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Politics & Government

Village President Won't Seek Second Term

At 23, Alex Torpey became the youngest person to lead South Orange's local government.

The youngest Village President in South Orange history, Alex Torpey, announced Friday he will not seek re-election when his term is up next May.

Torpey, 26, tweeted his decision Friday morning in a message linking to a blog on his website. 

"Although I plan to continue to be involved in South Orange in every way I can after my term ends next year, I believe it also will finally be time to focus a little more on myself, my growing business and my evolving passions," Torpey states.

At 23, Torpey became the youngest village president, equivalent to the position of mayor, in South Orange history with less than a 15-vote margin. At the time of his swearing in, he was the youngest mayor in all of New Jersey. 

Torpey was raised in Maplewood and South Orange and graduated from Columbia High School in 2005. He ran for office about a year after graduating Hampshire College, where he served as student government president, an experience he has said prepared him for public office.

In Friday's blog, Torpey lists balancing budgets, delivering low tax increases, reducing crime and modernizing police equipment among his accomplishments during his first three years in office.

Read the full announcement.



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