Newbern, Alabama’s First Black Mayor Secures Landslide Victory After Legal Battle
Patrick Braxton, Locked Out of Office in 2020, Officially Wins Mayoral Election in Landmark Victory
Newbern, a town in Alabama of just 133 residents, has overwhelmingly elected its first Black mayor, Patrick Braxton. The victory is the culmination of a four-year legal and political battle that drew national attention after white residents had locked Braxton out of the town hall and refused to let him serve his initial term.
In an election held on Tuesday, a court-ordered first in six decades, Braxton secured a decisive win with 66 votes to his opponent’s 26. This victory puts a definitive end to a long-standing dispute over who controls the town’s government, a system that had operated without elections for generations.
A History of “Hand-Me-Down” Governance
Newbern, located about 40 miles west of Selma, a historic center of the Civil Rights Movement, has a population that is two-thirds Black. Yet, for over sixty years, its government has been overwhelmingly white. This was due to an unusual system where the mayor and town council members were not elected by residents. Instead, they held “hand-me-down” positions, with each outgoing mayor appointing their successor, who in turn appointed the town council.
This system, which was the subject of a lawsuit filed by Braxton and other Black residents, effectively locked Black voters out of the political process. When Braxton, a volunteer firefighter, ran unopposed for mayor in 2020, he legally became the mayor-elect. Following the town’s tradition, he appointed a new town council.
But his attempt to take office was met with resistance. The locks on the town hall were changed, and he was denied access to financial accounts. The lawsuit alleged that outgoing officials held a secret meeting to set up a special election and fraudulently reappointed themselves, effectively blocking Braxton’s rightful claim to the mayor’s seat.
Braxton was only able to officially occupy the mayor’s office for about a year out of his five-year term, following a three-year legal battle.
A Court-Ordered Election and a Clear Message
The dispute reached a resolution in court, with one of the main terms requiring the town to hold a mayoral election under judicial order. The election on Tuesday was the first for the small town in at least six decades, providing an opportunity for Newbern’s residents to finally choose their leaders.
Braxton faced one challenger, Laird Cole, a white auctioneer and Realtor. The landslide results, with Braxton winning more than two-thirds of the votes, sent an unmistakable message. Madison Hollon of the SPLC Action Fund, which endorsed Braxton, stated that the election “represents a turning point for Newbern, restoring democratic governance, ensuring fair representation, and reaffirming that every resident has a voice in their local government.”
The SPLC, or Southern Poverty Law Center, is a prominent civil rights organization that has long been involved in voting rights litigation across the South. Their support for Braxton’s case underscores the broader implications of this local dispute, placing it within the larger context of ongoing struggles for fair and equal representation.
Looking to the Future
With his lopsided victory, Mayor Braxton can now move forward with a clear mandate from the people of Newbern. The election has not only secured his position but has also legitimized the democratic process in a town that had gone without it for far too long. The absence of elections and the history of appointed leadership had created a system where a minority of residents held power, a situation common in various forms in some other small towns across the country.
Braxton’s win is not just a personal triumph; it is a victory for voting rights and democratic principles. It proves that even in the smallest of towns, the will of the people can prevail over historical barriers and institutional resistance. For Newbern, the election on Tuesday was more than just a vote for a mayor—it was a vote for a new beginning, one that promises to be more inclusive and representative of its diverse community.
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