Melvin Leland

Melvin Leland (born 1951) was, along with his wife Evon, the owner of Melvon's Chuck Wagon Bar-B-Que in Woodlawn and the unsuccessful Patriot Party candidate for Alabama House District 58 in the 1994 election.

Leland was born in Seneca, South Carolina and a graduate of Blue Ridge High School there. He spent 20 years in the U. S. Marine Corps and moved to Birmingham to staff the Corps' downtown recruiting station. After retiring, he and his wife opened their barbecue restaurant in May 1993.

Despite a distaste for politics, Leland was convinced to enter the legislative race by friends and neighbors. He joined the fledgling national Patriot Party which became active in 23 states during the 1994 election season. His opponent was Earnest Johnson.

Leland's election platform consisted of 6 planks: Involving citizens in open government; Giving communities precedence over individuals; Limiting political contributions and terms of office; Giving voters the right of referendum; Reducing or eliminating tax breaks for large corporations; and Electing school board members.

In an election marked by reports of voting irregularities and hostility from the major parties, the Patriot Party managed only one win, Greene County Commission incumbent Nate Roberson. Even so, high-ranking state Democrats vowed to tighten Alabama's already-burdensome ballot access laws.

Reference

• Lawes, Carol (November 2, 1994) "Dist. 58 Hopefuls Looking to Make Difference: Leland Says He's Entering Politics to Help Improve the Current System." Birmingham News.