An American Tale: When Every Vote Counts

          The last couple of Presidential elections have proven that every vote counts. But so did one recent election in Hillsdale, Michigan when an 18-year-old, Michael Sessions, ran for Mayor and won.  Michael, who became the youngest Mayor in America, in charge of running a town with a $20 million budget, won his election by two, yes, just two votes--670 to 668.  An enterprising high school senior, Michael registered to vote the day after his eighteenth birthday.  But he wanted to do more than just vote; he wanted to run for office; and he wanted to win.  Michael was too late to be on the ballot, so he started his own write-in campaign for Mayor with $700 he earned from a summer job.  He campaigned energetically and won a key endorsement, the support of the town’s firefighters.  (Before endorsing his candidacy, the head of the group called one of his teachers to check on Michael’s 3.25 GPA!)
          His parents were very supportive except when his enthusiastic campaigning threatened to get the better of him. He spent so much time on the chilly streets knocking on doors, ignoring his mother's pleas for him to wear a coat, that he ended up in a hospital emergency room with bronchitis.  But by then his “big mo” had become unstoppable.  And who does he think gave him those two deciding votes?  “My parents, of course,” he said.  Yes, even in the family, every vote counts.

Comments

[James Kirk]

Here is the police report from his recent conviction:

http://hillsdale.net/stories/070907/news_foiareport.shtml