2007 Birmingham, Alabama mayoral election
October 9, 2007
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| Elections in Alabama |
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| Government |
The 2007 Birmingham, Alabama mayoral election was held on October 9, 2007, to elect the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. Incumbent Mayor Bernard Kincaid ran for re-election to a third term.[1] However, amid rising crime rates, Kincaid faced a difficult re-election campaign.[2]
County Commissioner Larry Langford, who previously ran for Mayor in 1979; attorney Patrick Cooper; former interim Mayor William A. Bell; and City Councilwomen Carole Smitherman and Valerie Abbott emerged as Kincaid's leading competitors. In the election, Langford narrowly won a majority of the vote, receiving 50.3 percent, and avoiding the need for a runoff election.[3]
However, Cooper, who placed second with 30 percent of the vote, declined to concede, noting, "There are some irregularities."[3] Cooper filed a legal challenge to the results, arguing that at the time of the election, Langford was not a legal resident of the city.[4] Cooper's lawsuit was dismissed, and he initially appealed it to the Alabama Supreme Court, seeking to have the case heard on an expedited schedule.[5] However, he dismissed the challenge on December 17, 2007, saying, "I think I was right, but sometimes you must subordinate what you think is right for what is best for the city."[6]
However, Langford did not serve out his full term as Mayor. He was indicted by federal prosecutors on December 1, 2008, on bribery charges,[7] and he was convicted of sixty separate counts of bribery-related charges on October 28, 2009, resulting in his automatic removal from office.[8]
General election
Candidates
- Larry Langford, Jefferson County Commissioner[9]
- Patrick Cooper, attorney[10]
- Bernard Kincaid, incumbent Mayor[11]
- William A. Bell, former interim Mayor[12]
- Carole Smitherman, City Council President[13]
- Valerie Abbott, City Councilman[14]
- Barry Taylor, city inspector[15]
- Darryl Perry, baggage handler[16]
- Raymond Brooks, former Chief of the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service[17]
- Buddy Hendrix, retired attorney, 2003 candidate for Mayor[18]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Larry Langford | 26,230 | 50.33% | |
| Nonpartisan | Patrick Cooper | 15,396 | 29.54% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bernard Kincaid | 4,234 | 8.12% | |
| Nonpartisan | William A. Bell | 3,505 | 6.73% | |
| Nonpartisan | Carole Smitherman | 1,804 | 3.46% | |
| Nonpartisan | Valerie Abbott | 736 | 1.41% | |
| Nonpartisan | Barry Taylor | 71 | 0.14% | |
| Nonpartisan | Darryl Perry | 59 | 0.11% | |
| Nonpartisan | Raymond Brooks | 42 | 0.08% | |
| Nonpartisan | Biddu Hendrix | 41 | 0.08% | |
| Total votes | 52,118 | 100.00% | ||
References
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (August 8, 2007). "Mayor Kincaid wants 4 more years". The Birmingham News. p. 1B. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wolfson, Hannah (October 10, 2007). "City needs new vision, residents say at polls". The Birmingham News. p. 6A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Wolfson, Hannah (October 10, 2007). "Langford wins: Outright: With 50.3%, Langford fulfills pledge to win without runoff". The Birmingham News. p. 1A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Spencer, Thomas (October 18, 2007). "Cooper challenges mayoral election". The Birmingham News. p. 1A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Velasco, Eric (December 5, 2007). "Cooper wants appeal of election to be fast-tracked". The Birmingham News. p. 1B. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Velasco, Eric (December 18, 2007). "Cooper to drop his election challenge". The Birmingham News. p. 1A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Walton, Val (December 2, 2008). "Langford indicted". The Birmingham News. p. 1A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hubbard, Russell (October 29, 2009). "Langford guilty: Mayor convicted on all 60 counts". The Birmingham News. p. 1A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Singleton III, William C. (June 6, 2007). "Langford running for mayor". The Birmingham News. p. 2B. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (December 2, 2006). "City lawyer Patrick Cooper sets post with 'new ideas'". The Birmingham News. p. 1D. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (August 8, 2007). "Mayor Kincaid wants 4 more years". The Birmingham News. p. 1B. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (June 17, 2007). "William Bell announces he'll run for mayor". The Birmingham News. p. 13A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (August 19, 2007). "Smitherman decides to run for mayor". The Birmingham News. p. 13A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (July 29, 2007). "Abbott adds her name to mayoral ballot". The Birmingham News. p. 19A. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (August 9, 2007). "City inspector running for mayor". The Birmingham News. p. 4C. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (September 27, 2007). "Perry wants to woo shoppers back to the city, cut sales tax". The Birmingham News. p. 1C. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bryant, Joseph D. (September 25, 2007). "Ex-fire chief offers bold action for city". The Birmingham News. p. 1B. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wolfson, Hannah (September 26, 2007). "Hendrix's cavalier campaign draws on careers". The Birmingham News. p. 1C. Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "2007 Mayoral Election, Special School Board Election" (PDF). Birmingham City Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2025.