2016 Jefferson County municipal elections

2016 Jefferson County municipal elections were held August 23, 2016, with runoffs as needed held on October 4.

The following were the contests in cities and towns in Jefferson County. See 2016 municipal elections for contests in other counties.

Adamsville

• Mayor: Pam Palmer (incumbent) 411 votes, winner; Christopher James 236 votes
• Council:
  • District 1: Anthony Brooklere (incumbent), unopposed
  • District 2: Terrell "TL" Watford, unopposed
  • District 3: Glenn Minyard (incumbent), winner, Ricky Pierce
  • District 4: Bill Whisenhunt, unopposed
  • District 5: John Click, winner; Reginald Crawford (District 2 incumbent)

Five other mayoral candidates filed, but were disqualified for failing to turn in an ethics form simultaneously with their qualification papers. Those included Yohance Owens, Dana Brown, Nathaniel Byrd, Loretta Herring and Tammi Taylor.

Brighton

• Mayor: Brandon Dean, 300 votes, runoff; Bobbie Watkins (incumbent), runoff, Eddie Cooper, Tyrone Rudoolph, Annie Woods
• Council:
  • Place 1: Marquise Moore, winner; Jo Jo Edwards (incumbent)
  • Place 2: uncontested
  • Place 3: Ashley Henderson, winner; Bruce Taylor
  • Place 4: Shawn Dale-Johnson, winner; Landy Warren (incumbent)
  • Place 5: uncontested

Watkins and Cooper both filed suits challenging Dean's election on allegations of vote fraud (specifically relating to absentee ballots) and evidence that Dean did not live in the city limits. Bessemer circuit judge Eugene Verin called for a recount and inspection of ballots as part of the discovery phase of the lawsuit. He ruled on September 25 that Dean's residence was valid, but that he had not received enough valid votes to avoid a runoff with Watkins. Dean was ordered to vacate the office until a runoff was held.

Center Point

• Mayor: Tom Henderson (incumbent), winner; Frederick Burkes, Annette Stansell
• Council:
  • Place 1: Bobby Scott, 108 votes in runoff (59%, winner); Denise Peagler , 74 votes in runoff (41%), Danny King (incumbent)
  • Place 2: Linda Kennemur (incumbent), winner; Glenn Williams
  • Place 3: Roger Barlow (incumbent), winner; Ric Weide
  • Place 4: James Howell, winner; Raymond Olan (incumbent)
  • Place 5: uncontested

Clay

• Mayor: uncontested
  • Place 1: uncontested
  • Place 2: uncontested
  • Place 3: uncontested
  • Place 4: Bo Johnson (incumbent), winner; Carol Foster
  • Place 5: uncontested

Fairfield

• Mayor: Edward May 925 votes (41%), 1,004 votes in runoff (52%, winner), Johnnie Wyatt 717 votes (32%), 922 votes (48%) in runoff, Omar Young 460 votes (21%), Jennie Craig 66 votes (3%), Rodger Davis (44 votes, 2%), Jack Cleveland (27 votes, 1%), Charles Willis 0 votes (0%)
• Council:
  • Council President: Eddie Penny 1,165 votes (54%, winner); Darnell "Shank" Gardner (incumbent) 1,009 votes (46%)
  • District 1: Barakas Taylor 148 votes (39%), 176 votes (53%) in runoff, winner; F. D. Scott 150 votes (40%), 156 votes (47%) in runoff, Garry "Sarge" Brandy 51 votes (13%), James "Bubba" Reasor 29 votes (8%)
  • District 2: Susan Jo "Rembert" Parks 131 votes (57%, winner), Gloria Matthews (incumbent) 82 votes (35%), Wanda Shelby 18 votes (8%)
  • District 3: Cynthia Turner-McDowell 182 votes (70%, winner), Harry C. Lee Jr (incumbent) 78 votes (30%)
  • District 4: John Hackett, uncontested
  • District 5: Herman Carnes 274 votes (74%, winner), Wanda Erskine 84 votes (23%), Jerry Yarbrough (incumbent) 12 votes (3%)
  • District 6: Willie Hardley (incumbent), uncontested

Gloria Matthews, who had served two years of Primus Mack's term as District 2 representative following his criminal conviction, disputed the results of the election, claiming that absentee ballots and voting machines had been tampered with. Lorene Allen, who managed absentee ballots for City Clerk Ashley Murphy, explained that 20 of the 48 absentee ballots cast had to be rejected for lack of signatures or voter identification.

Mayoral runoff candidate Johnnie Wyatt also claimed that Edward May failed to establish residence in the city before submitting his qualifications for the election and petitioned the Jefferson County Circuit Court to disqualify him.

