By Barnett Wright
The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has raised more than $600,000 towards his re-election over the past two months including $25,000 from NBA superstar Charles Barkley.
Woodfin has raised $620,380 with a total of 1,027 contributions since fundraising began August 24. That includes contributions from the likes of Barkley, Milwaukee Bucks guard and A.H. Parker grad Eric Bledsoe ($25,000), several area corporations and business leaders.
The next scheduled election for Birmingham Mayor is Tuesday, August 24, 2021 and Woodfin has already received contributions that range from $25,000 to $1, according to the finance reports.
It’s notable to mention that Woodfin has more than half a million dollars in his coffer without a fundraiser.
Also, no challengers have formally announced a run for the mayor’s seat although several current and former elected officials have had emissaries reach out to neighborhood association presidents and others seeking support.
Time is running short for those waiting to oppose the incumbent. Potential candidates have less than a year 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.
