Black man who says he was elected mayor of Alabama town alleges that White leaders are keeping him from position

Frustrating that a public election is overturned by a private election.

Election interference?

Alabama town that hasn’t held elections in decades sued to allow voting​

The town of Newbern saw white officials deny its first Black mayor, Patrick Braxton, from exercising his duties for three years

Braxton assumed office by default in 2020 when he filed for office and no one else, including the incumbent, did the same. Previous Newbern mayors had also been appointed or ran unopposed, with several of the officers serving in the position for more than 10 years. Many residents did not know they were allowed to have elections.

The LDF lawsuit builds on a previous one filed last year, which alleged that white officials had manipulated the political process for years to maintain their power in the majority Black town. The defendants, listed as former mayor Haywood “Woody” Stokes III and his town council, held a secret, special election, preventing Braxton from appointing his town council. During their special election, the previous town council re-elected themselves, and ultimately reappointed the previous town mayor.