1965 Birmingham municipal election

The 1965 Birmingham municipal election was held in 1965 to fill five open at-large seats on the two-year old Birmingham City Council.

Nina Miglionico and Alan Drennen won re-election in the first vote on October 12. Three seats went to a run-off, which was won by E. C. Overton, Liston Corcoran and R. W. Douglas. Douglas' last-place finish gave him a two-year term.

While about half of eligible black voters turned out for the run-off, only a fourth of white voters did. The election was one of the first to be influenced by the Jefferson County Progressive Democratic Council. The Birmingham News editorialized against "bloc voting," but black leaders like John Nixon were hopeful that it would help bring much-needed representation onto the council.

A bomb was placed outside Miglionico's home on Essex Road during the 1965 campaign. The device was discovered and disarmed by her father, Joe Miglionico.

References

• Cotton, Stephen E. (November 13, 1965) "Birmingham Negroes Get the Men They Want." Southern Courier