Fultondale

• Mayor: Jim Lowery (incumbent), winner; Larry Holcomb
• Council:
  • Place 1: Joshua Bryant (incumbent), Timothy "TMac" Williams
  • Place 2: Joe "Coach" Bolton (incumbent), Daniel "Bubbles" Kendall
  • Place 3: Darrell Hubbert (incumbent), Jimmie Lay
  • Place 4: Tommy Loden (incumbent), Patricia "Lynn" Carlton
  • Place 5: Greg Morris, Darrell Bates

Gardendale

• Council:
  • District 1: Allen Jenkins (incumbent), 334 votes (78%) winner; Jerry Campbell 94 votes (22%)
  • District 2: Adam Berendt 208 votes (60%), winner; Dianne Ragland 111 votes (32%), William Smith 25 votes (11%)
  • District 3: uncontested
  • District 4: uncontested
  • District 5: uncontested

Graysville

• Mayor: Julio Davis, 406 votes (53%) in runoff, winner; Mary Sue Morgan (incumbent), 355 votes (47%) in runoff; Mike Tatham
• Council:
  • District 1: uncontested
  • District 2: uncontested
  • District 3: Karen Lauderdale, 88 votes (50.3%) in runoff, winner; Mitzi Lowe, 87 votes (49.7%) in runoff; Betty Cash (incumbent)
  • District 4: uncontested
  • District 5: uncontested
  • District 6: uncontested

Homewood

• Mayor: Scott McBrayer (incumbent) 2,527 votes, winner; Michael Hallman 384 votes
• Council:
  • Ward 1
    • Place 1: Andy Gwaltney, winner; Mary Ellen Snell
    • Place 2: Britt Thames (incumbent), winner; George Terry
  • Ward 2
    • Place 1: uncontested
    • Place 2: Andrew Wolverton, winner; Don Little,
  • Ward 3
    • Place 1: uncontested
    • Place 2: Walter Jones (incumbent), winner; Freddy Azbik
  • Ward 4
    • Place 1: Barry Smith, winner; Wayne Qualls
    • Place 2: uncontested
  • Ward 5
    • Place 1: Jennifer Andress, winner; Rich Laws (incumbent)
    • Place 2: Peter Wright (incumbent), winner; Thomas Reid

Hoover

• See 2016 Hoover municipal election

Hueytown

• Mayor: Steve Ware, 1,424 votes (58%) in runoff, winner; Delor Baumann (incumbent) 1,021 votes (42%) in runoff; Joe Williams
• Council:
  • District 1: Franquela Zinnerman (incumbent), winner; Albert Duff
  • District 2: uncontested
  • District 3: uncontested
  • District 4: Philip Contomo (incumbent), winner; George White
  • District 5: uncontested

Irondale

• Mayor: Charles Moore 1021 votes, winner; Craig Sanderson, 468 votes; Susan Meadows,
• Council:
  • District 1: uncontested
  • District 2: David Spivey, winner; Bob Saunders
  • District 3: Stephen Marino, winner; Christopher Crews
  • District 4: uncontested
  • District 5: Bobby Joe Wilson (incumbent), winner; Aaron Sims

Leeds

• Mayor: David Miller (incumbent) 1041 votes, winner; DeVoris Ragland-Pierce, 662 votes; James "Tac" Whitfield, John Dawson, John R. Patterson
• Council:
  • District 1: uncontested
  • District 2: uncontested
  • District 3: uncontested
  • District 4: uncontested
  • District 5: Linda Stoltz Miller, 135 votes (74%) in runoff; Staci Tawbush, 47 votes (26%) in runoff; Opal Ramsey

Ragland-Pierce filed a complaint to the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk challenging the local election and canvassing of ballots, and citing numerous alleged violations of state code.

Lipscomb

• Mayor: Brenda Renz, 219 votes (82%) winner; Lance McDade (incumbent) 48 votes (18%)
• Council: uncontested

Midfield

• Mayor: Gary Richardson (incumbent) 406 votes (69%), winner; Reginald Wilson 186 votes (31%)
• Council:
  • Place 1: uncontested
  • Place 2: James Reasor (incumbent), 406 votes (68%) winner; David Beach, 194 votes (32%)
  • Place 3: Wendy Merriweather, 399 votes (66%) winner; Jimmie Robinson, 204 votes (34%)
  • Place 4: Janice Anderson (incumbent), 421 votes (69%) winner; Vanessa Long Lewis, 185 votes (31%)
  • Place 5: uncontested

Morris

• Mayor: Joe Pylant (incumbent), 230 votes (65%) winner; Clay Walker, 121 votes (35%)
• Council: uncontested

Mountain Brook

• Mayor: Stewart Welch (unopposed)
• City Council
  • Place 2: Phil Black, winner; Vincent Schilleci, Tripp Watson
  • Place 4: uncontested

Mulga

• Mayor: Keith Varner, 129 votes, winner; Joy Smith, 55 votes; Wayne Jones, Lester Turner,
• Council:
  • District 1: J. Mike Oden, winner; Gwen Higgins Powers
  • District 2: uncontested
  • District 3: uncontested
  • District 4: uncontested
  • District 5: uncontested

