By Barnett Wright
The Birmingham Times
Randall Woodfin, seeking re-election as Birmingham Mayor, has raised $270,000 in seven days for his bid to serve a second term in office.
According to a campaign finance report filed in probate court, Woodfin raised $270,226 from more than 500 contributors last month, in the week beginning August 24, when candidates for the office could begin raising money.
The next scheduled election for Birmingham Mayor is Tuesday, August 24, 2021.
Contributions to the incumbent mayor’s campaign ranged from $10,000 to $1.
The top contributors, according to the finance report, included prominent names such as John Hand LLC ($10,000); lawyer Alexander Shunnarah ($9,000); Coca-Cola Bottling ($5,000); Alabama Power CO Employees State PAC ($5,000); Burr & Furman LLP ($5,000); and dozens of current and retired leaders in business, education and law — not to mention residents citywide.
The list also reflects the mayor’s growing national profile – he spoke during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August – and includes contributors from as far west as California and Oregon; east as New York and Pennsylvania and nearly two dozen states in between.
So far only one person, in addition to Woodfin, has publicly announced a run for the mayor’s seat – Birmingham City Councilor Steven Hoyt, who must relinquish his council seat to run for the city’s highest elected office.
However, potential candidates still have plenty of time to qualify for the upcoming mayoral election which does not begin until the Election Commission calls the vote, likely in June of 2021, although candidates can announce well before then.
Woodfin won his first term in 2017 defeating incumbent William Bell in a runoff with 58 percent of the vote to Bell’s 41 percent. They were the two remaining candidates in a field that began with 12.
