Democratic voters in House District 52 will choose between two nominees Tuesday, each offering distinct approaches to voter concerns.
Kelvin Datcher, Birmingham’s deputy director of community development, will face Frank Woodson, a nonprofit executive and former manager at United Parcel Service (UPS), for the district’s Democratic nomination, which includes a section of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and parts of Fairfield and Homewood. They advanced to the runoff after a primary earlier this month.
Datcher, who finished first in the six-candidate primary with 38% of the vote, said that while addressing issues in education, crime, housing and career development are important, voters in the district want to be heard and engaged by their representatives.
“At a minimum, we need to be in a position where we’re working great jobs, and that we’re preparing people to excel in those roles so they can support their families and build great communities. I don’t think it’s much more complicated than that,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday.
Woodson presents himself as the candidate for change, critiquing Datcher’s ties to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. Woodson said in an interview Monday that Birmingham residents aren’t happy with the city’s homicide rates, neglected properties, and lack of attention to Birmingham’s west side. He said that he’s got the leadership experience in the private and public sector to lead that change.
“If you like what you’ve been getting, go for that direction and you will get more,” Woodson said. “But if we want something better, then we have to embrace change.”
Woodson also accused the Woodfin administration of not partnering as much with local churches and nonprofits, which he believes are crucial for strengthening families and reducing crime and proposed involving these organizations to help families and provide intervention for at-risk youth. Woodson said there is a need for comprehensive community collaboration to address issues in the district.
“They won’t work with the people that are at the grassroots level, who deal with these kids and can send them a different direction. We have to get the whole team on the field, to bring leaders together to work in a concerted effort. That’s all that’s missing,” Woodson said.
Datcher said his connections can be an advantage to serving the district, and that for change to happen, “our city councilors, our county commissioners, our mayors and our state legislators all have to be on the same page and all speak with the same voice,” and said that he is proud to have endorsements from current officials.
“It takes a team approach in order to get this done and to ensure that our community gets the kinds of resources from the state of Alabama that we deserve. This is not a one-man band kind of a thing. This is a team effort,” Datcher said.
The seat was previously held by Rep. John Rogers, who resigned from the House after agreeing to plead guilty to charges of wire and mail fraud and obstruction of justice in March. He was accused of directing hundreds of thousands of dollars for public projects in Jefferson County to a youth baseball league, with a portion of the money being kicked back to an assistant and former romantic partner. Rogers, first elected in 1982, was the longest serving representative in the chamber. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 26 in Birmingham.
The seat is likely to favor a Democratic candidate. The last time a Republican ran in the district was in 2014, when Rogers got almost 77% of the vote against Republican nominee Phillip Bahakel, an attorney.
The runoff winner will face Republican candidate Carlos Crum in the Oct. 1 general election.
This story was republished with permission of Alabama Reflector. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
