HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — By every metric, Tuesday's election was a wipeout win for Republicans nationally, across the state, and in the Huntsville metro. And if you voted in Madison County, you probably knew that would be the case before the votes were counted.
In virtually every race of the Madison County election, Republican candidates ran unopposed or with only a libertarian competing against them. Among the local seat in Congress, county commission posts and judgeships on every level, there was hardly a Democrat to be found, a bottoming out for a party that hasn't been competitive in the area for years. And with the rest of the country swinging to the right, it could be a long while before that changes.
Local community volunteer and activist Cindi Branham said, "It's a big disappointment that it ended up this way."
Voters in Madison County showed up to the polls on Tuesday, only to find that Republican candidates dominated all but two offices on the ballot. So, why aren't there more Democrats on the ticket?
The answer is complicated, but candidate for the Madison County Commission chair Guy Sotomayor said people just aren't stepping up.
Sotomayor said, "I've kind of harped on it within the Madison County Democratic Party: 'Hey, it's lonely around here.' But people are scared. It is quite a leap of faith to jump into the political spectrum, but it's a perception that's not quite reality."
Sotomayor said part of the fear in running for public office is working directly with the public. But he also said based on his experience running, many of those worries are simply unfounded.
He said, "A lot of people have the fear: 'I'm going to be threatened. I'm going to have all these things that I'm going to deal with.' They're not there."
However, local volunteer Cindi Branham said it takes a lot for candidates around town to hit the election trail.
"An effective campaign raises a lot of money," Branham said. "It's a 24-hour-a-day thing for the candidate, for their family and for the people helping them and the people closest to them. So, it takes quite a toll on you, on your family."
She added, "If you ask all your friends and relatives for all that money and you don't win, that's pretty deflating, pretty disappointing."
Most of the local ballot in the 2024 election focused on judicial offices. Branham said winning those requires candidates to be an attorney, which limits the competition. But for statewide offices, Branham said the Democratic Party will fill the ballot with candidates in the 2026 legislative session.
"Next time, in two years, we'll have a totally different ballot. It'll be a lot of statewide positions. The whole legislature, all the executive positions in the state, like governor to lieutenant governor on down," Branham said.
Chair of the Madison County Democratic executive committee, Sheila McNeal, said she was shocked and disappointed by the election results. She also said the following in a statement:
"After waking up this morning and hearing the news that Democrats didn’t win the White House is shocking and unbelievable, given the momentum and energy around the Harris Campaign. Nevertheless, we are beginning the recovery and rebuilding process. The contrast between the candidates was clear for us, but the American people saw things differently. Going forward, we will strive to bolster our party from this devastating loss and recommit ourselves to forging a united accord. Working harder to get more Democrats on the ballot and increasing voter turnout will be our priority. We are turning this disappointment into an opportunity to strengthen and protect our community for the future."
Until then, local Democratic leaders said they believe the work of a politician is never finished. They will be working in the meantime to strengthen the local party for 2026. Sotomayor said the Democratic Party is always looking for candidates to run.