Jaylen Smith, 18, defeated Nemi Matthews Sr. in a runoff election for Mayor of Earle, Arkansas.
A recent graduate from Earle High School, Smith already has a detailed plan of how he’s going to leave his mark on the world. “First, I want to improve public safety here. Secondly, tear down abandoned houses … transportation here for the community, bring a grocery store here,” he said in an interview with Fox13 last month.
Officially the youngest mayor in the United States, continuing his education is still on his list of things to do. Smith plans to continue his bachelor’s degree online at ASU Mid-South in Memphis, although the city is his main priority now that he’s been elected.
He’s always been active in his community, hosting citywide clean ups, water giveaways and food drives. His new focus will be public safety, housing, and building a grocery store in town.
#NEWS: Jaylen Smith, 18, will be the next mayor of Earle, AR.
Smith graduated from Earle HS in May 2022. He will be the youngest Black mayor in America. #ARNews #ARPx pic.twitter.com/RiUB3QF63p
advertisement— Andrew Epperson (@eppersports) December 7, 2022
Tuesday night, he made history. Smith announced his win in a Facebook post, saying “It’s Time To Build A Better Chapter of Earle, Arkansas.”
We’re rooting for you, Jaylen!
Photo Credit: Twitter