Mayor Jaylen Smith is the Mayor of Earle, Arkansas. This happened after the November 2022 election. At the time of his victory, he was only 18 years old, making him one of the youngest mayors in the United States and the youngest Black mayor. Mayor Smith has lived in Earle, Arkansas his whole life with the goal of making the city a better place for everyone to live in.
Before becoming Mayor of Earle, Arkansas, Mayor Smith was President of Earle High School’s student government. This led him to get involved not only with his high school but also in his community. However, Mayor Smith was interested in becoming a mayor even before high school. After high school, instead of leaving Earle, he chose to stay and make an impact on the city. Mayor Smith ran on issues that were personal to him such as Public Safety as well as building new houses, improving transportation, and getting a grocery store. He won in November of 2022 defeating his opponent, Nemi Matthews Sr., who was the city’s street and sanitation superintendent. When his family found out he was going to be Mayor of the city, his family where excited for him. He was sworn into office on January 3rd, 2023. Mayor Smith credits his family and faith for shaping him into the person he is today. While he is Mayor, he also takes online classes at Arkansas State University Mid-South.
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