Teen mayor rules

By Kaishi Lee

After all, he’s only 19.

The mayor can, however, perform marriages, oversee the police department and break tie votes on the town council.

Make no mistake, though, Portman is just another American teenager, who fishes with his girlfriend’s dad, is a huge fan of Major League Baseball and lives with his parents and twin brothers.

He’s certainly known at Westminster College, where he’s majoring in broadcast communications and minoring in political science.

“Many students know who I am because of the media coverage but for the most part when I'm at college, I'm a college student.” Portman said.

“Some of my college friends are now used to the television cameras,” he said. “They usually say, ‘Well here are those cameras again. I bet they're here for Chris.’”  

Portman defeated 55-year-old Councilman Kenneth Vernon and John Kish, 19, in the Republican primary to win the $1,875-a-year, part-time mayoral post. He also won the Democratic nomination with a write-in vote.

“In the past, I saw that we recycled the same individuals and I felt it was time that a younger individual come in with a fresh new perceptive and create a new vision for our town.” Portman said.

Located in northwestern Pennsylvania, on the Ohio border, Mercer County is a small borough with 2,391 residents.

Portman ran a successful grassroots campaign, sending out letters into the community soliciting campaign donations.

“I got a wonderful response.” Portman said.

He raised about $2,000 which went into purchasing yard signs, flyers, buttons and pens.

“I went door to door meeting as many residents as possible, talking and sharing with them my goals and plans for the borough. I also stood outside polling places on Election Day handing out my flyers,” he said.

Portman said teens should play an active role in politics.

“We are the future of our nations,” he said. “So my feeling is why not start now and understand the government giving us a broader base for the future.”