Call it old school vs. new school.

William Bell, the Jefferson County Commissioner who ran twice for mayor, and Patrick Cooper, the attorney who ran once, will have 6 weeks to convince Birmingham voters before the Jan. 19 runoff.

In today’s race, unofficial results show Cooper (shown at near left) led handily with 40.1 percent, or 13,992 votes, while Bell (far left) came in second with 25.1 percent, or 8,752 votes.

City council member Carole Smitherman finished third with 18.8 percent, and attorney Emory Anthony came in fourth with 12.4 percent.

The 26 percent turnout today was down from 45 percent in 2007.

Fourteen candidates entered the race, but Ernie Dunn died before Election Day. The special election was held to replace convicted former mayor Larry Langford. Cooper or Bell would serve less than 2 years, until the next election in 2011.

Note: Numbers updated as results come in.

What’s your prediction? Will it be Bell or Cooper come January?

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Birmingham to choose from 13 candidates Tuesday

For the third time this year, Birmingham voters will visit the polls. Tuesday’s special election focuses on mayor, an office suddenly open after Larry Langford’s federal conviction in October.

We have found that 6 weeks is barely enough time to have an election, much less evaluate more than a dozen candidates.

Even though the winner will hold office for less than 2 years before the next election, much is riding on the outcome.

For starters, the city is in jeopardy. Bernard Kincaid seemed glacial in doing anything to move Birmingham forward. That stasis seems preferable to the rapid plunge into financial chaos and political embarrassment wreaked in just 2 short years by Larry Langford.

His reign of error ended only with the say of 12 jurors. But City Hall is in shambles, as is the public trust.

We’re building a dome, renovating Fair Park Arena and beginning to successfully fight crime. And yet, the budget has been criminally neglected (and perhaps, deliberately fudged). Carole Smitherman spent less than a month as interim mayor before the newly seated council tapped Roderick Royal as council president, thus taking over the interim mayoral duties.

In short, much confusion, little time and wary voters.

‘The candidates have failed
to distinguish themselves.’

The candidates have failed to distinguish themselves. The much heralded Patrick Cooper has raised (and spent) a lot of cash, but by doing so seems to be influenced by out-of-town interests. He missed high-profile forums, which has the odor of the artful dodge. While he made a splash in 2007 by receiving almost 30 percent of the vote, Cooper has done little since then to demonstrate his capacity for leadership.

With Smitherman and William Bell, we have two seasoned politicians who have served as interim mayor, albeit briefly, and lost in a combined five campaigns for the top office. Smitherman, a self-described mother figure, voted with Langford on many budget busters and wants to continue his projects, even as the city goes broke.

Bell, who picked up Langford’s unsolicited endorsement, also seems enmeshed in old school ways, both in campaigning and in office. He needs to continue and finish his work on the Jefferson County Commission: fixing its $3 billion sewer debt calamity.

Steven Hoyt is serving in his second term on council and recently was voted president pro tempore under questionable circumstances (the new acting mayor Royal voted, even though he was not allowed). When given the chance to fix things, he declined. Imagine what he’d do with real power.

Scott Douglas, one of the outsiders, has a good record of service to the city. And while his green platform might work in a more progressive and more solvent city, he seems to have no solution on getting the city’s finances back on track.

Emory Anthony ran twice against longtime mayor Richard Arrington in the early 1990s and lost. The defense attorney wants to bring the city’s finances in order, with transparency and accountability. The question is: Can he back it up?

We aren’t certain. We’re picking a mayor at gunpoint Tuesday, and chances are, we’ll still end up taking a bullet or two.

• • •

Voting takes place from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. A runoff, if needed, will take place Jan. 19.

Q: Where do I vote?

A: The answer is a call away. Jefferson County: 325-5550.

Or try AlabamaVotes.gov and click on “Search for My Polling Place.”

Join us Tuesday for election results
on Wade on Birmingham.

Remember, if you have problems at your polling place:

• Notify a poll worker immediately.
• Obtain a complaint/evaluation form (or download jpgs of pages 1 and 2). Print it, fill it out, copy and mail it.
• Call the state attorney general at 1-800-831-8814 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday or fill out this online form.
• Call the secretary of state at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or visit her site, StopVoterFraudNow.com.
• And tell the probate court for Jefferson County (325-5203).
• Leave a comment below.

