2009 Birmingham municipal election

The 2009 Birmingham City Council election will be held on August 25, 2009, with a runoff on October 6. The ballot will also include Birmingham Board of Education elections.

The council voted on March to change the election date to August from October 13 after being advised by city attorney Lawrence Cooper that more than the usual three weeks would be needed between the election and any runoffs in order to meet the requirements of the federal "Help America to Vote" act. Cooper's office waited until May 7 before applying to the U. S. Department of Justice for approval of the new schedule. A decision was returned on June 20, just days before it would have been too late to make the change.

In order to appear on the ballot, candidates must file qualification papers at the Jefferson County Probate Court by 5:00 PM on August 4.

City Council candidates

The following list of candidates originated with a telephone survey of announced and likely candidates conducted by the Birmingham Times in March 2009. It has been updated by later news reports. Candidates marked as "qualified" have formally filed in probate court:

• District 1
  • Joel Montgomery (incumbent)
  • Lashunda Scales (qualified)
  • Rhonda Robinson
  • Trisha Working
  • George Bowman
  • Johnnie Johnson
• District 2
  • Carol Duncan (incumbent)
  • Yawntreshia Coleman (qualified)
  • Kim Rafferty (qualified)
  • Alvin Rutledge (qualified)
  • Rolanda Hollis (qualified)
  • Carnetta Norman
  • Frank Matthews
• District 3
  • Valerie Abbott (incumbent)
  • Howard Bayless (qualified)
  • Adam Snyder
  • Don Lupo
• District 4
  • Maxine Parker (incumbent)
• District 5
  • Johnathan Austin (incumbent)
  • Charlie Williams (qualified)
  • Kamau Afrika
  • Emmanuel Ford
  • Elias Hendricks
• District 6
  • Carole Smitherman (incumbent)
  • Sheila Tyson
  • Billy Pitts
  • Samuel Wiggins
• District 7
  • Ernestine Williams (qualified)
  • Chiquita Holloway (qualified)
  • Jay Roberson (qualified)
  • Carolyn Johnson
• District 8
  • Steven Hoyt (incumbent)
  • Demetrius Carr
  • Gerri Robinson
  • Bernard Kincaid
• District 9
  • Roderick Royal (incumbent)
  • William Barnes
  • James Williams
  • Art Grayson
  • John Hilliard
  • Leroy Bandy
  • David Merrida
  • David Russell

Board of Education candidates

• District 1
• District 2
• District 3
  • Randall Woodfin (qualified)
• District 4
  • Edward Maddox (qualified)
• District 5
• District 6
• District 7
  • Alana Edwards (qualified)
• District 8
• District 9

References

• Natta, André (November 18, 2008) "Let the 2009 city council races begin." The Terminal
• Lewis, Jessie (March 11, 2009) "One Man's Opinion"
• Kennedy, Joey (March 19, 2009) "Will there be new faces on the Birmingham City Council?" Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (June 16, 2009) "Birmingham city election date still unsettled, week remains until early date possibility dies." Birmingham News
• Williams, Roy L. (June 21, 2009) "Justice Department approves Birmingham officials' request to move election to Aug. 25." Birmingham News
• Ruisi, Anne (July 6, 2009) "Birmingham, Alabama city council, school board have candidates qualifying." Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (July 12, 2009) "Birmingham City Council race rivals Carole Smitherman, Sheila Tyson skirmish in radio ads." Birmingham News