Brandon Moss, 18, Announces Mayoral Candidacy In Alabama

In a story that sounds ripped from DC Comics, a Black teenager who recently graduated from high school has announced his candidacy for mayor in the Alabama town of Fairfield. 

According to ABC News, 18-year-old Brandon Moss is the youngest mayoral candidate in Fairfield history. Moss only graduated from high school two weeks ago and is currently preparing to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the Fall.  “I am ready to take on this challenge. Age doesn’t guarantee wisdom or innovation,” Moss told ABC News. “I’m not going to say I’m perfect or I know it all; it will take a team of good people to be able to accomplish good things.”

Brandon Moss has said that if he’s elected, he would focus on the city’s spending and would bring in a forensic auditor to go through the city’s finances. He would also support local small businesses by setting up pop-up shops in the mall to attract new clientele. Beyond business, he also wants to improve the quality of life in Fairfield by tackling the issue of blight. Moss intends to work with the federal government to provide Fairfield with grants to clear the overgrown vegetation from abandoned homes. 

Considering how the federal government has been moving when it comes to funding initiatives that help everyday Americans, he might want to revise that plan. Just saying. 

Brandon Moss has long had an interest in the inner workings of politics. While in high school, he worked with the Alabama Youth and Government program as both a youth senator and a member of the governor’s cabinet. He served on the Student Advisory Board for the superintendent of Birmingham City Schools and graduated from the Birmingham Academy of Civic Engagement. 

So at the very least, he’s got more relevant governing experience than our current President did when he got elected the first time.

His campaign manager, Marilyn Yelder, is confident in his leadership abilities and doesn’t see his age as a potential hindrance. She also made it clear that he wouldn’t be doing this alone, so his college education wouldn’t be in conflict with his potential mayoral duties. 

“He does have a team of mentors for every aspect, not just to help him get to mayor, but people that are helping with public speaking, mental health,” Yelder told ABC. “I think he will be more than prepared, even at 18, to take on the role as mayor of Fairfield.”

Brandon Moss is one of several young adults across the country who have thrown their hat into the political arena. In Arizona, 25-year-old Deja Foxx has been making waves with her campaign to represent the state’s 7th Congressional District. If elected, Foxx would be the youngest serving member in Congress. 28-year-old Rep. Maxwell Frost has represented Florida’s 10th congressional district since 2023. Last year saw a 170 percent increase in Gen Z lawmakers taking office. 

Listen, I’m not an ageist. I think you can be capable of incredible work at any age. Spike Lee is pushing 70, and early word is that his latest with Denzel might be his freshest work in years. When it comes to governance, I think it’s essential to have younger people become part of the process as they simply have more skin in the game. It’s amazing to see Gen Z and Gen Alpha stepping up to make the change they want to see in their communities and the country at large. 

So yeah, folks, I’m rooting for Brandon Moss. If the country can put an old, racist, white man in the White House, then why not a Black teen mayor? 

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