Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Birminghamwatch.org
A jubilant Sheila Tyson celebrated with supporters Tuesday night after she won a second term representing District 2 on the Jefferson County Commission.
As the DJ at L.I.T on 8th played McFadden and Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,” the former Birmingham City Council member declared that she had defeated the Rev. Steve Small Jr.
“With 55 percent of the boxes in, I am at 86 percent of the vote,” Tyson declared. “Our goal was 52 percent of the vote.” At the end of the night, Tyson had held onto that lead, logging 86.5 percent of the vote with 98 percent of precincts reporting.
The commissioner said she was really scared because her campaign had operated on a low budget.
“I had so many wonderful people behind me out in the community,” Tyson said. “I’m a community person. It doesn’t matter to me what you have. I’m not interested in that. I am interested in changing the quality of life of people.
“I don’t have to be the queen,” she said. “I am the queen-maker. We all have our roles in society. The Lord has given us all tasks. He has given me the charge of making and creating power kings and queens. I am excited about it.”
The incumbent brought a cautious optimism into the race, calling herself a humble person.
“I’m not an arrogant person, so for me to say that I wasn’t concerned, I wouldn’t be telling the truth,” Tyson said. “Any time you’re depending on people to put you anywhere, you need a vote. It’s no worse than a trial because you’re depending on people, (and) people do make mistakes.
“But I know I have worked hard in the district,” she continued. “I know from one to 10 (rating) what I have done and I’m right at a 10 because I have a lot more that I want to do. I’m always concerned about the things that I need to do for the citizens in District 2.”
Tyson rattled off a laundry list of things she wants to accomplish in her second term. Those include paving all of Brighton and Lipscomb with MAX transit running through the two cities.
“I want to get Brighton a storm shelter (and) I want to get their stop signs up,” she continued. “The abandoned houses, I want down.
“I’m always working hard work. I can’t do enough,” Tyson said. “No matter what I do, it won’t be enough because I have such a low income and a needy district. I’ve got some work to do.”
