Sessions wins fame, faces new challenges

If 18-year-old Michael Sessions was not shocked Tuesday when he was unofficially elected mayor of Hillsdale, he certainly must be shocked now.

Although the Hillsdale County Board of Canvassers has to review the ballots today to confirm that enough of the write-in ballots ensure his election, Sessions is already being recognized nationwide by the media—including CNN, the L.A. Times, USA Today and Good Morning America—as the youngest mayor in Hillsdale City’s history.

His apparent win against 51-year-old incumbent Doug Ingles is a fascinating political event in such a small community. In a Nov. 3 Collegian article, Sessions said he was “discouraged” by the lack of motivation he observed in Hillsdale’s city government.

But unlike most people his age in a town of limited opportunities, he decided to help his city rather than make plans to leave it.

He campaigned on issues important to Hillsdale residents, like encouraging Hillsdale’s economic growth, a major concern in a county that last August had an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent.

Community members have been attracted to Sessions’ enthusiasm and the possibility of a government shake-up. His ambition and his desire to hear residents’ concerns suggests that he can bring new life to Hillsdale’s government.

But when or if his election is confirmed, Sessions will face challenges. Will his fellow officials respect him? As his incumbent, Ingles, commented Tuesday, “How much credibility does an 18-year-old have?”

Sessions has said he does not expect to have the respect of Hillsdale City Council members right away, and he plans to cooperate with them and not boss them. But this does not guarantee that he will earn the respect of men two or three times his age.

Does he have the wisdom and prudence his position requires? The vote tally suggests many Hillsdale residents believe so.

We also wonder how Sessions will balance school with his mayoral responsibilities, especially if he attends Hillsdale College next fall, where he will have to manage even more demanding academics. He seems confident now that he can handle it, but next year might bring him a rude awakening.

Only time will tell if Sessions is game for the challenges ahead—but we admire him for his ambition and determination and his commitment to his community, and we are excited to see what his future has in store.