Pinson

• Mayor: Hoyt Sanders (incumbent) 453 votes, winner; Richard "Joe" Cochran 359 votes
• Council:
  • Place 1: uncontested
  • Place 2: Shannon Galamore, winner; Michael Brad Walker
  • Place 3: uncontested
  • Place 4: uncontested
  • Place 5: uncontested

Pleasant Grove

• Mayor: Jerry Brasseale (incumbent) 1,625 votes (76.1%), winner; Audrey Boles, 509 votes (23.9%)
• City Council:
  • Place 1: Philip Houston, 958 votes (45.4%) in primary; 659 votes (67%) in runoff, winner; Robert A. Sellers, 687 votes (32.6%) in primary, 325 votes (33%) in runoff, Mary Capps Hardin, 464 votes (22.0%) in primary
  • Place 2: Bob Crumpton, 1,353 votes (64.3%), winner; Priscilla McWilliams, 750 votes (35.7%)
  • Place 3: Ken Hatfield, 1,308 votes (61.2%), winner Yolanda Lawson, 656 votes (30.7%), Marria Mckinney, 172 votes (8.1%)
  • Place 4: Paula Johnson, unopposed
  • Place 5: William Bullion, unopposed

Tarrant

• Mayor: Loxcil Tuck (incumbent) 278 votes (51%), winner; Michael Miller 247 votes (46%); Jimmy Nelson 16 votes (3%)
• Council:
  • District 1: Tanyika Fields, 90 votes (75%) winner; Jim Franklin 30 votes (25%)
  • District 2: Laura Horton (incumbent), 71 votes (51%) winner; Alvin Samples Jr 69 votes (49%)
  • District 3: Cathy Anderson, 64 votes (70%) winner; Douglas Howard 27 votes (30%)
  • District 4: uncontested
  • District 5: uncontested

Trafford

• Mayor: Lee Motes (incumbent), Terry Little
• Council:
  • Place 1: uncontested
  • Place 2: Ryan Reid, Kimberly Thomason
  • Place 3: uncontested
  • Place 4: uncontested
  • Place 5: uncontested

Trussville

• Mayor: Buddy Choat 1,854 votes (35%), 2,968 votes (60%) in runoff, winner; Anthony Montalto 2,091 votes (40%) 1,977 votes (40%) in runoff; Gene Melton (incumbent) 1290 votes (25%)
• Council:
  • Place 1: uncontested
  • Place 2: Alan Taylor, 3430 votes (70%) winner; John Payne 1499 votes (30%)
  • Place 3: Jef Freeman, 2656 votes (57%) winner; Tommy Brewer 1173 votes (25%), Paul Irwin III 794 votes (17%)
  • Place 4: uncontested
  • Place 5: Zack Steele, 2502 votes (51%) winner; Dave Blount 1373 votes (28%), Martha Driggers 1071 votes (22%)

Vestavia Hills

• Mayor: Ashley Curry, 3712 votes (57%), winner; Butch Zaragoza (incumbent) 2771 votes (43%)
• Council:
  • Place 1: Rusty Weaver, 3288 votes (53%) winner; John D. Henley, 2919 votes (47%)
  • Place 2: Kimberly Cook, 3606 votes (57%) winner; Kim Benos 2729 votes (43%)
  • Place 3: Paul J. Head, 2546 votes (40%) runoff; Steve Ammons (incumbent) 2333 votes (37%) runoff; Robert deBuys 1420 votes (23%)
    • Ammons dropped out before the runoff, giving Head the seat.
  • Place 4: George Pierce (incumbent), 4110 votes (66%) winner; Bob Elliott 2082 votes (34%)

Warrior

• Mayor: Johnny Ragland (incumbent), winner; Derek Crane
• Council:
  • District 1
    • Place 1: uncontested
    • Place 2: uncontested
    • Place 3: Charles Mosley, winner; James Edwards, Rickey Bryant
  • District 2
    • Place 1: Jimmy Jett (incumbent), winner; Godfrey Chryssoverges
    • Place 2: uncontested

References

• Hrynkiw, Ivana (August 12, 2016) "Birmingham area municipal elections 2016: What you need to know." The Birmingham News
• Hrynkiw, Ivana (August 23, 2016) "Birmingham area elections 2016: Hoover, Vestavia Hills elect new mayors." The Birmingham News
• Staff reports (August 23, 2016) "Morris Votes: Mayor Joe Pylant reelected" North Jefferson News
• Koplowitz, Howard (September 23, 2016) "Judge orders recount in Brighton municipal elections." The Birmingham News
• Owens, Cody (September 29, 2016) "Runoff election rundown." Weld for Birmingham
• Archibald, John (October 4, 2016) "New election law disqualifies 118 candidates across Alabama." The Birmingham News
• Hrynkiw, Ivana (September 25, 2017) "Brighton Mayor Brandon Dean ordered to vacate office, run-off election ordered." The Birmingham News

External links

• Alabama Votes website