Schoolkid becomes mayor

2005-11-22 15:02

Michigan - Michael Sessions began talking about running for mayor when he was a sophomore in high school. He realised that dream before he got his diploma.

Sessions, an 18-year-old senior, became the Hillsdale's youngest mayor on Monday when he took the oath of office.

The crowd included city residents, photographers and dozens of video cameras - some from news agencies as far away as Russia and Japan.

"The first couple of days are going to be rough, I think, on me. I've just got to get acquainted with the job," said Sessions earlier on Monday as he took reporters on a tour of the city, which has a population of 8 200 and is about 160km southwest of Detroit.

"My confidence is gaining a lot each day."

Sessions beat Mayor Doug Ingles, 51, by two votes in the November 8 election even though voters had to write his name on the ballot paper before they could vote for him.

Sessions, who used $700 (about R4 800) from a summer job to fund his race, already has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to read a top 10 list titled "good things about being an 18-year-old mayor."

- AP