A&M-Commerce Alum Elected Mayor of Northeast Texas City

Recent Texas A&M University-Commerce graduate Justin Florence was elected to the office of Mayor of Palestine, Texas in a special runoff election held June 18, 2022. Florence received 56.22 percent of the vote during the runoff and will serve a two-year term. He graduated from A&M-Commerce in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership. A 1995 graduate of Palestine High School, Florence is a lifelong resident of the city, and has served as a paramedic for more than 20 years, in addition to serving as a health science teacher at Palestine High School since 2016. Florence began his campaign for Mayor after being first elected to the City Council in 2021. Palestine is the county seat of Anderson County and is home to more than 18,000 people. The election results will be officially canvassed on June 27.