Politics
Birmingham Mayor, Council To Start Terms On Different Dates
Birmingham’s mayor and council were elected at the same time, but they will not take office the same day because of state law.
Woodfin Wins. Birmingham Voters Deny Bell Another Term
Birmingham voters on Tuesday elected Randall Woodfin the city’s new mayor. Woodfin took 59 percent of the vote to incumbent Mayor William Bell’s 41 percent, according to unofficial results. The two candidates took different approaches as they vied for the mayor’s seat in the weeks after the August municipal election. That race resulted in a runoff. Bell […]
In Tuesday’s Mayoral Runoff, Bell Touts Experience, Woodfin Pushes Change
There’s a runoff election in Birmingham Tuesday. A few school board seats and city council places are on the line. And there’s the big race for mayor – a runoff between incumbent William Bell and Randall Woodfin, an assistant city attorney.
Regional Governments Team Up to Lure Amazon to Birmingham
Government and corporate leaders from throughout Jefferson County announced a joint effort today to lure a proposed Amazon headquarters to Birmingham.
Dueling Endorsements for Mayor Among Birmingham Police
Talk about choosing sides -- Birmingham police are split on who they support for mayor in the upcoming runoff election on Oct. 3.
Selfies and Handshakes and Smiles, Oh My! Birmingham Mayor’s Race Heats Up
The Birmingham city election runoff is less than two weeks away, and in the mayor’s race, almost any street, coffee shop, boutique or park can turn into a battleground for votes.
Preview of the Birmingham Mayor’s Race: The Woodfin-Bell Divide
The results are in for the Birmingham Municipal Election. But while these numbers don’t lie, they do leave lots of questions
The Breakdown: How Woodfin and Bell Fared Around the City
If you want to know how 36-year-old former school board President Randall Woodfin captured the largest percentage of votes in his bid to win out over incumbent Mayor William Bell, just look at the numbers.
Low Voter Turnout So Far at Some Birmingham Polls
Turnout appears low at several Birmingham polling places as voters go to the polls to elect a mayor, city council and school board.
Has Your Birmingham Polling Place Changed?
Polls open for voting in Birmingham at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, as Birmingham voters cast their ballots for mayor, city council and school board.
Trudy Hunter Wants To Tackle Education, Poverty
For Trudy Hunter, a law school grad and a social worker from southwest Birmingham, this run for the city’s top job has been 10 years in the making. She says she wrestled with God about whether to step out on faith and run.
Patricia Bell Wants a Better City For Future Generations
Patricia Bell, no relation to William Bell, has run for mayor several times. But she isn’t discouraged. She's one of 12 candidates vying for the office in Tuesday's election. The community activist and marketer says the city still needs good leadership.
Bell Calls Birmingham’s Revitalizing Neighborhoods the Next Challenge
Birmingham Mayor William Bell has been a Xerox marketer and a probation officer, but since 1979, he’s been somewhere in local government. Voters will decide Tuesday during municipal elections whether he'll continue to serve in his position. After almost eight years as mayor, Bell tells WBHM’s Sherrel Stewart he wants to do it again.
Democrats Hope for a Comeback in the U.S. Senate Race
Doug Jones is best known for successfully prosecuting the 16th Street Baptist Church bombers and helping indict Birmingham abortion clinic bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. Now the former US Attorney is running in the Democratic Senate primary for the seat formerly held by Jeff Sessions.
Many GOP Voters Still Undecided on Senate Candidates
Four candidates attended at the GOP Senate forum: incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, Bryan Peeples, Randy Brinson and Congressman Mo Brooks. They wanted to win votes. But as they hashed out issues from abortion to concealed carry laws, many voters left undecided.
Philemon Hill: Birmingham Needs Economic Development and Strong Schools
Philemon Hill is a sports marketer. He’s promoted sporting events from baseball to golf around the Southeast. But he’s also become a fixture at Birmingham City Council and School Board meetings. Now, he’d like to make the leap from gadfly to mayor.
