20-Year-Old College Student Just Became Mayor of Her Town After Making ‘Last-Minute Decision’ to Run

A 20-year-old college student in Iowa was just sworn in as mayor of her town.

Eva Fipps of Henderon, a 144-person town in Mills County, won the local Nov. 4, 2025 election with 62% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

The college student, who plans to go to law school one day, admitted that the idea to run “was kinda like a last-minute decision” while speaking to local news outlet KMTV 3.

Fipps said the notion to run for office came from a friend, City Hall clerk Candance Knop, who suggested she run one day when Fipps stopped by the office for a visit.

“We need fresh blood,” Knop explained of the suggestion while speaking to KMTV 3.

Fipps said she has always had an interest in public service. She served as a page in the Iowa House of Representatives and was also part of the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State program, according to the outlet.

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“There was people [along the way] who inspired me and I kinda hoped that I’d be able to inspire others,” she said, adding that she “would love nothing more” than to see Henderson “flourish again.” 

Fipps will officially join two other college-aged elected officials in Mills County: 19-year-old county supervisor Jack Sayers and 21-year-old Silver City mayor Joseph Jaworski, according to KMTV 3 and KCCI 8.

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While Fipps is young for the role, she’s not the only American woman to be elected mayor in her early 20s. In 2024, Brooke Huckaby was sworn in as mayor of Arabi, a small town in Georgia with a population of about 500 people.

Huckaby was also a college student when she was elected, and worked part-time for her state’s Department of Agriculture.