From left: Frank Woodson; Randall Woodfin; Lashunda Scales; Brian K. Rice, Juandalynn Givan. (WJLD 104.1 Screengrab)
” data-medium-file=”https://www.birminghamtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Debate-2-300×134.png” data-large-file=”https://www.birminghamtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Debate-2-1024×457.png” />

By Barnett Wright

The Birmingham Times

Five candidates for Birmingham mayor were on stage Tuesday night at the Carver Theatre but it came down to three elected officials who spent most of the night sparring.

Incumbent Mayor Randall Woodfin, seeking a third term in office, was clearly the focus of his four challengers but had to absorb most of the incoming fire from State Rep. Juandalynn Givan and Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales.

Hopefuls Frank Woodson and Brian K. Rice also leveled criticism at the mayor but not with the force of the officeholders who both wore white and were unified the city was headed in the wrong direction and needed new leadership, they said.

The debate was sponsored by WJLD 104.1 FM and moderated by a stern James Williams, a talk show host at the station, who kept both the candidates and audience in check. According to the station only the “leading contenders” were invited to the debate meaning four of the nine qualifiers — Jerimy Littlepage,  Kamau Arika , David Russell and Marilyn James-Johnson — were not on the stage.

Givan, first elected to her House District seat in 2010, said the city had been plagued by a “ran-demic — not a pan-demic — that has run rapid through the city” that has cost the city the water works board; the United Football Birmingham Stallions and hundreds of lives due to gun violence.

Scales, a former City Councilor elected to the County Commission in 2018, said Birmingham was “one of the worst run cities in the state of Alabama” and “… People are leaving the City of Birmingham by the thousands. We’ve lost over 16,000 people in 7 ½ years and we’re still talking about crime is down.” As mayor, she would make hires “in order for this city to run properly,” she said.

But Woodfin seeking a third term in Birmingham’s municipal election set for Aug. 26 was prepared for the tag-team from the start of the 90-minute debate.

“There are some folk on this stage who don’t want you to think Birmingham is making process,” he said in his opening statement. “So tonight you will hear lies from my opponents, tonight you will hear a lot of pessimism from my opponents, tonight you will hear made up numbers from my opponents, tonight you will hear them saying ‘the city of Birmingham is going the wrong direction.’”

Woodfin, first elected in 2017 and 2021, pointed to his record, “Promises made, promise kept,” he said deeper into the debate. “I promised that I would make our city safer and violent crime is now down more than half it was last year; I promised to tear down blight and we have removed thousands of abandoned structures throughout our city, and I promised to open doors for every student in this city and we’ve paved the way for 2,000 students to attend colleges in our state tuition free.”

Woodson said homicides may have decreased, but overall crime was up. “That’s a fact,” Woodson said. “People are not safer. Birmingham is not seen as a safe city. I walk through the neighborhoods and our seniors are afraid to the come to the door. They tell me ‘I’m in here with my .45. I’m in here with my dog and I only go out one to two places.’”

Along with opening and closing statement nearly a half dozen questions ranged on topics from the Birmingham Water Works Board, direct revenue to Black business owners and developers, Neighborhood Association funding, the Mayor Council Act and Housing.

Many responses from the challengers went back to Woodfin.

Speaking about a disparity study, Givan said the city doesn’t need one. “If you drive through Ensley, despair; North Birmingham, despair … go down to Roosevelt City; go to Pratt City, go to Riley, go to Roebuck go to anywhere in this city’s that’s not Forest Park, that’s not Highland Avenue; or that’s not Glen Iris. Dispair is all over the city of Birmingham 99 neighborhoods, 23 communities and not all of them matter except for Southtown, downtown, and Uptown.  We don’t need a study. We need someone in City Hall who is going to fight for the people. Who go and visit the neighborhoods.”

Woodfin replied, “It’s hard to be lectured from a person who just moved into Birmingham the last eight months, or claimed they lived in Birmingham who finally got an apartment. You’re a representative of certain parts of that same Western part of town that you were rolling off and have not done anything for that area. So do nor lecture me.”

Woodfin said viewers heard the tale of two cities but told voters to be “bullish” on Birmingham. “Keep a mayor who is going to be positive about the forward trajectory we are taking this city. What we have not mentioned, and is worth mentioning, is that for the first tune in 30 years Birmingham City Schools saw an increase in its population. That means we are doing something right, that families are choosing to stay here and families want to be here to educate their children in our school system.”

As the debate wound down, after more an hour of jousting, Scales told Woodfin: “In all honesty … I like you mayor. I just don’t like the way you do things. When it comes to business, I have no enemies. You have to learn how to work together to get beyond personalities. When I said we have already have a footprint we do, and it’s already working. But you know the reason why Birmingham is in the shape it’s in? Because of the denial you see right now. You can’t fix what you don’t see as a problem.”

To view the full debate click here