John Tyler Hammons 19 years old freshman at the University of Oklahoma has been elected mayor on Tuesday of Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States. John Tyler Hammons won with 70 percent of the vote over former Mayor Hershel Ray McBride. Hammons said, “The public placing their trust in me is the greatest, humbling & most awesome experience I’ve ever had in my life”.

The two candidates squared off in a runoff election for the nonpartisan post after neither secured 50 percent of the vote in a six-person election April 1. Hammons, who will be sworn in next week, said that he plans to continue his college education but expects to transfer to a school closer to Muskogee.

Hammons said, “Being elected does not change my desire to continue my education. We will schedule our time in an appropriate fashion so that I can be mayor & stay in school”. Hammons said a key to his platform that resonated with voters was openness of government & keeping citizens better informed of city operations. “I think that’s been a detriment to the trust of the citizens of Muskogee,” he said. “Once we have that trust, we can solve any other problem”.