When Brandon Moss walked across the stage to claim his high school diploma last month, he immediately began another march around his hometown on a path that he hopes will take him to city hall.

Moss, a newly minted 18-year-old graduate from Ramsay High School in Birmingham, is running for mayor of Fairfield. Current mayor Eddie Penny is not seeking re-election. Fairfield’s elections are slated for August 26.

Moss said he was inspired to do something to help his challenged community.

“I decided to do this right out of high school because I felt like I could be the change that I want to see in my city,” Moss told AL.com as he stood outside a long-shuttered shopping center where weeds peek through broken asphalt and a few bags of garbage sit to the side.

“Fairfield for far too long has no

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