5 Takeaways From Tuesday's Tuscaloosa Municipal Election

Tuscaloosa AL

03 March, 2021

12:46 AM

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TUSCALOOSA, AL — After months of campaigning and fundraising ahead of Tuesday's Tuscaloosa Municipal Election, the battle trail is over for some, while two races will only heat up in the next month ahead of April's runoff to the municipal election. Want to show the love by supporting local journalism? Click here to help Tuscaloosa Patch keep growing for as little as $5 a month! Here are my five biggest takeaways from Tuesday night and what they will mean for City Hall in the coming term. Cassius Lanier, who continues to make headlines as he faces his prior felony record juxtaposed to a fledgling political career, narrowly defeated incumbent Sonya McKinstry in the District 7 City Council election. After serving time in prison on drug charges, he would go on to graduate from college and own Lanier Automotive, while also getting his voting rights restored. As previously reported by Kelvin Reynolds of WBRC Fox 6 News, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said if Lanier doesn't receive a certificate of election eligibility by the same board no later than May 17 — inauguration day — then he cannot legally serve.In securing his fifth term in Tuscaloosa's highest office, Mayor Walt Maddox, 48, will be tasked with leading the city out of the coronavirus pandemic, both from a public health and economic standpoint. New virus cases continue to trend down locally and the economy has become more stable in recent months, which will both likely prove beneficial to a new City Council dynamic. It's worth noting that District 4 Councilor Lee Busby won a new term without opposition, signaling high satisfaction among his constituents in a district central to Tuscaloosa's restaurant and entertainment economy. While District 5's Kip Tyner, who handily won re-election, will be the most-senior council member, look for Busby to be a frontrunner to serve as the next City Council president in place of District 1's Cynthia Lee Almond, who announced in June she would not seek re-election. Another Council shakeup saw Norman Crow grab 65% of the vote, winning outright in a three-candidate race for the open District 3 seat. Incumbent District 2 Councilor Raevan Howard claimed an outright victory in a four-candidate race, pulling in 53% of the vote. Howard has been a vocal proponent for police reform in the city, spearheading many initiatives to promote a proactive approach to community engagement by the Tuscaloosa Police Department. As Maddox's multifaceted Project Unity initiative comes to fruition, you can expect Howard to be a major player. Lesley Powell and Kendra Williams both saw landslide victories on Tuesday for races to serve on the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education, while District 6 incumbent Eddie Pugh (860 votes or 36%) and John Faile (939 votes or 40%) will face off in an April 13 runoff. In another hotly-contested City Council race, Que Chandler (447 votes or 32%) and Matthew Wilson (608 votes or 44%) will both seek to represent District 1. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.