Q. Who’s running for mayor?

A. The 13 candidates …

Emory Anthony	William Bell	T.C. Cannon	Patrick Cooper
Scott Douglas	Steven Hoyt	Stephannie Huey	Edith Mayomi
Carole Smitherman	Jimmy Snow	Jason Sumners	Jody Trautwein
Harry “Traveling Shoes” Turner

Note: Ernie Dunn died on Thursday.

Also:

• Birmingham News editorial board endorsement: “(Emory) Anthony brings a regional approach to governing that has been in far too short supply.”
• Kyle Whitmire of the Birmingham Weekly on the financial crisis: “Few candidates in the special-called mayoral election have demonstrated an understanding of what faces the city.”
• One blogger’s take? None of the above.
• Patrick Cooper leads fund-raising, but also campaign debt.
• Pavo Magazine podcast discusses the candidates.
  [audio:http://www.pavomag.com/sites/default/files/audio/Mayoral%20Race%2012_2_09%20Edit%201.mp3]

Are you voting? Who has your vote? Vote in the poll above, and leave a comment below.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Emory Anthony, an attorney, is one of 13 Birmingham mayoral candidates.

Video: CBS 42 interview

WBHM (90.3 FM) interview:
[audio:http://www.wbhm.org/songs/emoryanthony.mp3]

Election Day is Tuesday.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Birmingham mayoral town hall: from left,
Emory Anthony, William Bell and Scott Douglas.

Five candidates for mayor of Birmingham came to Tuesday’s town hall. The event, sponsored by progressive young professional group Catalyst, took place at WorkPlay before hundreds of attendees.

Topics ranged from the budget to the arts to local food, with questions from audience members and the moderator.

The participants:

• Emory Anthony;
• William Bell;
• Scott Douglas;
• Steven Hoyt;
• Carole Smitherman.

(Organizers invited Patrick Cooper, who did not attend citing previous commitments. At the beginning of the event, T.C. Cannon asked to participate but was denied.)

From left, Steven Hoyt, Carole Smitherman
and moderator Natalie Davis.

Included below are audio clips of the candidates’ responses.

1. Candidate introductions
Order: Anthony, Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman.
[15 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-1.mp3]

Moderator questions

2. Fixing the city’s financial mess
Order: Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony.
[9 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-2.mp3]

3. Where to cut city budget
Order: Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony, Bell.
[4 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-3.mp3]

4. What do you want to be your biggest accomplishment in 2 years as mayor?
Order: Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony, Bell, Douglas.
[5 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-4.mp3]

Audience questions

5. How can the mayor facilitate partnerships among families, schools and communities?
Order: Smitherman, Hoyt, Douglas, Bell, Anthony.
[7 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-5.mp3]

6. Air pollution
Order: Hoyt, Douglas, Bell, Anthony, Smitherman.
[7 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-6.mp3]

7. Supporting local food initiatives / community gardens
Order: Douglas, Bell, Anthony, Smitherman, Hoyt.
[6 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-7.mp3]

8. Arts funding
Order: Bell, Anthony, Smitherman, Hoyt, Douglas.
[5 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-8.mp3]

9. Making it a “Magic City” / attracting young people
Order: Anthony, Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman.
[6 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-9.mp3]

10. If you don’t win, how will you make Birmingham better during the next 2 years?
Order: Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony.
[6 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-10.mp3]

11. Closing statements
Order: Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony, Bell.
[9 min.]

[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/BirminghamMayoralTownHall12-01-09/BirminghamMayoralTownHall2009-11.mp3]

Also: a town hall report from the Birmingham News.

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

A group calling itself the Birmingham Roundtable has scheduled a debate for Dec. 3, but has invited only five of the 14 candidates for mayor.

How did the Roundtable form?

A few weeks ago, a lively debate about the future of Birmingham politics broke out at downtown’s Surin West. The result? A group of young, working Alabamians decided to make their voices heard and organize a debate of the five leading candidates.

This informal group, led by Tracie A. Todd, included young African-American lawyers, grassroots organizers, bankers, teachers, politicians and business professionals. The group has coined itself the Birmingham Roundtable … dedicated to engaging young adults in the political and civic communities.

Birmingham Roundtable mayoral candidate debate

• When: 6 p.m. Dec. 3
• Where: Vulcan Conference Room, Highland Conference Center, 2012 Magnolia Ave. [map]
• Format: debate. Organizers invited Emory Anthony, William Bell, Patrick Cooper, Stephen Hoyt and Carole Smitherman; so far Anthony, Bell and Hoyt have accepted.
• For more information: See the Urbanham.com story or e-mail organizer Tracie A. Todd at tracietodd9@hotmail.com.

