Harrisburg and York, Pa. - Last November, the nation made history by electing its first black president. Tuesday night, two midstate cities followed suit. The future leaders of Harrisburg and York are African-American.

Kim Bracey was just a youngster in 1969 when racial violence erupted in the city she's now planning to lead - a city that's come a long way.

"I'm glad to be a part of history, i'm looking forward to making history and moving York forward as well too as the first African-American mayor of the city," said Democrat Kim Bracey, York's mayor-elect.

Voters are embracing the milestone.

"I think it will be a good thing for the city," said Mylea Thompson of York.

Meanwhile, Harrisburg will have a new chief executive for the first time in 28 years. It's Democrat Linda Thompson, the capital city's first African-American mayor. She's also the first woman elected to that office.

"This would be some incentive for us women to think stronger and to believe in ourselves," said Sharon Turner of Harrisburg.

Thompson's accomplishment reminds Stan Lawson of when he broke the racial barrier. In the late '60s, he became Harrisburg's first African-American city councilman. Today, Lawson is president of the NAACP (web | news) Harrisburg Chapter.

"It will make me feel proud when people look at you by the quality of your life and judge you on that and not the color of your skin, I'll be happy," Lawson said. "It hasn't gotten there yet."

Some voters insist the mayoral races weren't about race at all.

"Race isn't an issue and it shouldn't be. I'm certainly not looking at it like that. The most qualified person should be in there as mayor," said Cindy Harman of York.

A woman was elected as the mayor of York once before - Elizabeth Marshall, who was 91 years old when she was voted into office in 1978.

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