College age gamer elected mayor of Muskogee, OK

May 29, 2008

The Internet (TNR) - Earlier this month, 19 year old video gamer John Tyler Hammons was elected mayor of the town of Muskogee, Oklahoma, a large town of approximately 38,000 residents.

The Nerd Report does not have a correspondent in the area, so it has been unable to secure interviews. The Associated Press reports that his first priorities as mayor are to establish tougher campaign finance reporting rules and an independent ethics commission.

A registered Republican, Hammons served as president of both the Young Republicans and Young Democrats while in high school. His position as mayor makes him the youngest at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention from Oklahoma.

However, Hammons has pledged to leave politics at the door to City Hall, focusing on the needs of the city in his duties.

AP reports that Hammons has ambitions to run for governor of Oklahoma in the future, and if successful in that, to consider seeking the Presidency. There is no word on his position regarding the role of government in gaming, but TNR finds it safe to conclude that he would not be as restrictive as some current-day candidates for high office.