Contested Alabama mayor-elect reaches proposed resolution to assume office, marking the town's first Black leadership.
Black local resident and firefighter, Patrick Braxton, is set to officially take on the mayoral role in Newbern following a court approval of the settlement – a historic first for the town, as it marks the first time a Black individual will hold this position in the town's 166-year history. Located approximately an hour away from Selma in Alabama and having a population of just 133 (as per the 2020 Census), Newbern has predominantly been under the control of the White majority city council up until now.
After being sworn in as mayor, Braxton reportedly faced restrictions on his access to the office from his former White counterpart, Haywood Stokes III, and the majority-White city council. These issues led to a lawsuit filed by Braxton, as well as four residents he intended to appoint to the new city council, along with the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, seeking to force the town to honor the election results.
Although there was a dispute as to who holds legal authority to serve as both the mayor and town council members, the parties involved have now agreed, according to a settlement signed on June 21, that Braxton is the lawful mayor of Newbern, with all the powers and duties that come with this position under Alabama state law. However, the settlement does not require the defendants to acknowledge any wrongdoing.
Attorney Leah Wong, who represented the plaintiffs in the case, described the settlement as positive as it enables the town to move forward. Commenting on the lengthy four-year struggle Braxton faced to execute his duties as mayor, Wong stated, "It's a shame that he had to fight for his right to actually carry out his responsibilities."
Under the settlement, Braxton has 14 days following the effective date to submit a list of residents he wishes the Alabama governor to appoint as town council members. If the governor fails to appoint individuals to fill these positions, Braxton is required to hold a special election on December 31, 2024. Together with his new council, Braxton will also handle the regularly scheduled elections set for 2025.
The settlement stipulates that the town will cover the attorney fees of the plaintiffs, and their finances will undergo independent auditing by an agreed-upon entity. Braxton expressed his motivation to challenge the status quo in his town by running for mayor, claiming that the needs of Newbern’s predominantly Black community were being neglected by the mayor and council, as previously reported by CNN.
The town has not held a mayoral election since at least 1965, following the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, according to the lawsuit, In Newbern, the voting age population is 64.3% Black and 34.8% White. The lawsuit also alleged that a secret meeting was held by the council, with the intention of preventing Braxton from appointing a majority-Black town council, and instead planning to conduct a special election.
At this meeting, the meeting date for the council was allegedly set by Stokes, and no notice of the special election was published. The only candidates for the October 6 special election were Stokes and former council members Gary Broussard, Jesse Donald Leverett, Voncille Brown Thomas, and Willie Richard Tucker, who won by default as they were the only candidates.
The locks on the town hall were reportedly changed to keep Braxton out, and he was denied access to the post office box used for official mail, as well as being refused entry to view the town accounts at a local bank.
According to the lawsuit, "Patrick Braxton accomplishes something no other Black resident of the City of Newbern has ever achieved since the city's founding in 1854: he was duly elected Mayor of the City. However, the minority White residents of the city refused to accept this outcome."
In their court filings, the defendants denied any conspiracy and claimed there was no racial discrimination, as reported by CNN.
This story has been contributed by CNN's Meridith Edwards and Rachel Clarke.
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After the settlement, Braxton can now collaborate closely with the US Department of Justice to ensure that his rights as the lawful mayor are respected. Despite the challenges faced, Braxton remains committed to addressing the needs of the US community in Newbern, aiming to uplift the town and bridge the historical divide.
