Christopher Portman planned to celebrate his inauguration as Mercer's first teen-age mayor with dinner at his parent's house -- followed by watching his girlfriend cheer at a Mercer Area High School basketball game.

But Portman's youth -- he's 19 -- was cause for celebration, not sniggering, among the 50-plus family, friends and dignitaries who attended his swearing-in Wednesday at the Mercer County Courthouse.

That crowd was swelled by a knot of reporters and cameramen, drawn to the story of a teen-age mayor. Portman's swearing-in was mentioned in network news broadcasts and national wire reports.

Mercer's "old guard" was delighted with Portman's story.

"I'm so thrilled that Chris ran, and he's a wonderful person -- a good young man from a wonderful family," said 78-year-old John G. "Jerry" Johnson, the outgoing mayor. Johnson, who won a seat on Mercer council in November, held the Bible for Portman's swearing in.

"No, no, no, no, he's not too young. I think he'll be able to work with younger people," Johnson said.

"I'm thrilled and ready to take on this job," Portman said.

"It was a difficult campaign because I was up against a former councilman, who was a very, very formidable candidate."

Portman ran unopposed in November after winning a three-way race in the Republican Primary in May. He defeated Kenneth R. "Ross" Vernon, former council president, and John J. Kish, a 19-year-old Youngstown State University student.

Portman said he thought old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning gave him the edge.

Portman is a freshman at Westminster College in New Wilmington. He'll earn $1,875 a year as mayor.

Mercer's government is strong council-weak mayor, although Portman will be able to break ties and he oversees the police force of a half-dozen officers.

The Republican spelled out two immediate goals: kick-starting the Mercer Foundation, a private group he hopes to form to raise community revitalization money, and fine-tuning zoning to "maintain the Victorian setting of the community."

"I look at this position as being more the goodwill ambassador of this town," said Portman, who is majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in political science.

Portman's girlfriend, high-school senior Kimberly Lange, 17, worked the crowd after Wednesday's ceremony.

"It feels great. I'm very proud of him," Lange said. "I met him when I moved to the school a year ago in December. He told me the idea about him being mayor, but at first I was quite shocked.

But now she's convinced he's up to the task.

"He's very conservative. I don't know how to explain it ... he's older. He's very mature," Lange said. "He feels like the mayor to me."