Twelve years ago, Ms. Jones, whose family had struggled during the housing crisis, wrote a bad check for groceries. In Mr. Nathewss hand was a printout detailing just that. He would not say who had given it to him, but that they had done so with a message: This is who youre supporting.
Well, hell, who hasnt bounced a check in Montevallo? Were all poor around here, Mr. Nathews had joked. But Ms. Jones was humiliated. A few days later, an anonymous Facebook account began sharing the document on the towns community pages, and some citizens called for further background checks on Ms. Jones. (Mr. Brown said Mr. Nixs campaign had nothing to do with the document or Facebook account.)
The political contours of the race grew sharper. On a community Facebook page, one voter shared an article on cultural Marxism, encouraging users to discuss how it might apply to Montevallos upcoming election. The Montevallo Progressive Alliance, a group of local activists, endorsed Ms. Jones, putting her on the hook for the groups posts on things like reproductive justice and microaggressions. that she insisted bore no relevance to her vision as mayor.
It was a vision that in fact did not differ so much from Mr. Nixs. Their answers in candidate forums on questions about infrastructure, safety and economic growth were largely the same. But by that point, their perceived differences on national issues overshadowed everything else.
When Patrick Mayton, whose wife, Tonia, was running for a spot on the City Council, saw the post warning of Montevallos future by pointing to the defund-the-police banner in Austin, he seemed exasperated.
This is NOT Montevallos future!!! he pleaded in response. I appreciate you and others on here wanting to be vigilant against communism and police defunding, but I am confident that we do not need to fear these scenarios.
What kept Greg Reece, Ms. Joness campaign manager, going was the promise of seeing Ms. Joness grandmother, who came of age in Jim Crow Alabama, walk into the polling station and cast a ballot for her granddaughter.read more
In a Small Alabama Town, Suddenly All Politics Is National
