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ATLANTA (AP) — A 19-year-old candidate seeking a council seat in a newly formed city in Georgia is headed to a runoff election next month.
News outlets report that Mary-Pat Hector, a sophomore at Spelman College, finished second Tuesday to George Turner Jr. in a five-way race in Stonecrest in southeast DeKalb County.
Neither candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote, forcing the top two finishers into a runoff April 18.
During the campaign, Turner challenged Hector's eligibility because of her age. Georgia law requires candidates to be at least 21 years old unless a city charter specifically makes an exception.
The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections ruled Hector could run because the city's charter doesn't specifically mention an age restriction.
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This story has corrected the spelling of Spelman College.
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