BY MILES LAYTON

PLYMOUTH — Two days after her historic election victory, Plymouth Mayor-elect Crystal Davis took to social media Thursday with a heartfelt, faith-filled message thanking voters, calling for unity, and urging residents to look past negativity as the town prepares for a new chapter.

“God gets all the glory. We gotta give God the glory,” Davis said in a video posted to her social media page, marking her first extended remarks since Tuesday’s election. “I didn’t win, y’all — Plymouth won. I couldn’t have done it without you. It was just impossible.”

According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s municipal election, Davis, who received 364 votes (43.33%) to defeat Brian Roth (301 votes, 35.83%) and Mark Sexton (173 votes, 20.60%), made history as the first Black woman ever elected mayor of Plymouth, a Washington County town of about 3,400 residents.

Her nearly 25-minute message was both celebratory and reflective — part thanksgiving, part testimony. Speaking with emotion and conviction, Davis recounted her lifelong dream of serving in politics, the obstacles she overcame, and her belief that divine purpose — and the people of Plymouth — guided her to victory.

“Anybody that knows my story, I don’t care about what they say online. I don’t care what they think they know about Crystal,” she said. “If anybody’s been visiting church conferences, I’ve talked about my life 25 years ago… but what God giveth, man can’t take it away.”

A Call for Peace and Unity

Throughout her remarks, Davis repeatedly called for unity among Plymouth residents — a theme that carried through much of her campaign. She urged her supporters not to engage in online arguments or political infighting.

“We’re not going to go back and forth online and we’re not going to entertain that distraction,” Davis said. “Because guess what, y’all — what God giveth, man can’t take it away… The same way we unified together at the polls to put me in this seat, it’s the same way we’re going to unify to make this town go forward.”

She acknowledged that divisions remain in the small town, especially after a heated election season, but she asked residents to rise above it.

“We can’t focus and work in the midst of conflict,” she said. “If I took the time to go online and argue with everybody that had something negative to say, then we would have never made it to the promised land.”

Quoting the Biblical command “peace, be still,” Davis told her followers to stay calm and trust in the process of change. “Some people might want to [unify], some people might not. But guess what? You’re gonna be blessed just for trying. So I’m asking people to pull them up to peace, be still. We got to focus on making this town great again.”

“We Made History”

Davis repeatedly reminded her viewers that her win was a community victory. “We made it, right? So we got to go forward. And the only way we can go forward and have this town push forward, we have to unify,” she said.

“It’s not going to take away from the fact that the people of Plymouth made history,” she continued. “Y’all the winners. Y’all just chose me as a vessel to speak for the people. And I’m honored. I’m honored.”

She emphasized that the election was not just a political milestone but also a personal redemption story. “If God can do it for me, little old me, what you think He can do for you? Don’t focus on the distraction. Focus on your purpose,” Davis said.

A Moment at the Polls

One of the most poignant moments in Davis’s address came when she recounted an encounter with a young voter at the polls on Election Day — a meeting she described as a sign of divine encouragement.

“I was working the polls on Tuesday and I got kind of down. It was hot, I was tired, I was restless… and this kid walked over to me and he asked me was I Crystal Davis,” she said.

When she told him she was, the young man replied that he had come specifically to vote for her. “He said, ‘Can I get a picture with you? Because you’re gonna make history,’” Davis recalled. “Y’all, he prophesied into my life and didn’t even know it.”

She said the encounter renewed her faith and resolve to finish strong. “Let this be an inspiration to say that nobody can tell you what you can be,” she said. “Anybody knows me personally — I wanted to get into law and politics since I was a kid… even as a child I thought big. I may not have gone the path my parents wanted me to go, but I know that God had a plan for my life.”

Thanking Her Team and Supporters

Davis took time to thank her campaign manager and volunteers, crediting them with helping her navigate a two-year journey that led to her election.

“Cedric Wilkins — he don’t like us to say his name a lot. He likes to work in the background, but we got to give him props,” she said. “He’s been our manager, you guys, for two years… he believed in us in times we didn’t believe in ourselves.”

She also thanked campaign supporters.  

“We thank God for our whole team because this couldn’t have happened without them. But most of all, we thank the people of Plymouth. Y’all, we’re excited. We’re excited,” Davis said.

