Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin Wins Another Term
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin was elected to another term Tuesday evening, taking in roughly 64% of the vote.
Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales trailed behind with around 21% of the vote and former Birmingham Mayor William Bell behind her with 9% of the vote.
But voter turnout remained low in this year’s election, with only 25% of active voters casting a ballot.
Woodfin took the stage to chants of “four more years” at an election night watch party with supporters.
“You told us to invest in your neighborhoods, and we did. You told us to pave more streets and we did. You told is to tear down this blight and we did. You told us to invest in our younger generation and we did with the Birmingham Promise,” Woodfin said. “I also want you to know, that my commitment and sense of urgency will be the same over the next four years. Thank you for this opportunity to continue to represent you. Thank you for this opportunity to continue to lead our city. And thank you for this opportunity to be in the trenches with you to make the city of Birmingham better.”
Woodfin plans to accomplish a variety of things as part of his ‘Vision 2025 Plan.’ Some of these include:
- Further expanding the Birmingham Promise Scholarship Initiative
- Expanding COVID-19 vaccination sites
- Implementing the City’s PEACE Strategy, a public health-based approach to preventing gun violence in Birmingham
- Launching “Operation Second Chance,” a program for Birmingham residents to expunge misdemeanors and select felonies from their criminal records
- Expand the city’s Pardons for Progress program
- Continuing the Birmingham Police Department’s policy of de-emphasizing marijuana possession cases so that minor marijuana possession cases no longer go before our municipal courts
- Working to clear any remaining backlog of untested rape kits in Birmingham
- Continuing efforts to revitalize Birmingham’s 99 neighborhoods.
Woodfin was first elected in 2017 after beating incumbent Mayor William Bell.
TONIGHT: I’m at Mayor Woodfin’s Election Night Celebration at The Fennec pic.twitter.com/t8o4SyblkZ
— Cody D. (@codydonair) August 25, 2021
Washington National Opera leaves Kennedy Center, joining slew of artist exits
The WNO is just the latest to say they will no longer perform at the Kennedy Center since Trump took over last year.
Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Moscow launches new hypersonic missile
The strike comes a day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including a powerful new hypersonic missile that hit western Ukraine.
Opinion: Remembering Renee Good
Renee Good won a national prize six years ago for her poem "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs," which muses on science and faith. Good was shot to death by an ICE agent this week in Minneapolis.
PHOTOS: Laundry is a chore but there’s a beauty and serenity in the way it hangs out
A new photo series from Filipino photographer Macy Castañeda Lee offers a visually striking view of the mundane task of doing laundry and the role it plays in a rural economy.
2026 looks ominous for media, from Hollywood to journalism
Critic at large Eric Deggans says that in 2026, audiences have more power than they realize to determine the future of news and entertainment.
Influencer, White House welfare fraud claims are distorted, but the system has risks
Federal officials are targeting Democratic-led states over alleged safety-net fraud. Critics worry a drumbeat of unfounded accusations could undermine public trust.
