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19 year-old gamer becomes mayor of Oklahoma town Teen goes from zoning out to zoning laws
Like any red-blooded American teenager, John Tyler Hammons digs rock music, fast cars, video games and...fiscal planning?
Apparently so. The AP reports that the University of Oklahoma freshman trounced 70 year-old Hershel McBride to become the mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma, making it the first city in the nation to be governed by a self-admitted gamer.
But while he could own any of his peers at Halo 3, the fresh-faced leader is turning his sights on cleaning up the town's politics by establishing an independent ethics commission and locking down campaign finance reporting.
"I'm sure the (city) council will work with me on these issues," he said. "I campaigned on this, and this is something I intend to push."
Tired of the same old political shenanigans, the townsfolk are backing their new man.
"He doesn't have the baggage. He doesn't owe anybody anything," said cafe owner Gary Armstrong. "It's sort of a fresh start for Muskogee."
Best known as the subject of country legend Merle Haggard's 1969 hit "Okie from Muskogee," the unassuming city of 38,000 is considered the archetype of virtuous, small town America, a "place where even squares can have a ball."
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