA) – The new Democratic mayor-elect of a small town in the southern state of Arkansas has gone down in history as the country’s youngest elected Black mayor ever.

Jaylen Smith, 18, just graduated from high school in May and then this fall ran for the office of mayor of the town of Earle, which is home to around 1,800 residents.

"My mom can't stop crying," Smith told The Washington Post about his victory in this Tuesday’s elections.

"It’s Time to Build a Better Chapter of Earle, Arkansas," Smith wrote on Facebook, thanking his supporters "for stepping up (and) getting people to the polls."

He defeated his opponent Nemi Matthews, the town’s street and sanitation superintendent, by 235 votes to 185, according to unofficial results.

The young mayor-elect, who was the Student Government Association president at his high school, also told the Post: "I didn’t want to be 30 or 40 and become a mayor when I could be one right now."

Smith and his schoolmates on Thursday celebrated his surprise election victory at Earle High School, which he graduated from last summer.

Set to officially take office in January, Smith's plans as mayor include ridding the town of abandoned homes, expanding police service, and offering public transportation to local grocery stores.