teen mary-pat hector becomes youngest eligible woman to run for office in georgia #blackgirlmagic

After winning the legal battle last week to allow her to compete in a local city council race, 19-years-old Mary-Pat Hector became the youngest eligible woman to run for public office in the state of Georgia. Typically, Georgia state law mandates that a candidate be at least 21-years-old to seek office unless city law specifies something different. In this case, The DeKalb county board of elections ruled in favor of the Stonecrest City Charter, which states that a candidate must over the voting age. Hector, a Spelman College student and youth coordinator with the National Action Network, and her bid were challenged by opponent George Turner, who claimed Hector was too young. “Young people are starting to really understand and see that they can truly be a part of the political system and they can truly run for office,” Hector told CBS 46.

*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.