Albany State student youngest to run for Camilla’s City Council

CAMILLA – Jeremiah Florence turned 18  at the end of July – just in time to qualify for the upcoming Camilla City Council District 2 race a few weeks later. 

The Albany State University criminal justice sophomore has aspired to be a government leader since high school and said he believes there’s no better place to start than his hometown’s local government. By entering the race, he became the youngest person ever to run for a city council seat in Camilla. 

He’s running for a District 2 seat against an incumbent that’s held the position for 20-plus years.

“I believe District Two needs new representation,” Florence said. “With me being young, I feel like I bring fresh ideas. We need more younger people stepping up to the plate.” 

Florence is a Camilla native, tracing his family history in the city back several generations. He’s the first in his family to run for a local government position. He graduated from Mitchell County High School in 2025 and is continuing his education at ASU.  

Florence said he’s spent the last month knocking on doors to reach the older generation in Camilla and using social media to reach younger voters. He said he believes his running will increase voter turnout among younger generations. 

Florence has already impressed older voters, as he said many of the people he speaks to said they haven’t seen boots-on-the-ground campaigning for years. Still, he has to convince them that despite his age, he has the experience required to serve Camilla’s voters. 

Florence has been invested in Camilla’s local government since his freshman year of high school, serving on Camilla’s Youth Council for four years, as “mayor” for two. As a Youth Council member, Florence got first-hand experiences in the day-to-day operations of local government. He used that opportunity to actually work with Camilla’s City Council to aid them in youth engagement efforts. 

The Youth Council follows the same structure as Camilla’s City Council, hosting meetings and voting on various items of interest. Through the Youth Council, Florence was able to bring youth-focused events to Camilla like holiday activities or awareness campaigns. He worked with youth ambassadors across the state, traveling to Atlanta to gain leadership experience. 

He’s a strong advocate for youth and a persuasive leader. During his freshman year of high school, he convinced his school’s administration to bring back the band program, securing thousands in funding for new instruments and other equipment 

“I think these things have really helped me to see, OK, I could make this transition from Youth Council to actual City Council,” Florence said. 

He’s running for a city council seat at a time when Camilla’s local government faces instability and division. The city’s mayor was suspended by an executive order from Gov. Brian Kemp in July. 

However, Florence said his priority as a councilman would be to stay focused on moving goals forward. 

“I’m passionate about serving the entire community,” he said. “I’d make sure we’re staying focused and we’re here for all of the citizens, not just some.” 

Florence said his platform is made up of several key issues, including infrastructure, small business support, senior care and youth empowerment. 

The candidate said he’d like to see smoother, more lighted streets across Camilla, but especially in District 2. 

He said he wants to host events and opportunities for local small businesses. He has ideas for weekend markets to highlight these local entrepreneurs. He said his hope is that outside industries see this support and feel drawn to Camilla as well. 

“I really want to see what we can do as a city that would make industries or companies say, ‘Hey, I would like to bring my business to Camilla’ and work with all the parties necessary,” Florence said. 

The young candidate said he wouldn’t forget about his community’s senior residents, continuing to find ways to better support them. 

But top of mind for Florence is youth engagement and empowerment. He said opportunities for younger people have been lacking in Camilla, and he believes he can be the voice to bridge the gap and address the needs of the city’s youth. 

“The next generation – we are the future,” he said. “If we don’t start showing up for them now, we’ll be in a situation where all the elders are gone, and then it’s like, what do we do  now?”

He said he’d like to continue expanding the Youth Council and increase opportunities for mentorships or showcases that highlight young entrepreneurs. 

“We have a lot of young business owners and entrepreneurs,” Florence said. “If we can have specific programs for them … it kind of gives them that first-hand knowledge and experience.” 

He said he wants to be an inspiration for other youths to run for leadership positions and serve their hometowns. 

“Most people of my generation aren’t like ‘I want to run for city council’ or ‘I want to help my community,’” Florence said. “They want to get far away from it and never come back. But I made that decision just four months after graduation. I’m not going to just up and leave my community. I’m going to help my community in whatever way I can.”