18-Year Old Wins Seat On Alvin City Council

ALVIN, TX — An 18-year old college student made local history last weekend when he won aq run-off election for the Alvin City Council at-large seat and became one of the youngest people elected to public office in Texas.

Joel Castro, a student at nearby Alvin Community College, defeated John Burkey in the March 24 election, winning 282 of the votes to Burkey’s 229.

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Castro, who won with a combination of old fashioned door-knocking and block walking, and new-fangled social media blasts, drew voters with issues related to growth, infrastructure development, and beautification.

"Surrounding cities have had trouble with infrastructure and unexpected population growth,” Castro told the Houston Chronicle. “Our council is already allocating funds to improve water and sewage, but we also need to work on roads and services to accommodate the population to come. We need to get ready for it and not fall behind."

Castro said he was inspired to run by Mike Floyd, a then-18-year old who ran unsuccessfully for the Pearland ISD Board of Trustees in 2017.

Click here to read more about Castro’s run and subsequent victory.

Image: Shutterstock

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