1910 Birmingham municipal election

The 1910 Birmingham municipal election was conducted by the city of Birmingham on June 20, 1910, coinciding with a referendum on moving from a Mayor-Aldermen form of government to a three-member Birmingham City Commission. Voters overwhelmingly supported the City Commission plan and elected Culpepper Exum by a large majority to become Mayor and to continue serving once a new commission could be elected.

The Birmingham News, which campaigned on behalf of the proposed change in government, reported a quiet election day with just over 8,000 voters coming to the polls despite a sense of apathy observed during the campaign.

Results

Commission referendum

• For: 4,962 votes (passed)
• Against: 693 votes

Mayor of Birmingham

	Culpepper Exum	Carl Seals	Jere King	F. I. Monks
1st Ward	124	47	37	2
2nd Ward	266	68	64	9
3rd Ward	312	119	136	23
4th Ward	274	92	108	10
5th Ward	299	119	103	16
6th Ward	278	43	46	5
7th Ward	314	57	74	7
8th Ward	341	55	79	9
9th Ward	326	78	147	17
10th Ward	129	70	75	8
11th Ward	116	132	52	3
12th Ward (East Lake)	169	143	100	3
12th Ward (Woodlawn)	257	155	164	12
13th Ward	169	125	29	4
14th Ward	186	249	55	12
15th Ward (Elyton)	138	40	63	10
15th Ward (West End)	152	58	98	4
16th Ward (Wylam)	90	53	3	3
16th Ward (Ensley)	500	245	68	6
Totals	4,440	2,078	1,507	163

Chief of Police

• George Bodeker (incumbent): 5,162 votes (winner)
• Thomas Shirley: 2,965 votes

Birmingham Board of Aldermen

• 1st Ward: Pete Houppert 109 votes, J. M. Wright 98 votes
• 2nd Ward: Sam Stern 208 votes, John O'Neil (incumbent) 102 votes, Francis Lowe 75 votes
• 3rd Ward: George Huddleston Sr 305 votes, A. A. Gambill 288 votes
• 4th Ward: Walter Moore 437 votes (unopposed)
• 5th Ward: G. B. Morgan 316 votes, Phil Harper (incumbent) 209 votes
• 6th Ward: A. Maben Hobson 242 votes, Frank Jones 132 votes
• 7th Ward: John E. Morris 392 votes (unopposed)
• 8th Ward: Dan Hogan 522 votes (unopposed)
• 9th Ward: Walter Metcalf 299 votes, M. D. Brandes 260 votes
• 10th Ward: D. C. Ball 151 votes, William Starbuck (incumbent) 131 votes
• 11th Ward: J. W. Lacey 134 votes, A. P. Stephens 90 votes, A. R. Causey (incumbent) 79 votes
• 12th Ward (2 places): S. R. Hawley (incumbent) 648 votes, J. B. Gibson (incumbent) 581 votes, Charles W. Hall 516 votes
• 13th Ward (2 places): A. L. Thorp 173 votes, C. E. Glover 135 votes, F. D. McArthur 131 votes
• 14th Ward (2 places): T. J. Carter 242 votes, James McLaughlin 198 votes, E. L. Layton 194 votes, J. M. Collins 162 votes, Sam Foley 148 votes
• 15th Ward (2 places): Frank W. Smith (incumbent) 370 votes, D. U. Williams 318 votes, W. H. Tharpe 291 votes
• 16th Ward (2 places): M. H. McDowell (incumbent) 807 votes, P. J. Rogers (incumbent) 736 votes

Other city departments

• Birmingham President of Council: Harry Jones (incumbent, unopposed)
• Birmingham Police Commissioner: J. B. Drake 3,112 votes, Kirk Moore 2,044 votes, Sam Spurgeon 2,011 votes, Eb. Hydinger 559 votes
• Birmingham Street Commissioner: Frank Gafford (incumbent) 2,623 votes, Huffstutler 1,621 votes, Priegel 1,017 votes, Brown 658 votes, Harrington 639 votes, Bridges 560 votes, Keeling 37 votes, Sims 266 votes, Perkerson 258 votes
• Birmingham City Recorder: N. B. Fagin (incumbent) 4,742 votes, Hanby 2,446 votes, Nabers 999 votes
• Birmingham City Attorney: Romaine Boyd 3,740 votes, R. H. Thach 3,163 votes, Martin 977 votes
• Birmingham Treasurer: W. B. Copeland 4,613 votes, George Eustis 3,404 votes
• Auditor: C. S. Peterson (incumbent, unopposed)
• Birmingham City Engineer: Maury Nicholson (incumbent) 4,036 votes, Truss 3,198 votes
• Building Inspector: W. O. Matthews (incumbent) 3,170 votes, Cooper 1,976 votes, Robertson 1,249 votes, Culpepper 1,243 votes, Golsan 70 votes
• Plumbing Inspector: Charles Eckerle (incumbent) 5,024 votes, Gayle 2,315 votes
• License Collector: J. J. Boggan (incumbent) 2,435 votes, Stokes 1,197 votes, Plosser 1,138 votes, Cole 828 votes, Withers 698 votes, Baker 527 votes, Courson 439 votes, Hudson 401 votes, Savage 316 votes
• Electrician: W. H. Abernathy (incumbent) 5,304 votes, Flannigan 1, 619 votes, Danforth 719 votes

References

• Birmingham News (June 21, 1910)