Fernandez Sims Says Birmingham Needs A Servant Leader
Brother Fernandez Sims is a Birmingham minister. From his time in the pulpit and counseling people in the community, he says he sees the needs of Birmingham residents. He says he wants to be mayor to address those some of those needs.
Crime, Education, Jobs Among Top Issues For Birmingham Voters
Many of those running for office in Birmingham, whether for mayor or city council or school board, have their own ideas on how to improve life in the city. But ask some of the city’s 212,000 residents what keeps them up at night, and you’ll hear the same concerns come up over and over again: jobs, education, and crime.
Chris Woods Makes Second Run For Mayor of Birmingham
He is a child of the civil rights movement and came of age as his father and uncle battled racial injustice. But Woods, now running to unseat Birmingham Mayor William Bell, has had different struggles that have shaped his own vision for the city. Woods sat down with our Sherrel Wheeler Stewart.
Birmingham Election Qualifying Ends This Week — Who’s In?
The list of candidates so far includes several incumbents and other familiar names. Qualifying ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 7.
Qualifying Begins For Birmingham City Elections
Seventeen people have already signed up for various races. All city elected jobs – mayor, council, and school board – will be on the ballot on August 22.
UAB Political Scientist Assesses The First 100 Days of President Trump
The first 100 days is the time when the new president could be possibly more successful than later in the term.
Widening Rifts and Unfriending in Politically Tense Times
Thirteen percent of people, according to one survey say they blocked, unfriended, or stopped following someone on social media because of what they posted about politics. Haden Holmes Brown takes a look at tensions over politics three months into President Donald Trump's time in office.
Gov. Ivey Briefs Reporters and Lawmakers Advance Autism Bill
The legislature this week tried to get on with business as usual following the resignation of Gov. Robert Bentley on Monday. As Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal tells WBHM’s Gigi Douban, legislative committees were busy this week. And so was Gov. Kay Ivey, who met with reporters on her third full […]
House Judiciary Committee Releases Bentley Impeachment Report
UPDATE: The Alabama Supreme Court stayed the injunction issued by Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin against the start of impeachment proceedings, allowing them to go on. Click here for more info.
Pro-Life, Higher Ed Bills Gain Traction Days Into The Legislative Session
Funding cuts for public colleges and universities that don’t follow federal and state immigration law, and an amendment declaring Alabama a pro-life state were among the issues quickly making their way through the Alabama legislature this week. It mirrors a trend we’re seeing in other states where Republican lawmakers are acting quickly to approve legislation that […]
Talladega College President Undecided On Band’s Inauguration Performance
Talladega College doesn’t have a football team, but it has a band – the Marching Tornadoes. More than 100 band members from the historically black college east of Birmingham have been invited to perform in President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural parade. The college president is undecided on whether the band will perform, a college spokesman said. Talladega […]
ACLU President Visits Samford Univeristy
Susan Herman spoke to a packed audience, answering questions about current concerns and potential roles for the ACLU under President-Elect Donald Trump.
Birmingham Schools Host Charter School Forums
Alabama may very well have its first-ever charter schools next year. The approval process, which has already hit snags in other parts of the state, will go either through a state commission or through local school boards that have elected to become authorizers. Birmingham City Schools is one of just two authorizers in the state, and last night, school leaders held a meeting to explain what that means.
Brighton Elects Brandon Dean One Of Alabama’s Youngest Mayors
Brighton, Alabama's Mayor-elect Brandon Dean may face hurdles because of complaints about absentee ballot applications.
How Alabama Ethics Laws Allow for Questionable Campaign Spending
A loophole in Alabama's campaign finance law allows for questionable contributions.
It Might Just Be Legal
Spending practices regarding election campaign funds in Alabama are under review. How those funds are spent, now, can be looked up as public information, and there are some questions that come from the details. Kyle Whitmire of AL.COM and the Birmingham News took a dive in to the data about Alabama Representative Mike Hill, a Republican […]
