When Just 10% Elects a Mayor: Madison's Democracy Crisis

Guest Opinion by Hanu Karlapalem

Congratulations to all the winners in the municipal elections, and thank you to every candidate who stepped forward to run. Running for office is never easy. A win is a win, even if it's by a single vote.

I know firsthand how demanding campaigns can be not only for the candidates, but also for their families. In 2016, I ran for mayor of Madison as an outsider to the city's political machine and received just 7% of the vote. I didn't give up. In 2018, I ran for Limestone County Commissioner District 3 as a Democrat and earned 47% of the vote — losing by just 1,800 votes.

Those experiences gave me a lasting respect for anyone willing to step into the arena and fight for their community.

Never Give Up. When We Fight, We Win.

That's why I care so much about voter participation in Madison. In 2025, just 17% of Madison's 46,000 registered voters cast a ballot. The mayor-elect won with the support of only 10% of registered voters. That's not a strong mandate — it's a warning sign about civic disengagement.

The mayoral candidate I supported didn't win. But Kenneth Jackson, the candidate I backed in Council District 7, defeated an incumbent. His victory matters. Kenneth ran without special-interest money, knocked on doors, and connected directly with voters. His campaign proved that grassroots democracy still works.

Unfortunately, the mayoral race was also one of the ugliest I've seen. Even though I wasn't a candidate, I became the target of suspected coordinated attacks simply because I supported an outsider candidate. That kind of toxic politics doesn't help Madison — it discourages debate and weakens trust in our elections.

The larger issue is civic neglect. Madison has not invested in building strong political infrastructure or encouraging broad voter participation. In that vacuum, entrenched interests dominate.

If we want something different, we have to demand it. That means recruiting new voices, standing up for transparency and ethics, and above all, turning out to vote.

Madison deserves leaders chosen by a real majority — not just a fraction of the electorate. We can and must do better.

Hanu Karlapalem is a former Madison mayoral candidate in 2016, former Limestone County Commissioner candidate in 2018, and resident of Madison, Alabama for over 25 years. He can be followed on Facebook.

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