Alex Morse on Tuesday was elected mayor
of Holyoke, Massachusetts, making the 22-year-old the nation's
youngest gay mayor.
While attending Brown University, Morse
worked three years for Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline when he was
mayor of Providence.
“Alex Morse, my mentee, elected
tonight as Mayor of Holyoke, Ma.” Cicilline tweeted. “Congrats,
Alex! A visionary, committed, new young leader for his city.”
Holyoke, a city of nearly 40,000
residents, is considered part of the greater Springfield metropolitan
area.
Morse enjoyed the endorsement of the
Lesbian & Gay Victory Fund, a bipartisan group devoted to
electing openly gay candidates.
“Alex is a force of nature, and proof
that young LGBT Americans are determined to live authentic lives as
they build their careers,” said Chuck Wolfe, president of the
Victory Fund. “We're incredibly proud of the campaign he ran.”
“This is an incredible moment, not
just for the campaign, but for the city of Holyoke,” Morse told
supporters in his Tuesday victory speech. “This campaign has been
an incredible journey, and this is just the beginning.”
“We need to make sure that no matter
when, no matter where we live, no matter what language we speak, no
matter what we look like – we are always proud to call Holyoke
home,” he added.