Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,233. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government. On November 8, 2005, 18-year-old high school student Michael Sessions, was elected mayor as a write-in candidate, defeating 51-year old incumbent Doug Ingles, and at the time of his election believed to be the youngest mayor in the United States. The city is the home of Hillsdale College, a private liberal arts college noted for its academics and its influence in politics and education. The city is situated mostly within Hillsdale Township, but is a municipality governed independently of the township. Nearby communities include: Allen, Bankers, Cambria, Camden, Frontier, Jerome, Jonesville, Litchfield, Montgomery, Moscow, Mosherville, North Adams, Osseo, Pittsford, Prattville, Ransom, Reading, and Waldron.