Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Josh Vasa knew going into Tuesday’s District 3’s Birmingham City Council elections he would have big shoes to fill after Valerie Abbott stepped down after six terms.
“She [Abbott] served for almost 24 years and in that [time] she missed a total of two, maybe three council meetings …,” Vasa said. “She showed up to every neighborhood association meeting; the word that pops out is ‘dedication.’”
On Tuesday, Vasa received 2,922 votes, or 83.8 percent against candidate Ryan Jones, to replace Abbott, who represented the district for the past 23 years. She also endorsed him for the seat. And he knows that had a lot to do with his margin of victory.
“The reason that folks voted is because we did have the support of a longstanding councilor and knowing that I had her endorsement made the community feel like there was some sense of succession planning and there wasn’t some stranger who has not been doing the work and does not understand the community,” said Vasa, Chief Operating Officer for Woodlawn United Community Development.
With approximately 20 years of experience in public service and nonprofits, including roles at Birmingham-Southern College and McWane Science Center, Vasa said he looks forward to picking up where Abbott left off.
“… whatever it is that the community is interested in, you listen to them, hear what’s important. I believe in the radical notion that communities typically know what’s best for them … the job of the city councilor is to advocate and legislate based on feedback from the community.”
In the other council races, Clinton Woods (District 1); Crystal Smitherman (District 6) and Wardine Alexander (District 7) all were easily re-elected. Hunter Williams (District 2) and Darrell O’Quinn (District 5) were unopposed.
There will be runoffs in Districts 4, 8 and 9.
A candidate must receive 50.1 percent of the vote before being declared the winner. In races for which no candidate reaches that threshold, a runoff election will be held on October 7.
District 4
Brian Gunn received 1,429 votes or 41 percent to incumbent JT Moore’s 1,109 or 31.8 percent
Gunn, a Norwood resident, who serves as a Senior Engagement Manager at Measures for Justice, a nonprofit organization focused on criminal justice reform through data transparency and has also held roles with REV Birmingham, CBG Strategies, and Direct Communications, will face off against incumbent J.T. Moore, a native of Ensley, first elected in 2021 and has a background in youth development and civic engagement, having worked with Alabama Possible, A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club, and Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham.
District 8
In District 8, where nine hopefuls were looking to replace Carol Clarke who decided not to seek a second term, April Williams received 1,408 votes or 32.2 percent to Sonja Q. Smith’s 1.388, or 31.7 percent.
Williams, a longtime Birmingham resident and former U.S. Postal Service manager, previously served three terms on the Birmingham Board of Education representing District 8.
Smith, a lifelong Birmingham resident, currently serves as the district 8 representative on the Birmingham Board of Education — a role she’s held since 2017. She holds a bachelor’s in music from Birmingham-Southern College (2003) and a master’s in music and piano pedagogy from LSU (2006).
District 9
Incumbent LaTonya Tate received 2,062 votes of 44.5 percent to John Hillard’s 1,344 or 29 percent. This is a rematch of the 2021 race where Tate unseated Hillard. Tate chairs the Council’s Public Safety Committee and is a member of the Arts & Culture and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees. In 2018, she founded the Alabama Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform. She also leads local initiatives such as the RESTORE program for juvenile re-entry and “205 in Park,” a youth-driven civic engagement project.
Hilliard, a former state representative and Birmingham City Councilor, lost to Tate in the 2021 election, will be in a runoff. He previously represented House District 60 from 1993 to 2003 in the state legislature and served on the City Council from 2017 to 2021.
Updated to correct the Josh’s first name.
