Woodfin officially announces bid for third term as Birmingham mayor

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Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin officially kicked off his campaign for a third term with an event Saturday at Iron City in downtown Birmingham. He began his speech with the song “Not Like Us,” by rapper Kendrick Lamar. Referencing Lamar’s lyrics “sometimes you gotta pop out and show ‘em,” Woodfin spoke about what he has accomplished as mayor or what he referred to as “showing receipts” of what he’s done.

“Some folk got amnesia. You got to remind people of the investments we’ve made into this city, the impact we’ve made in communities,” Woodfin said.

He said this campaign is about building a city that works for all its residents. 

“That means fixing up our neighborhoods, the continuation of fixing up our neighborhoods, making real investments in public safety and making sure every single child, every single child in the city of Birmingham has a pathway to success,” Woodfin said.

He cited his investments in infrastructure, including redevelopments of blighted structures and street paving. He also didn’t shy away from what many consider to be Birmingham’s biggest issue: public safety.

“Crime is not just gun violence. Crime is also rape and robbery and assaults and burglary and theft and auto theft. And of those seven categories, I’m proud to stand before you and tell you in six out of seven of those, we’ve gotten them down,” Woodfin said.

He said issues surrounding gun violence will be solved through investments into the city’s police department and into the youth. The city has invested $16 million in the Birmingham Police Department for recruitment and retention programs, and $8 million a year into programs aimed at supporting mental health care, conflict resolution and financial literacy.  But he said he can’t stop crime alone.

“I got a confession. I am not Batman. Fighting crime takes more than one person. And so I am in a room full of foot soldiers that are committed to making sure that we continue to fight, address this issue and make this community safer for everybody,” Woodfin said.

One of Woodfin’s opponents in the mayoral race is state Rep. Juandalynn Givan. She said she has heard from several residents that they want a new leader. Givan has taken issue with the way crime has been addressed in Birmingham and said one of her main focuses would be public safety.

Also running is activist Kamau Afrika. 

Woodfin said this election is about a Birmingham that’s built by and for the people of Birmingham. 

“Not dictated by politicians in Montgomery, not controlled by billionaires in Washington,” Woodfin said.

He said historically the federal government hasn’t always done the right thing for Birmingham, but he said right now, he wants to lean on the hope he has felt in the community. 

“I think locally we need to feel empowered to do what’s necessary to improve quality of life not only with our local tax dollars, but in partnership with our corporate Birmingham, small business Birmingham, our non-profit Birmingham, and the faith community in Birmingham and individuals who want to make an impact,” Woodfin said.

The election will be held on August 26, 2025.