Randall Woodfin

Randall Woodfin
Woodfin in 2019
Randall Woodfin
Born	29 5, 1981
Birthplace	Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Known for	34th Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
Education	Morehouse College (BA) Samford University (JD)
Website	[https://www.randallwoodfin.com/ Official site]

Randall Woodfin (born May 29, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 34th mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. First elected in 2017 after defeating incumbent William A. Bell in a runoff election, Woodfin became the youngest mayor of Birmingham in modern history at the age of 36. A native of Birmingham who grew up in the city's neighborhoods, Woodfin built his political career through service on the Birmingham City School Board, where he served as president from 2013 to 2015, and as a city attorney from 2009 to 2017. His mayoral campaigns drew national attention, including an endorsement from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during his first run for office. Woodfin was sworn in for his third consecutive term on November 25, 2025, following what was described as his most lopsided margin of victory across three campaigns. His administration has focused on public safety, blight removal, education initiatives, and the city's fiscal challenges, including a significant pension crisis.

Early Life

Randall Woodfin was born on May 29, 1981, in Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up in the neighborhoods of Birmingham, a city with deep roots in the American civil rights movement and a complex post-industrial economic history. Woodfin's upbringing in Birmingham shaped his understanding of the challenges facing the city, including issues related to education, poverty, and urban decline.

Details regarding his parents and family life during childhood remain limited in available public records. What is documented is that Woodfin maintained strong ties to his hometown throughout his education and early career, ultimately returning to Birmingham to pursue public service after completing his legal education.

His early experiences in Birmingham's public institutions informed his later focus on education policy and youth development as both a school board member and mayor. Woodfin has frequently cited his connection to the city's neighborhoods as a motivating factor in his political career.

Education

Woodfin attended Morehouse College, the historically Black men's college in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Morehouse College, which counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni, has a long tradition of producing leaders in public service and civil rights.

Following his undergraduate studies, Woodfin returned to Alabama to pursue a law degree at Samford University's Cumberland School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor. The legal training he received at Samford would prove foundational to his subsequent career as a city attorney and his approach to municipal governance. His dual background in the liberal arts tradition of a historically Black college and the legal training of a Southern law school positioned him for a career at the intersection of law, education, and public policy in Birmingham.

Career

Birmingham Board of Education

Woodfin's entry into public service began with the Birmingham Board of Education. He was elected to the Birmingham City School Board, where he served as a member before being elected president of the board in 2013. His tenure as school board president lasted from 2013 to 2015, a period during which Birmingham City Schools faced significant challenges including budget constraints, declining enrollment, and questions about academic performance.

Woodfin's involvement with education policy during this period established a theme that would continue throughout his political career. His focus on the city's public schools and the well-being of Birmingham's youth became a central element of his public identity. Years later, as mayor, he would be described in local media as "Birmingham's Education Mayor" for his continued emphasis on educational initiatives.

City Attorney

Concurrently with and following his school board service, Woodfin served as a city attorney for Birmingham from 2009 to 2017. In this capacity, he gained extensive experience in municipal law and the inner workings of Birmingham's city government. His role as a city attorney provided him with direct insight into the legal, financial, and administrative challenges facing the city, knowledge that he would later leverage in his campaign for mayor.

2017 Mayoral Election

In 2017, Woodfin entered the race for mayor of Birmingham, challenging incumbent mayor William A. Bell. The campaign attracted national attention, particularly after Woodfin received an endorsement from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who had built a substantial following during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

The general election advanced to a runoff, held on October 3, 2017, between Woodfin and Bell. Woodfin won the runoff decisively, defeating the incumbent and becoming the 34th mayor of Birmingham. At 36 years old, he became the youngest mayor of Birmingham in modern history, a fact that drew coverage from national outlets including CNN and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Woodfin took office on November 28, 2017, succeeding Bell as mayor.

First Term (2017–2021)

Woodfin's first term as mayor was marked by several major policy initiatives and administrative changes. Among his early priorities was addressing blight in the city. He promised an aggressive approach to demolishing abandoned and deteriorating structures throughout Birmingham's neighborhoods, viewing blight removal as both a public safety issue and a step toward neighborhood revitalization.

