Adam is Right to Vote Director at FairVote.

He can’t buy a beer or rent a car, but 19-year-old John Tyler Hammons can run for Mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma (and WIN!). With all the talk of record youth turnout this primary season, Hammons’ victory for mayor shows that young people are paying attention to politics and participating in the political process more than ever before. Hammons didn’t just squeak by–he won every single district of the city, something unprecedented in a Muskogee mayoral race. His platform of having a more transparent government and keeping citizens better informed of city operations resonated with voters, who gave him 70-percent of the vote against former Mayor Hershel Ray McBride. On CNN this morning, Hammons said he wanted to build a network of young elected officials who could use each other as a support system. His story should inspire more young people to run for office and make a real difference in their communities.

Other posts by Adam

• Colorado May Have Election Day Problems - October 6th, 2008
• New FairVote Report Gives New Mexico Elections Mixed Review - September 8th, 2008
• New Study: Missouri May Experience Long Lines in November - August 28th, 2008
• NYTimes Features Upcoming FairVote Report - July 21st, 2008
• Declare Independence: Let Washington Vote! - July 1st, 2008
• The Farkakt Primary - May 22nd, 2008
• Boy Mayor in Muskogee - May 15th, 2008
• Pennsylvania Students Turn Out to Fight for Vote - May 12th, 2008
• Boss Tweed Justice - April 29th, 2008
• Are Caucuses Democratic? - April 21st, 2008