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 includes all incumbents and those challengers who have formally filed in probate court. As of July 26, several of the incumbents listed have yet to file in probate court (Montgomery, Parker, Austin, Hoyt):

• District 1
  • Joel Montgomery (incumbent)
  • Roderick Jackson
  • Brandon McCray
  • Lashunda Scales
• District 2
  • Carol Duncan (incumbent)
  • Yawntreshia Coleman
  • Lawrence Conaway
  • Rolanda Hollis
  • Rodney Huntley
  • Kim Rafferty
  • Alvin Rutledge
• District 3
  • Valerie Abbott (incumbent)
  • Howard Bayless
  • Wil Jones
• District 4
  • Maxine Parker (incumbent)
  • Earnest Lumpkin III
  • Robert Walker
• District 5
  • Johnathan Austin (incumbent)
  • Demus Copeland
  • Brandon Davis
  • Elias Hendricks
  • Charlie Williams
• District 6
  • Carole Smitherman (incumbent)
  • Keith Aaron
  • Samuel Wiggins
• District 7
  • Willie Florence
  • Chiquita Holloway
  • Percy McGowan
  • Jay Roberson
  • Ernestine Williams
  • Angela Wells
• District 8
  • Steven Hoyt (incumbent)
  • Gerri Robinson
• District 9
  • Roderick Royal (incumbent)
  • Leroy Bandy
  • William Barnes
  • David Russell
  • Marcia Starks
  • James Williams

Board of Education candidates

• District 1
  • Martha Wixon (incumbent)
  • Tyrone Belcher
  • Keith Rice
• District 2
  • Virginia Volker (incumbent)
  • Robert Carter
• District 3
  • Brian Giattina
  • Elisa Burns Macon
  • Bob Friedman
  • Randall Woodfin
• District 4
  • Carolyn Cobb (incumbent)
  • Edward Maddox
• District 5
  • Dannetta K. Thornton Owens (incumbent)
  • Emanuel Ford
• District 6
  • Willie Maye, Jr (incumbent)
  • Gwendolyn Bell
  • Ervin Hill
  • Antwon Womack
• District 7
  • Odessa Ashley (incumbent)
  • Alana Edwards
• District 8
  • April Williams (incumbent)
• District 9
  • Phyllis Wyne (incumbent)

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
• Ruisi, Anne (July 25, 2009) "Number of Birmingham, Alabama council, school board election qualifiers swells to 52." Birmingham News