On the night of Oct. 5, Brandon Washington sat nervously at a supporter’s house and shoveled candy corn into his mouth, watching local election coverage and waiting to see if he would win a seat on the Memphis City Council.

A 20-year-old sophomore at Rhodes College and former foster youth, Washington had ambitiously decided to challenge an incumbent, Ford Canale, for his Super District 9, Position 2 seat. And though he had been significantly out-fundraised, Washington had done his best to make the race competitive.

“I felt like it was a longshot, especially because I was going against an incumbent,” he said. “But I like longshots.”

He and his team had attended an array of community events. They had campaigned door-to-door, emphasizing a desire to bring change to the city. They had pointed out that Washington’s election would make history, as he would be the first Black person elected to Super District 9, Position 2.

Read the orginal full Commercial Appeal story here or Yahoo News story here.

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