Montgomery voters go to the polls on Tuesday to elect their mayor for the next four years. Incumbent Mayor Steven Reed is hoping for re-election and appears to be the frontrunner, according to recent polling.
Reed was first elected in 2019 and is the first Black mayor in the history of Montgomery. Reed is a former Montgomery County Probate Judge and the son of Alabama Democratic Conference Chairman and Alabama Democratic Party Vice Chairman for Minority Affairs Joe Reed. Reed, like his father, is a Democrat.
Reed inherited a prosperous local economy from former Mayor Todd Strange and Governor Kay Ivey. Hyundai is expanding its automobile manufacturing, and the Air Force continues to be a major economic force for the City of Montgomery. Reed and the state of Alabama have worked to lure several new employers to the city.
Like many American cities, Montgomery saw shootings spike in 2020, and crime remains a serious concern.
The Montgomery Advertiser’s Alex Gladdon has interviewed four of the mayoral candidates.
Reed said he is dedicated to building on the progress achieved in Montgomery over the last four years. “From being the state leader in economic development by bringing more than $1.7 billion in investment and 2,000 new jobs to securing $33 million annually for MPS. Of course, public safety remains my top priority as we continue investing at historic levels in police and fire,” Reed said.
Reed says it is time for people to believe in Montgomery and focus on the city’s potential rather than a doom-and-gloom narrative.
Reed emphasized expanding broadband access in the city, dealing with food insecurity, limited transportation, dilapidated infrastructure, and outdated community centers – which he has invested $50 million in through the Montgomery Forward program into our community centers.
Reed said, “Statistics show a decrease in overall crime, but we understand that the effect is significant for those who have been victims. That’s why we remain committed to enhancing public safety in every corner of our city.” Reed says patrols have increased in high-crime areas. The city is working with the state and federal authorities and leveraging technology and training to enhance response capabilities. Reed says the city invested more than $10 million in public safety this fiscal year on top of a 15% salary increase for police and fire personnel last year. “We’re about to graduate one of the largest classes of officers in recent history,” Reed stated.
Barrett Gilbreath appears to be the number one contender. Gilbreath is a real estate investor and entrepreneur running as a non-partisan candidate. Gilbreath has said that he is prioritizing fighting crime.
Gilbreath said that he would also focus on neighborhood cleanliness, recruitment and retention of public safety department personnel, economic development, and improving public education.
Victorrus Felder works for the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Felder is also running as a non-partisan candidate. He says that he would hire a strong cabinet, including a chief human resource officer, to help ensure that all staff are qualified and understand the vision for Montgomery.
Felder says he would avoid partisan rancor and encourage all parties to come to the table and work together, including better relations with the city council and better treatment of city employees.
Felder says that his administration would address: crime, economic development, education, infrastructure, and the city’s cleanliness.
Felder says that the city needs more police officers, and part of that would be achieved by asking former officers who left the MPD in past years to return.
Marcus McNeal is an entrepreneur and the CEO of Effervescent Ventures Inc & Subsidiaries.
McNeal describes himself as an Independent. He says that he would prioritize being a servant of the people. He would focus on the city’s economy, infrastructure, and day-to-day operations, all of which he says “are increasingly declining” under the current administration.
McNeal said that crime, sanitation, emergency response times, education, and lack of transparency and accessibility to the mayor’s office are the most pressing needs for Montgomery.
McNeal said that he would create task forces to deal with the high-crime areas of the city without pulling officers away from neighborhood patrol. He is also calling for an audit of the city’s finances.
There are also city council seats to be decided.
Montgomery is one of the four largest cities in Alabama.
Polls will open at 7:00 am on Tuesday and close at 7:00 pm.
It is too late to ask for an absentee ballot, but if you have one already, fill it out and turn it in on Monday.
Bring a valid photo ID to the polls, as Alabama election law requires a photo ID to participate in any election.
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