Candidates Lining Up To Run For Birmingham City Council
Six months before Birmingham’s municipal elections, the pool of candidates for City Council is beginning to take shape.
Though official qualifying won’t be open until June 25, social media campaigns are underway for several Birmingham residents looking to claim a spot on the nine-member council. For now, some races are looking more crowded than others.
So far, only four incumbents — District 1’s Clinton Woods, District 2’s Hunter Williams, District 6’s Crystal Smitherman and District 7’s Wardine Alexander — have confirmed to BirminghamWatch that they’re seeking re-election, although it’s likely other councilors will make official announcements soon. Woods and Williams are so far unopposed. No one has yet announced a run for District 5 or District 8, represented by Councilors Darrell O’Quinn and Steven Hoyt, respectively.
Councilor Valerie Abbott has held the council’s District 3 seat since 2001, making her the current council’s longest-serving member. She hasn’t yet indicated whether she’ll seek another term, but she’ll face at least two challengers if she does. Former Gardendale City Councilor Blake Guinn has announced a run for the seat, as has Joseph Casper Baker III, founder of the Facebook activist group I Believe in Birmingham and a former candidate to represent Alabama House District 54.
Two challengers are seeking the District 4 seat held by Councilor William Parker. One of them, Qunelius “Cory” Pettway, sought the seat in 2017; after that loss, he spent several years as community liaison for O’Quinn. Also running in District 4 is Scottie McClainey, a former grants program specialist for UAB who previously held positions on the Birmingham Parking Authority Board of Directors and the Downtown Redevelopment Authority board. Parker has not yet announced a re-election bid.
Smitherman has confirmed that she’ll run to keep the seat she was appointed to in 2018. So far, she has one declared opponent. Keith O. Williams, a local activist and vice president of the North Titusville Neighborhood Association, has launched his bid for the seat. He previously ran in 2017 and 2019.
Alexander also will run for re-election. She’ll once again be facing off against Lonnie Malone, a local political commentator and executive director of the Effective Family mentorship program. Malone has made two unsuccessful bids for the office before, against Alexander’s predecessor, Jay Roberson, in 2017, and against Alexander in 2019.
If he runs again this year, incumbent District 9 councilor John Hilliard will face challenger LaTonya Tate, a retired probation parole officer and founder of the Alabama Justice Initiative, a group advocating for the end of mass incarceration.
Appeals court says Lisa Cook can stay on the Federal Reserve board — for now
A federal appeals court blocked President Trump from firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, just ahead of a key vote on interest rates.
5 new members added to CDC vaccine advisory panel ahead of key meeting
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. picks more new vaccine advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, days before a two-day meeting to consider COVID and hepatitis B shots.
Birmingham remembers the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, 62 years later
The bombing was a significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement and Birmingham’s history.
Hermeto Pascoal, whimsical Brazilian composer nicknamed ‘The Sorcerer,’ dies at 89
Pascoal said he had composed thousands of pieces. "I am 100 percent intuitive," he once told NPR. Miles Davis called him one of the most important musicians in the world.
JD Vance hosts ‘The Charlie Kirk Show,’ paying tribute with top White House officials
The broadcast was a striking reminder of Kirk's influence, both as a leader in the young conservative space and a behind-the-scenes political player who helped shape President Trump's agenda.
Why Trump wants companies to report earnings less frequently
President Trump would like companies to report their earnings less frequently. Executives have long called for that -- but some financial experts worry it would go badly.
