The two-lane Island Ford Road stretches west from Cliffside, a once-celebrated mill village in Rutherford County, tracing the Broad River as it cuts through pastures and untouched countryside.
It is easy to miss, barely marked. Yet it holds a strong place in Walter Dalton’s psyche, a memory of his late father and an inspiration that guides him as he campaigns for the state’s highest office.
In his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor, the lieutenant governor talks little about himself. But he mentions the road. It speaks to the influence of his father, who died when Dalton was 8, and his small-town roots, both of which define him today. Read the full profile here.
