Political Science Alumnus on a Mission to Meet Every Mayor in His State

by Diamond Nunnally

Mitchell Whitley ‘21 is on a mission to meet every mayor in his home state of North Carolina. Since starting this project two years ago, he’s visited 236 out of 521 cities to show lawmakers and townspeople that their voices matter.

“Visiting every city and town is important in helping people feel heard regardless of their background or where they’re from,” Whitley said.

During his time at Samford and after graduating with a political science degree, Whitley worked for campaigns, federal and state legislators and even the U.S. Secretary of Labor in Washington, D.C. Through these experiences, he discovered small towns weren’t being prioritized on the campaign trail. This revelation concerned Whitley and made him want to take action. That’s when he came up with the Mitchell’s Mayors project.

“It’s really important, especially for our small and rural communities, to feel like they have a voice and that somebody’s on the road learning from them,” Whitley said. “And it’s meant a lot to the smalltown mayors when I’ve shown up. They’ve been surprised by how young I am.”

At just 22 years old, Mitchell sent an email to every mayor in the state. The response was slow at first. Many mayors had never been approached by an outside person asking to hear their personal story and tour their community. But, when they spoke to Whitley, they realized he genuinely cared and wanted to know more about their town.

Many people his age might be intimidated to take on a project this size, but not Whitley. Having been a member of student government and a political science major, he said Samford made him a better leader and speaker.

“I had a lot of great opportunities, especially in SGA, sitting down and meeting people from different organizations around campus, being able to hear their perspectives and what was important to them,” Whitley said. “Before that, I was deathly scared to speak in front of people. Now, I have many opportunities to speak in front of Rotary Clubs in the coming months across North Carolina to talk about my mayors project.”

Whitley has learned a lot from these experiences, including pressing issues. From infrastructure problems to finding more affordable housing, he plans to compile his findings in a book to raise awareness and encourage lawmakers to act.

Rather than being labeled as a politician, Whitley hopes to become a statesman. He wants to advocate for North Carolinians, regardless of political affiliation or background. “I’d love to lead our state and make a positive difference for every North Carolinian,” he said. “Not just one side or the other.” ◗

Learn more about Whitley’s travels across the state at mitchellsmayors.com.