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18-year-old becomes youngest elected official in Iberville Parish

Posted at 10:14 PM, Oct 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-19 12:47:26-04

Raheem Pierce was still in high school when he set the goal to run for the Iberville Parish Council. The 19-year-old won the race over three other candidates and he will be the parish's youngest elected official when he takes office in 2020.

According to The Advocate, Pierce's campaign was managed by his grandmother. Pierce garnered 60% of the vote in Saturday's election.

"Voters sent a clear message that they wanted a young voice, a fresh voice," he said in an interview Tuesday. "They wanted new blood in a seat representing them."

Pierce graduated from Plaquemines High School in May, and he had been mulling the idea over for awhile.

When he turned 18, he decided to go for it.

"I thought, 'Why wait?' If I can do it at 18, then I'm going to do it right now,' " Pierce said.

He will replace Councilwoman Courtney Lewis.

His plans once he is in office include securing grants to build a park in a local community, which he says "lacks recreation options."

Read more of Pierce's story here.