Justin Nickels

The new mayor of Manitowoc is a fresh face, a very fresh 22-year-old face.

From the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter:

Justin Nickels has “ambition and guts and passion” and “an unrivaled commitment to serve the public,” supporters are saying today — less than 24 hours after the 22-year-old was elected mayor of Manitowoc by a 15-vote margin.

Nickels, a grocery store cashier and college student, beat fellow Alderman Dave Soeldner, a 39-year-old civil engineer who holds a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to be the city’s 27th mayor. He replaces Kevin Crawford, who has served since 1989.

"Hard work pays off," Nickels said after receiving the news Tuesday evening. "The campaign is over. Now we need to focus on what's best for Manitowoc and move forward."

From Nickels' biography, on his website:

Born and raised in Manitowoc, Justin was first elected to the Manitowoc Common Council in April of 2005 defeating a 16 year incumbent in the Second Aldermanic District, representing the City’s northeast side. He was reelected to a second two-year term in April of 2007.

...In addition to his Council duties, Alderman Nickels works as a WIAA basketball referee, as well as at a local grocery, all while obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration. If elected, Justin plans to continue his education by finishing what little coursework he has left over the next three years with one class per semester.

...While attending the University of Wisconsin – Manitowoc, Alderman Nickels served as the Student Senate President for four semesters, where he regularly advocated for student rights and lobbied state and federal officials on behalf of the interests of the students of the UW System, and the UW System itself.

That's an impressive resume.

And as mayor, Nickels will come away with more executive experience than Barack Obama had when he was elected president.