You are never too young or too old for success or going after what you want.

Perfect examples are 19-year-old Nathan Gerace, who won the Republican nomination for mayor of Tamaqua, and 90-year-old Edith Lukasevich, who won one of four Democratic nominations for Jim Thorpe Borough Council.

Gerace beat out two others in winning the GOP primary. He also earned a spot on the Democratic ballot with 53 write-ins, meaning that he is likely to take over the mayoral job at the start of 2018.

Gerace says he hopes to be an inspiration for those who have dreams but are told that they can't accomplish them. He thanks his parents and grandfather for their support in urging him to "go for it" when he first considered a run for office.

The common thread between Gerace and Lukasevich is their love of community and their insistence that age should never be a deterrent for pursuing goals. "I decided to run for mayor because I truly love Tamaqua, and I believe that I bring a fresh perspective that will help the town thrive," Gerace said.

Lukasevich, who served on borough council between 1995 and 2002, said she decided to run again because borough council is at a standstill. "They need someone to get it back on track," she said, implying, of course, that she is that person.

She placed third in a five-person race for four seats in the Democratic primary. She also received 19 write-ins to win a spot on the Republican ballot in the fall, virtually assuring her election. There were no Republican candidates.

As most boroughs its size, Tamaqua (population of about 6,900) has a weak mayor form of government. As such, the mayor does not vote on proposed ordinances except when a tie occurs among members of the borough council.

The mayor does have veto power over council-approved ordinances. Council can override the veto with at least a two-thirds vote. Aside from ceremonial duties, such as being the borough's representative at business openings and similar functions, the mayor is in charge of the police department. Gerace says he has not met with the police chief yet since Mayor Christian Morrison, a Democrat who did not seek re-election, will be on the job until the start of 2018. Gerace said he hopes to do some ride-alongs to experience firsthand what happens on patrols.

Despite their age difference, Gerace and Lukasevich have young ideas. "I want to ensure that young people who love Tamaqua but feel they can't come back after trade school or college have the opportunity to come back to a safe and thriving town," said Gerace, who is enrolled at Lehigh Carbon Community College's Morgan campus starting in the fall.

"I am young mentally; I am not old-fashioned," Lukasevich said. "I don't knit, crochet or play cards; you've got to get involved and live today as if it were your last."

Unlike Gerace, who is a political novice, Lukasevich has been in the trenches of local Democratic politics for decades. She became interested in politics, she said, when, at the age of 5, she went door-to-door in Mauch Chunk during the 1932 presidential election on behalf of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Lukasevich admitted that some of her friends asked her whether she was out of her mind in pursuing a council seat at her age. "I told them that, regardless of age, you need to get involved," she said. Two sons were behind her "100 percent," she said, but her daughters were harder to convince, because they were concerned about the stress and what the disappointment might mean if she lost. She said she has broad shoulders and is in excellent health. In fact, her family doctor called to congratulate her and wish her well.

Gerace is among the youngest and Lukasevich is among the oldest people seeking elective office in the nation. Most states allow residents who are at least 18 to run for local public office. There is no upper age limit.

At age 70, Donald Trump is the oldest person to be elected president; Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, 88, is the oldest member of Congress. A Pennsylvania legislator must be at least 21 to serve in the House and at least 25 to serve in the Senate; the governor must be at least 30. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives must be at least 25; a U.S. senator, at least 30; and the president, at least 35. Gerace jokingly said that he has his eye on the 2036 presidential election, when he will be age-eligible. As for Lukasevich, she says it is "one and done." She would be nearly 95 when she completes a four-year term.

One of the youngest Pennsylvania legislators ever elected is Keith McCall of Summit Hill, who won a state House seat in 1982 at age 22 and went on to become the only Speaker of the House in Carbon County history.

Youth can be a boon or a bane. Gerace projected his youth as embodying freshness and change, but opponents will often try to make a campaign issue out of youth, attempting to equate it with ignorance and inexperience.

Likewise for those at the opposite end of the spectrum; some critics say age can have an impact on elderly candidates, who may have diminished mental and physical capacities.

We congratulate both candidates, who have proved that age should never be a factor in stereotyping what a person is capable of doing.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com