New Hercules mayor, 25-year-old Alex Walker-Griffin, embraces his local upbringing
HERCULES -- The City of Hercules has sworn in a new mayor, 25-year-old Alex Walker-Griffin who previously served as Vice Mayor. That's right, 25. But he's already been around politics for a few years, and he's very much a product of Hercules.
"Hercules is as about as hometown as you can get," said Alex Walker-Griffin, just ahead of his swearing-in. "Ohlone Elementary. Go Eagles. Hercules Middle School, so go Titans. Also, go Titans of Hercules High School. So this is a hometown."
For Walker-Griffin, Hercules has been one big part of his life. Another has been politics.
"13, I started working on my first campaign," he said. "From there, I just stayed engaged. My grandmother and my mom would really hone in on knowing who your elected officials were. So I would start going to Council meetings when I was 17 to voice my concerns."
Now just halfway into his 20s, he has become the mayor of the town he grew up in. He says it's proof that young people are increasingly involved in politics, and he attributes his success to trying to be a new kind of politician.
"I think one way that I have been able to differentiate myself from how many elected officials operate is on my business card," Walker-Griffin said of his approach. 'I have my cell phone number. It's the same number I've had since I was 11 years old. I told people you can text or call, it really does not matter. I do not mind it one bit cause I want people to know their elected officials are there for them. "
That means being there for a city he clearly likes to brag about; the majority-minority bedroom community nestled on San Francisco Bay.
"Just about all the businesses on this row are majority minority-owned," he said of Hercules. "It's just an awesome place to be, and an awesome place to grow up. You see the community here every single day. It's just an inspiring city all around, so I do take a lot of pride in living here.."
Walker-Griffin was always interested in politics but wasn't sure he wanted to be a politician.
"I told myself I was going to be a professional skateboarder," he laughed.
"It doesn't even feel real," he added. "I woke up this morning and I threw my AirPods on and started walking my dogs, just thinking to myself, holy cow."