Siler City Teen Seeks Historic Run For Mayor

Jonus Nobles has an appetite for success. But before envisioning himself in the White House, the Siler City teenager -- a bagger at a local grocery store -- is testing the mayor's office first.

Dreams, like groceries, sometimes get stuffed in a bag and carted away. Nobles has a dream, a big dream, and he is not about to bag it.

"My dream?" he said. "I'd like to see just changes."

Nobles is running for mayor of Siler City.

"If you're not involved," he said, "people don't think you care, and I do care."

Charles Turner is the current mayor of Siler City.

"Oh, the town is a wonderful town," Turner said. "It is one of the best places a man can live."

Turner, at 68, is almost 50 years older than Nobles.

"Well, I wouldn't want to get age in there," Turner said. "He might have an advantage over a fellow like me that's 68 years old."

Said Nobles: "I want to see Siler City prosper, and I think it takes the youth to do that."

Turner said he likes Nobles' passion.

"If he's 19 years old and has that big dream, he can carry that forward, and there's nothing in the world that won't stand in his way in the United States of America if he wants to do that," Turner said. "He might wind up a Congressman one day."

Nobles said: "I think I could be elected. I think I'd make a good mayor."

Nobles not only faces a formidable candidate, he is also up against the North Carolina Constitution. It requires all candidates to be at least 21 years old. The town is deciding whether to let Nobles run, anyway.

Turner said let him run.

"If he can be drafted into the armed forces, go overseas and fight for me," Turner said, "I think he ought to be able to do what he wants to do."

The Chatham County Board of Elections meets Aug. 1 to qualify the candidates. It will decide then whether Nobles can run for mayor.

Not only does he want to run, but Nobles believes he can win.

"I feel that I have a good chance if I'm allowed to run for mayor," he said, "that I'll have a good chance for running and winning."

Wouldn't it be the perfect ending? The bagger who becomes mayor, the boy at the market who becomes head of the town.

Welcome to Jonus Nobles' dream.