Nice to get a question about the classic novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," here in the history section of Brainly!
Atticus Finch is a central character in the book. He was a lawyer in Maycomb, Alabama (which is not an actual Alabama town in real life). He also served as a representative in the state legislature. Atticus was appointed to serve as defense attorney for Tom Robinson, a black man who had been accused of raping a white woman. Atticus provided strong evidence that Tom Robinson was innocent, but the jury convicted him as guilty nonetheless. The trial created much controversy. And then, Robinson tried to escape from prison, and was shot and killed. That was the "drama of the summer."
As far as Atticus Finch being reelected to the legislature in the fall, Scout (Atticus Finch's daughter and narrator of the novel) decides the reason is because people are just plain weird. But other answers might be that if he was running unopposed, no one else wanted the responsibility of that job. And it was clear that Finch was a highly educated man of strong character and principles, so he was well qualified to serve as an elected official. He was a prominent figure in Maycomb, from a family whose roots went back to the town's beginnings.