When it comes to active engagement in public service, 19-year-old Mary-Pat Hector proves that age ain’t nothing but a number. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the Georgia native has been added to the ballot as a City Council candidate for the the newly incorporated city of Stonecrest, a suburb east of Atlanta.
While her candidacy was initially challenged under Georgia law that states that candidates must be at least 21-years old unless a city ordinance states otherwise, the Dekalb county board of elections ruled to allow Hector’s nomination since the Stonecrest City Charter requires candidates to be voting age to hold office. “The board’s decision is a testament to the inclusion of the next generation’s participation in the democratic process,” Hector said in a statement. The city council election will be held on March 21st.
Hector, who is now the youngest woman ever to run for elected office in the history of the State of Georgia, expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I thank the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections and those who stand with me and support my candidacy and those who taught and mentored me throughout my life.” The Spelman College student is no rookie when it comes to community activism. At the age of 14, after losing several classmates to senseless gun violence, Hector garnered national attention from President Barack Obama and Usher's New Look for organizing anti-gun violence campaigns. She currently serves as youth coordinator with the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. As a woman, an African-American, and a teenager, Hector is fearlessly annihilating all kinds of barriers, and we look forward to following her promising career for years to come.
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