By Barnett Wright
The Birmingham Times
An incumbent Jefferson County commissioner, a Birmingham city councilmember, a former state lawmaker and an area mayor have all qualified for the county commission District 1 seat in what will be one of the most closely watched local races this summer.
Qualifying ended last Friday for the June 5 primary elections. The District 1 race in Jefferson County could be the one of the most competitive in recent memory.
Incumbent commissioner George Bowman is seeking his third consecutive term on the board. However, he must fend off experienced challengers including Lashunda Scales, who in October was elected to her third consecutive term on the Birmingham City Council; Gary Richardson, who is serving his fourth consecutive term as Midfield mayor and Eric Major, a former state lawmaker.
A runoff is likely and will be held July 17, if needed. The general election is Nov. 5 but the winner of the Democratic race in District 1 faces no Republican challenges.
Another county commission race to watch is District 2 where incumbent Commissioner Sandra Little Brown will face Birmingham City Councilor Sheila Tyson; former county commissioner Steve Small Jr. and Birmingham consultant Richard Dickerson.
Brown is seeking her third consecutive term on the commission while Tyson was recently elected in 2017 to the city council for a second consecutive term. The winner does not have a Republican challenger and will get the seat in November.
Here is a listing of some local races and area candidates who have qualified for elected office in the state of Alabama and U.S. House of Representatives.
JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSION
DISTRICT 1
Democrats
George F. Bowman Sr. (Incumbent)
Eric Major (former state legislator)
Gary Richardson (Midfield mayor)
Lashunda Scales (Birmingham City Councilor)
Republicans
None qualified
DISTRICT 2
Democrats
Sandra Little-Brown (Incumbent)
Richard A. Dickerson (Birmingham consultant)
Steve Small Jr. (Former Jefferson County commissioner)
Sheila Tyson (Birmingham City Councilor)
Republicans
None qualified
DISTRICT 3
Democrats
None qualified
Republicans
James A. “Jimmie” Stephens (Incumbent)
Rodney Watson
DISTRICT 4
Democrat
J.T. Smallwood (Jefferson County tax collector)
Republican
Joe Knight (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 5
Democrats
None qualified
Republicans
Steve Ammons (President at Background IQ, LLC)
Jack Williams (Alabama State Representative, House District 47)
SHERIFF
Democrats
Wallace Anger
Heath Boackle (Detective, Birmingham Police Department)
Wilson Hale Jr. (Veteran, state trooper)
Mark Pettway
Republican
Mike Hale (Incumbent)
PROBATE JUDGE
PLACE 1
Democrats
Alan King (Incumbent)
Everett W. Wess (Municipal Court judge, Midfield)
Republican
John Tindle (Attorney)
PLACE 2
Democrats
Willie Florence
Sherri C. Friday (Incumbent)
Jameria Moore (Attorney, Sperling & Moore Law Firm)
Jefferson County Judicial Races
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Democrats
Danny Carr (Assistant district attorney)
Raymond L. Johnson Jr. (Birmingham lawyer)
Republicans
Mike Anderton (Incumbent)
Bill Veitch (Former district attorney)
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, 10TH CIRCUIT
PLACE 1
Democrat
Joseph Boohaker (Incumbent; presiding judge, civil division)
PLACE 5
Democrat
David Carpenter (Incumbent)
PLACE 6
Democrat
Donald Blankenship (Incumbent)
PLACE 7
Democrat
Tracie A. Todd (Incumbent)
PLACE 8
Democrats
Marshell Jackson Hatcher
Brian Plant
Republicans
Monica Agee
Tracey Crisan McDonald
PLACE 9
Democrat
Jim Hughey III (Incumbent)
PLACE 13
Democrat
Carole C. Smitherman (Incumbent)
PLACE 15
Democrats
Patricia Stephens (Incumbent)
Damon T. Watson
PLACE 16
Republican
Teresa T. Pulliam (Incumbent)
Democrats
“Pete” Johnson Davis
Linda Hall
Russ Parker
PLACE 18
Democrats
Raymond P. Chambliss (Family court judge)
Janine Hunt-Hilliard (Special circuit judge, special district judge family court)
PLACE 27
Democrats
Amber Ladner (Special judge, Jefferson County District Criminal Court)
Alaric May (Special circuit judge, special district judge, private practice)
Republican
Leslie Schiffman Moore
JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE
PLACE 3
Democrats
Lashunta “Shun” White-Boler
Frederic Bolling
Clotele H. Brantley (Senior trial court referee, family court)
Pamela Wilson Cousins
Stephanie A. Hunter
Republican
Davis Lawley
PLACE 6
Democrat
Katrina Ross (Incumbent)
PLACE 9
Democrats
Kechia Davis (Special judge, Birmingham Municipal Court)
Glenda Freeman
Debra Weston-Pickens
Sheila Weil
Lou Willie
PLACE 11
Democrats
Chuantae Brown (Attorney, Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office)
Horace Kynard (Attorney, private practice)
Thomas Thrash
Republican
Jill Ganus (Incumbent)
PLACE 12
Democrats
Amyrtle M. Allen
Lorraine Pringle (Incumbent)
DEPUTY CIRCUIT CLERK BESSEMER DIVISION
Democrats
Karen Burks
Incumbent
Lakita Hall-Wright
CIRCUIT CLERK, JEFFERSON COUNTY
Democrats
Jackie Anderson-Smith
Sarah E. “Sarah Beth” Conkle
Cheri Adams Gardner
Venetta Lee
Stephanie J. Muhammad
Thomas W. Parchman, III
Eyrika L. Parker
Elizabeth McGowen Watkins
Ralph Young
Republicans
Phillip Brown
LEGISLATURE
Senate
DISTRICT 18
Democrat
Rodger M. Smitherman (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 19
Democrat
Priscilla Dunn (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 20
Democrat
Linda Coleman-Madison (Incumbent)
House
DISTRICT 52
Democrat
John W. Rogers Jr. (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 53
Democrat
Anthony Daniels (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 55
Democrats
Quang Do
Roderick “Rod” Hampton Scott (Incumbent)
Antwon Bernard Womack
DISTRICT 56
Democrats
Louise Alexander (Incumbent)
Chester W. Porter
DISTRICT 57
Democrat
Merika Coleman (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 58
Democrats
Rolanda Hollis (Incumbent)
Rodney Huntley
DISTRICT 59
Democrats
Chris Davis
Mary Moore (Incumbent)
DISTRICT 60
Democrat
Juandalynn Givan (Incumbent)
Le’Darius Hilliard
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
District 7
Terri A. Sewell (Incumbent)
