Deondreze Young hadn’t planned on a career in politics.

But, when seats opened up on her hometown city council, her father encouraged her to run, and she did, in hopes of making change in Wadley, Georgia.

Young’s roles and position in the community — as a cosmetology instructor, nail technician, substitute teacher, and mother — uniquely qualified her to help her community, she said. 

For years, residents in the majority-Black town of fewer than 2,000 people have complained about the discolored water that runs from their faucets. It stains their hair and clothes, and the water is undrinkable. The smell is unfathomable. Young was tired of it, too. Although the city is working on upgrades to replace rusted water lines and renovate a sewer treatment plant, it will take time to complete.

“You have to double up on bottled water because we can’t drink our water,” she said. 

On Nov. 4, she drove 10 miles away to a local polling location and found out she had become the youngest woman to be elected as a City Council member. 

Last week, as the nation focused on New York City’s mayoral election and gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, there was an intergenerational movement of Black people in small cities and rural towns shaking up local elections, too. Democrats secured major victories, also dominating in state houses like in Mississippi, where Democrats broke a Republican supermajority in the Senate. Election Day wins for non-career politicians in local elections are a partial response to voter disillusionment with the federal government. 

Whether it’s Roxboro, North Carolina, or Vineyard, Utah, everyday Black people aren’t waiting for progress to come to them, but driving it themselves and redefining what political power looks like outside of major cities. 

Young, 35, believes the fire she’s seeing in her town, and across the country, is partially a response to the Trump administration’s decisions, and it’s forced young people to step into their power – by running for offices or voting new people in.

“They’re tired. Let’s just be for real, it’s always on our backs as the Black people to endure, but it’s always on our backs as well to make the change, to inspire the change,” she said. “We didn’t show up in protest. We showed up at the polls.” 

Pennsylvania voters ready for change

In Media Borough, Pennsylvania, Joi Washington became the first woman and Black person to be elected mayor in her town’s 175-year history. Since 2021, the 39-year-old illustrator has served as a city councilperson in Media, representing a community where Black people make up 3% of the city’s population of 5,800 people.

After hearing the current mayor, Robert McMahon, a white Democrat, would not run for reelection after 33 years, she threw her hat in the ring. Despite living in an overwhelmingly white area, Washington garnered 77% of the vote, defeating Kevin Kellogg, a Republican.

While canvassing, she said she felt a new excitement from residents who wanted a younger person of color to serve, she said.

“They wanted to put the face to the name, and they’re really excited that it was somebody younger,” Washington said. “I think it was just seeing somebody different, and a woman and a Black woman is like, ‘Oh, wow, this is so different,’ but they’re really ready for it, too. I think that was the difference.”

Similar to Young in Georgia, Washington believes federal decisions such as shutting down the government, defunding food banks, and delaying benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fueled local elections. It’s also about young people flexing their power. 

“Instead of saying somebody should do something, they are turning into people that are doing something right now. They’re running for elections. They’re winning. I think this has been a build up for this moment,” she said. “A lot of young people, they saw what’s been going on for years, and saw that some things weren’t changing, and ran for office, spoke to their constituents and voters really understood what they needed, and they got elected.”

Record turnout in 200-year history

Kamali “Kam” Varner is no stranger to firsts. 

Thirteen years ago, she won the District 4 City Council seat in McDonough, Georgia, a 71% Black city of 30,000 people. At just 29, she became the first Black woman to serve in that role.

Now, at 45, she’s made waves again, receiving 55% of the vote to be the second Black woman mayor in the city’s history. She defeated Sandra Vincent, the first Black woman to lead the city.

Usually, the city experiences low voter turnout in municipal elections, but this time, more people cast their ballots than in any election in the city’s 200-year history, Varner said. More than 5,000 people voted, an increase from 2021 where only 2,500 people went to the polls. 

“I’m proud of the win, because historically, you look back at those numbers, though we have grown [in population], we have not had a number of individuals turn out for the election,” she added.

Residents care about local taxes when purchasing homes, investing in roads and infrastructure, ensuring access to clean water, enjoying local parks, having quality dining options, and maintaining affordability. It’s part of her hope as mayor to modernize these systems for her constituents.

“There’s a lot of services that we can be more efficient in, and I just wanted to provide those services to the place where I live,” she said. I was born and raised here, but we never left. I just wanted to make the place a better place.”

Young and Varner weren’t the only women to make history in small cities and rural towns in Georgia. Lillie A. Brown from Swainsboro, Michelle Braddy Reaves from Louisville and Rashida Taylor from Metter, all made history by winning their respective mayoral elections. 

Back in Wadley, Young said she is ready to hit the ground running and upgrade infrastructure so they aren’t still “living in the Stone Age.” She also wants to encourage youth to get involved.