A Vision for Plymouth’s Future

Turning her attention to the future, Davis urged residents to visualize a better, more prosperous Plymouth.

“Sit back and see what I see. You might not see much here now, but visualize — businesses on the highway, visualize job opportunities, visualize new homes,” she said. “And we get away from these dilapidated houses… Visualize, most of all, unity. How great is that?”

Flashback to Tuesday’s results:  

• Town of Plymouth Council Ward 1 (top two vote-getters will have seats): Micah Weathersbee, 150 votes (28.25%); Donsenia Teel, 132 votes (24.86%); Cornise Harvey Debrew, 94 votes (17.70%); Gale O’Neil, 87 votes (16.38%); John Tharps, 67 votes (12.62%); Write-in 1 (0.19%)
• Town of Plymouth Council Ward 2 (top 2 voter-getters will have seats): Jerry Rhodes, 118 votes (29.21%); Danny Wobbleton, 115 votes (28.47%); Terri Pitt, 95 votes (23.51%); Karol Sanders Freeman, 73 votes (18.07%); Write-in 3 (0.74%)
• Town of Plymouth Council Ward 3 (top two voter-getters will have seats): Kim Williams, 102 votes (24.06%); Steven Brown, 91 votes (21.46%); John Shelton, 88 votes (20.75%); Mary Ann Byers, 85 votes (20.05%); Tristan Spencer, 55 votes (12.97%), Write-in 3 (0.71%)

Davis vowed to work with the newly elected Town Council, congratulating members, saying “God knew exactly what He was doing,” she said.

She also gave a shoutout to her cousin, Courtnay Harvey, who ran unsuccessfully for office. “Whoo, she ran a good race. This election was tough — we’ve been tried and tested. And guess what, y’all? Proven,” Davis said.

Her broader message was one of perseverance and collective ambition. “If we can unify at the polls, we can unify this town,” she said. “Let’s make it happen.”

Faith and Gratitude

Faith — and the language of testimony — wove through nearly every moment of Davis’s remarks. She invoked scripture and gospel music, referencing the song “Exceedingly and Abundantly,” which she said summed up the blessings she’s received.

“If I was a kid who dreamed of being in politics, and as I became an adult I went another path and did everything under the sun I wasn’t raised to do, and then got back in alignment… look what He done,” Davis said. “How blessed it is to be chosen. Y’all are chosen. Plymouth is chosen.”

Her message, she said, was one of hope for all who feel overlooked or counted out. “If you feel hopeless, look at my life here. I’m an inspiration. You’re an inspiration,” Davis said. “You inspired me these days when I felt like giving up… people reached out to me and prayed for me and told me to keep going. God, I thank you.”

“The Best Is Yet to Come”

Throughout her address, Davis returned again and again to her central refrain: that the work is just beginning, and Plymouth’s best days are ahead.

“I’m ready to work. Let’s take this town forward, and I can’t do it without y’all,” she said. “I got here with y’all, and I’m gonna finish with y’all.”

She ended her message on a note of determination and optimism. “The best is yet to come, guys. Think big, dream big. Don’t let anybody count you out,” Davis said. “Sometimes man’ll count you out — but that ain’t what God says. Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite, and I live according to that.”

As she closed, Davis once again pointed to grace — and to the people who made her historic election possible.

“I wouldn’t be here without grace and mercy. I wouldn’t be here without the glory of God. And most of all, I wouldn’t be here without y’all,” she said. “So let’s do it, P-town. We’ve been tried and tested — and guess what, y’all? We proved it again. Hashtag Crystal didn’t win — Plymouth won.”

A New Chapter

Davis’s election marks a significant moment for the town of Plymouth, which has faced economic challenges in recent years but has also seen new interest in revitalization and local investment.

Her message Thursday underscored a commitment to collaboration and to lifting Plymouth’s image and economy through unity and shared faith.

“We are a town of elevation,” she said. “We want to provide hope to the hopeless… Let’s go forward in peace, let’s go forward in unity. Let’s take this town out of tier one status together, and let’s make Plymouth great again. It can happen.”

For Davis, that mission begins not in City Hall, but in the hearts of the people who elected her.

“Y’all are the winners,” she said once more, smiling into the camera. “You just chose me to speak for you. And I’m honored. The best is yet to come.”