Jaylen Smith made history this week as he was elected the mayor of Earle, Arkansas, which will make him the youngest black mayor in the United States.
Smith, 18, defeated his opponent, Nemi Matthews Sr., in Tuesday night’s runoff election with 218 votes to Matthews’s 139, according to the THV11.
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The recent high school graduate announced his win via a Facebook post.
“Citizens of Earle, Arkansas, it’s official!! I am your newly elected Mayor of Earle, Arkansas,” Smith posted, adding that “It’s Time to Build a Better Chapter.”
“I would like to thank all my supporters for stepping up getting people to the polls. I am truly grateful for you all,” he wrote.
The town has a population of under 2,000 people and is situated about 30 miles northwest of Memphis.
In an interview last month, Smith talked about his goals, such as promoting public safety, tearing down abandoned houses, creating public transportation, and building a grocery store.
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“You’re never too young to want to make a difference in your community,” Smith told a local outlet.
Matthews told an outlet before the election that he and Smith are close, sharing that their families have been friends for a while.
“No animosity, anything, far as me and Jaylen are concerned. … Everything has been cordial,” he said.