Other upcoming forums:

• Nov. 30: Birmingham Business Alliance candidate forum
• Dec. 1: Catalyst 2009 mayoral town hall

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Two more candidates are in the race for mayor of Birmingham bringing the total to 14.

• T.C. Cannon — retired bar owner and former president of the Southside neighborhood association. He placed eighth in the 2003 mayoral election.
• William Jason Sumners — no information available.

Also, Natalie Davis, political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College, and André Natta, publisher of the Terminal, discuss the candidates and themes so far in this election.

Here’s the final list of candidates:

• Emory Anthony
• William Bell
• T.C. Cannon (see above)
• Patrick Cooper
• Scott Douglas
• Ernie Dunn
• Steven Hoyt
• Stephannie Sigler Huey
• Edith Mayomi
• Carole Smitherman
• Jimmy Snow
• William Jason Sumners (see above)
• Jody Trautwein
• Harry “Traveling Shoes” Turner

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Carole Smitherman, who has been serving as interim mayor for the past 2 weeks, wants a shot at the real thing.

Smitherman announced today her intent to enter the race, after having run unsuccessfully in 2003 and 2007. She said her official announcement is coming, but only after she takes care of more city business.

And she has been busy. As city council president, she automatically became mayor with former mayor Larry Langford’s conviction in October. She fired chief of staff Deborah Vance-Bowie and accepted the resignation of finance director Steve Sayler, all related to the city budget which may be missing $20 million.

Vance-Bowie countered Smitherman’s claim that Vance-Bowie was partially responsible for the city’s budget problems, sharing a series of e-mails between her and Sayler to illustrate Sayler’s lack of cooperation.

Smitherman, an attorney, has served on the council since 2001. Before that, she served as a circuit court judge, municipal court judge and prosecutor for the City of Irondale.

Her candidacy makes for a field of six, including Emory Anthony, Patrick Cooper, Stephannie Huey, Edith Mayomi and Jimmy Snow.

Her campaign site, SmithermanforBirmingham.com, from her 2009 council bid is still online.

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Also running for Birmingham mayor, besides Emory Anthony and Patrick Cooper, are …

• Stephannie Sigler Huey, who ran for mayor in Denver, and also finished in 14th place running for mayor of Birmingham in 2003. Huey is a teacher in the Birmingham school system and a pastor with the God’s Holy Tabernacle Church. She wants to reduce crime and make schools safer.
• Edith Mayomi, an employee at Jefferson State Community College.
• Jimmy Snow, an Avondale resident who wants to reform City Hall. He told the Birmingham News: ”I really do not care to be mayor, but I am willing to do what needs to be done.”

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Defense attorney Emory Anthony is entering the race for mayor in Birmingham. This makes him the second candidate to announce, following Patrick Cooper’s kickoff on Thursday.

Anthony’s focus will be on education, jobs and transportation. He also says he’ll check the city’s finances to determine whether the domed stadium and Fair Park redevelopment can continue.

Previously, Anthony served as dean of Miles College Law School, municipal judge and prosecutor for the Jefferson County District Attorney, and a legal adviser to then Mayor Bernard Kincaid. This is his third run for mayor; he also ran once unsuccessfully for state Senate.

The election takes place Dec. 8.

Also:

• John Archibald of the Birmingham News sizes up possible mayors Anthony, William Bell, Cooper and Carole Smitherman.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

With the conviction of Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, a vacancy has emerged at City Hall. (Well, two, but we’ll get to that.)

The city’s election commission has set a special mayoral election for Dec. 8, just 36 days away. Candidates must file by Nov. 18 to qualify.

Who’s on the possible short list? Patrick Cooper, Emory Anthony, Carole Smitherman, Stephen Hoyt, even Richard Arrington. The Birmingham News and Birmingham-Southern political science professor Natalie Davis weigh in.

Meanwhile, several other post-Langford headlines caught our eye today …

• Langford appointee Steve Sayler resigned today. He was the city’s finance director, and was Jefferson County’s finance director under Langford. Acting Mayor Smitherman, who said Sayler didn’t keep the council or the mayor’s office fully informed on city finances during his tenure, has ordered a comprehensive review of the books.
• Langford testified after his election as mayor in 2007 that he’d move to Birmingham. He lied, as unsealed court documents show he maintained two residences, but lived at his Fairfield address. See his full financial disclosure statement.
• A “Free Larry” campaign? Yes, as brought to you by Langford appointee/God’s Gangster Frank Matthews.

More Vote 2009 coverage.