BRADDOCK, Pa. — Braddock has a new mayor in town, and she’s far from your typical politician.
Chardae Jones is a 29-year-old Braddock native who is very involved in her community.
Braddock's previous mayor, John Fetterman, was elected lieutenant governor and had to vacate the seat.
Jones is a Carlow University graduate who had plans on becoming a successful writer. Little did she know, life wouldn’t quite work out that way.
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She went on to become a secretary, then a flight attendant. Now she's a business analyst and Braddock's newest mayor.
“The first thing my dad said when I dyed my hair purple recently is, he goes, 'You can't be mayor and have purple hair.' So the first thing I did is I called him last night and I'm like, 'Guess what? I'm mayor and I have purple hair," Jones said. "To be mayor, it's about the job and not necessarily what you look like, and I'm so excited for this young energetic energy going into politics.”
Jones credits her predecessor with paving the way and bringing a new energy to her city.
All she wants to do is keep that momentum going.
“So many that come from here, they grow up and then they leave to find something better, and I was like, 'We could help build something to make it better,'" Jones said.
Already active in her community and serving on several committees, Jones hopes Braddock can continue rebuilding and the community can be a part of helping with that vision.
"I need to stay here, because I want to leave it better than I found it," she said.
Jones gets to hold the position for at least a year, but she would have to officially run for office to keep the position, which is what she plans to do.