The sole woman on the Jackson Town Council, Vice Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson, has announced her candidacy for mayor. Her announcement comes at a time when the dearth of female representation both in local and state government is deeply pronounced. The local business owner and mother says she feels a duty to represent working families, especially given the lack of women voices in the local political sphere.
Morton Levinson, 34, represents not only the voice of women, she says, but another underrepresented group on the council: young people. In 2012, at the age of 26, she was first elected to the Jackson Town Council garnering the most votes of any candidate. Her fellow council members, meanwhile, range in age from their mid-40s to 60s.
She told KHOL more about why she’s running for mayor. Listen above.