Youngest Mayor Elected in Belleville

Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2026

by Elijah Weintraub

Belleville, N.J. has a new mayor - and he is already making history.

24-year old Frank Velez becomes the new mayor-elect of Belleville and the youngest mayor ever in the state of New Jersey.

Velez defeated outgoing mayor Michael Melham, who faced a ton of backlash following the massive warehouse fire back in early May of this year.

If there is anything to take away from Velez’s win, it's this: No matter how old you are, your dreams can come true, as long as you work hard and have the courage to continue to learn.

Velez will officially take office in July.

For further information reach out to Elijah Weintraub at elijah.weintraub@student.shu.edu 

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