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Conservative developer builds 'affinity-based' neighborhood in Appalachia
Josh Abbotoy, founder of Ridgerunner real estate, is developing a residential community in Tennessee's Jackson County centered on a farm and church, marketed to conservative families seeking rural life aligned with right-wing values.
Vision and controversy
Abbotoy describes the project as an "affinity-based community" celebrating "faith, family, and freedom." The development, still in early stages with roads and sanitation infrastructure under construction, has already sold half its lots. First residents are expected to move in by early 2027.
While Abbotoy avoids the label of Christian nationalism, two prominent buyers-pastor Andrew Isker and businessman C Jay Engel-openly espouse the ideology. Both have called for mass deportations of legal immigrants, questioned female suffrage and civil rights, and advocated for a return to pre-20th-century norms. Engel has also promoted the concept of "heritage Americans," a term critics argue carries racial undertones.
Local backlash
A late-2024 local TV report spotlighting Isker and Engel's views triggered alarm among Gainesboro residents. Diana Mandli, a former business owner, led opposition by displaying a sign outside her pub: "If you promote oppression, please eat elsewhere." Dozens later confronted the men at a public meeting.
Nan Coons, a lifelong resident, said Engel defended "family voting," where only male heads of households would cast ballots. Though Engel later clarified he doesn't oppose women voting, he still supports household suffrage. Coons, who voted for Trump in 2024, called the views "too extreme."
National stakes
The dispute reflects broader political tensions. Abbotoy, a Harvard Law graduate and partner at conservative venture fund New Founding, frames the project as a refuge for families fleeing liberal states. Opponents, aided by left-wing group States at the Core, see it as a Trojan horse for Christian nationalist influence in local governance.
"If we're going to turn this tide, it starts in your small town,"
Nan Coons, Gainesboro resident
Isker and Engel, who record their podcast Contra Mundum from Ridgerunner's office, urge followers to seek political power in rural areas. Abbotoy dismisses concerns, calling criticism "absurd" and insisting his buyers are merely discussing "big ideas."
Defining Christian nationalism
The ideology ranges from calls for Christian law in governance to outright theocracy. Experts note its strategic ambiguity has helped it gain mainstream traction. While Abbotoy distances himself from the label, his project's ties to figures like Isker and Engel underscore its polarizing role in rural America's political realignment.
What's next
With Democrats investing heavily in rural outreach ahead of 2026, Gainesboro's 900 residents find themselves at the center of a national debate. Coons and allies vow to resist what they see as an encroachment of extremism, while Abbotoy's customers continue to arrive, drawn by the promise of a community built on shared conservative values.
