NEWBERN, Ala. — On a quiet, sunny morning, Gabrielle Cook and her 20-year-old son Mark Cabil walked into their town hall to cast their ballots in an election that will decide the future of their rural Alabama town.
For the first time in Newbern’s history, the citizens of this majority-Black town will get to participate directly in the democratic process.
Cook and the 177 other registered voters will choose between incumbent Mayor Patrick Braxton, who is Black, or Laird Cole, a white man who is a real estate agent and auctioneer. The second race on the ballot is for council seat 1 between two Black women, Patricia A. Jackson and Voncille Brown Thomas. Brown Thomas was the only Black woman who served on the majority-white council prior to Braxton’s election in 2020.
Cook grew up seeing her mom, a Newbern resident, vote in elections in neighboring Perry County. Newbern is in Hale County. Cook has never known or seen any mayor in her hometown prior to 2020.
Five years ago, Braxton, a volunteer firefighter, won the election after being the only person to file his statement of candidacy and statement of economic interest.
Yet, he never got to serve until last year. After he won in 2020, he says he was harassed and faced intimidation by the former, majority-white Town Council. He finally got to serve as a result of a settlement reached in federal court in July 2024.
Read More: After Years of Litigation, First Black Mayor in Rural Alabama Town Gets to Serve
Cook, a mother of seven, said she knew she had to get out and vote because finally, “we have a voice in who becomes mayor.”
Cook and her son Cabil said they cast their vote for Braxton. Not only have they known him for years, but they say he’s working to do good things for the community.
“Newbern hasn’t really had a mayor in a long time … so it feels good to have something happening here, to have somebody that can actually lead us in a good direction,” Cabil said. He hopes through Braxton’s leadership, if he gets reelected, the town will “get more stores and maybe even renew our park for the kids. Maybe we could even get a police department here, because right now we only get sheriffs and state troopers who rarely come down.”
No matter who wins, this is an era where “monarchy ends” and that marks the beginning of a new chapter for the town, said the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors in a statement.
“This transformation is a testament to the enduring power of hope, perseverance, and collective action,” the statement read. “As we gather here, let us remember that the right to vote is both a privilege and a duty. May this day stand as a beacon of hope, not only for Newbern but for communities everywhere that strive for freedom, fairness, and democracy.”
“What the people want”
Patrick Braxton filerd a federal civil rights lawsuit that accused Newbern, Alabama, officials of conspiring to deny his civil rights and his position because of his race. (Dev Allen/Capital B)
After leaving the town hall, Cook dropped off a family member, Byron Cook, 41, to cast his vote in the election. For him, the responsibility has never felt more important, after “how they did Patrick” a few years ago, he said.
After Braxton was sworn in as the Newbern’s first Black mayor, council members, which included Brown Thomas, locked him out of the town hall and reappointed themselves to their positions after ordering a special election that no one knew about, according to court documents. He filed a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing town officials of conspiring to deny his civil rights and his position because of his race.
Read More: Newbern’s First Black Mayor Won in the Courts, but the Fight Is Far From Over
Now, Braxton is ready to hear from the people and not the courts and hopes to serve a full term this time, if he’s elected.
“I’ll know the people put me there this time, not the court,” he told Capital B. “That’s the main thing the people — what the people want.”
With Braxton only serving one year, Byron Cook said he wanted to give him a chance to show what he can really do for the community.
“He’s someone who has always been around, very grassroots, talking to everybody, checking on people, making sure they’re OK. When you find people like that in life, you want to do something to show that you appreciate them,” Byron Cook said. “I would love to see the community come together like he’s always done. He’s been bringing people together long before he became mayor, and now is the chance to really do that.”
On Tuesday, Braxton sat across the street from the town hall in his straw hat, campaign T-shirt and blue jeans. He doesn’t have any campaign signs. He’s calm and quiet in between taking phone calls, waving as people drive by or stopping to make conversation after they leave the polls.
Over the past few months, Braxton had knocked on doors, made speeches at church, and placed a few campaign signs in the yards. He’s shared the progress he and his council Braxton have made.
They partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to bring a mobile grocery truck to the town, which does not have a grocery store. The only store in town, the Mercantile, closed in 2024. This effort with EJI helped bring fresh produce and groceries to dozens of residents at discounted prices.
Under the Braxton administration, the council has also started working with the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and a host of other universities and organizations to design a modern sewer system to address the town’s decades-long wastewater and sanitation issues.
This has caused some tension with mostly white residents.
Laird Cole is running against Braxton to be Newbern’s next mayor. (Facebook)
Cole, his opponent in this mayoral race, is suing the town of Newbern and others, alleging the project is illegally dumping untreated sewage onto his residential property. He didn’t respond to Capital B’s questions about the lawsuit.
On Election Day, Cole sat only a few feet away from Braxton, relaxing in his lounge chair near his truck and also waving to people as they drove by. He was surrounded by campaign signs and played popular hip-hop songs such as “Swag Surfing” and “My Hitta” on speaker.
Although he was hesitant to speak to Capital B, he did make it clear that he’s ready to lead Newbern. He mentioned his decades of experiences as a businessman and his service, such as providing equipment to help maintain the nearby baseball field. He also recently purchased Sunshine High School, which closed in 2016, which he hopes to use to provide athletics for students who are homeschooled.
Whether he wins or not, he said he’s still committed to the betterment of the town.
Brown Thomas, who has served on the Town Council for over 25 years, is once again vying for a council seat. Even though she was named in Braxton’s lawsuit alleging harassment, she said those “allegations were not against me, however, the law determined that he was right.”
The retired school teacher, who now works for the county sheriff’s office, said she also went door to door and spoke to citizens to let them know her intentions. She said she hopes to see the park improved and create a space for people to come together.
Patricia Jackson, the candidate running against Brown Thomas, said she’s running because she loves Newbern and wants to see the town grow. She also wants everyone across racial lines to work together.
At a July 7, town council meeting, white residents and Black residents sat opposite one another. A couple of white residents made loud outbursts and made disruptions throughout the meeting, Capital B observed. Jackson referenced other town hall meetings where the sheriff’s office had to be called to conduct business.
“We stay here together. It ain’t but one race, and that’s the human race,” she said. “We got a long way to go. But with Braxton, me, it can happen. It really can.”
Regardless of the election outcome, many voters that Capital B spoke with shared their excitement about having an election at all.
“I really smile about it. It’s something that should have been happening way back. I’ve been in Newbern for over 50 years, and this is my first time ever voting for mayor,” said Barbara Carlisle, an elder in the community. “I think it’s great, really tremendous. I’m happy to do it.”
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