On the public safety front, Woodfin's administration undertook significant changes in police leadership. Police Chief A.C. Roper retired, and the mayor moved to make personnel changes at city hall. The city subsequently hired a commander from the Los Angeles Police Department as Birmingham's new police chief, signaling Woodfin's intent to bring outside expertise to the city's law enforcement challenges.

In February 2019, the Woodfin administration unveiled a "peace campaign" designed to counteract violent crime in Birmingham. The initiative represented the mayor's effort to address public safety through a combination of law enforcement and community-based approaches.

A significant challenge during the first term was the city's pension crisis. Birmingham faced a substantial hole in its balance sheet due to impending pension obligations, a fiscal challenge that required careful management and drew scrutiny from local media and policy analysts. In crafting the proposed 2020 budget, Woodfin highlighted what he described as "moral obligations" in allocating the city's resources, attempting to balance fiscal responsibility with investments in city services and infrastructure.

In his January 2020 State of the City address, Woodfin outlined his administration's accomplishments and goals for the future, reflecting on the progress made during his first years in office and the challenges that remained.

An assessment of Woodfin's first two years in office, published by AL.com in November 2019, examined the mayor's record and the extent to which he had fulfilled his campaign promises. The review noted both accomplishments and areas where questions remained about the administration's direction. Separately, concerns were raised in media reports about transparency within the Woodfin administration, with AL.com publishing an investigation in September 2019 under the headline "What's Randall Woodfin hiding?"

COVID-19 Response

The final year of Woodfin's first term was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the mayor moved swiftly to address the public health crisis, unveiling a $15 million COVID-19 response plan that was approved by the Birmingham City Council. The plan allocated resources to address the immediate health and economic impacts of the pandemic on Birmingham residents.

As part of the city's pandemic response, Birmingham residents were ordered to shelter in place, permitted to leave home only for essential activities. The shelter-in-place order was one of the more aggressive municipal responses in Alabama and reflected the Woodfin administration's approach to protecting public health during the early stages of the crisis.

Second Term (2021–2025)

Woodfin successfully ran for reelection and continued to serve as mayor through a second term. During this period, the administration continued to focus on the themes established during the first term, including public safety, education, and economic development in Birmingham.

Third Term (2025–present)

On November 25, 2025, Woodfin was sworn in for his third term as mayor of Birmingham, having won reelection by what was described as his most lopsided margin of victory across his three campaigns for the office.

In a one-on-one interview with WBRC around the time of his swearing-in, Woodfin discussed his third-term priorities. He stated that the city had made significant progress on public safety while acknowledging that challenges remained.

Shortly after beginning his third term, Woodfin undertook a notable senior staff shake-up at Birmingham City Hall. The Birmingham Times reported on the personnel changes, noting that even with his decisive electoral mandate, the mayor's reorganization of his leadership team generated attention and discussion.

In early 2026, the Woodfin administration advanced a proposal to create a designated daytime space—described as an "Urban Oasis"—for people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham. The proposal reflected the administration's approach to addressing homelessness through the creation of dedicated resources and spaces for the city's unhoused population.

Also in early 2026, political developments involving members of Woodfin's staff attracted media attention when Alabama Democratic leaders issued rulings on efforts to keep two of the mayor's aides off primary ballots. Kelvin Datcher and Alicia Lumpkin had submitted separation letters signed by Mayor Woodfin after eligibility challenges were filed against their candidacies.

The early months of Woodfin's third term were also marked by a public dispute with Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales. A six-minute recorded phone call between the two officials was published by AL.com in January 2026, capturing what the outlet described as a tense exchange.

Woodfin's continued emphasis on education was highlighted by The Birmingham Times in December 2025, which profiled his efforts in this area under the headline "Randall Woodfin Builds on Legacy as Birmingham's Education Mayor." The article described the mayor arriving at a Birmingham school on an overcast Wednesday morning, underscoring his hands-on approach to education-related initiatives in the city.

Personal Life

Woodfin is a lifelong resident of Birmingham, Alabama. He has maintained strong ties to the city's neighborhoods and institutions throughout his career, having returned to Birmingham after attending Morehouse College in Atlanta. Beyond the details of his educational background and career in public service, Woodfin has kept much of his personal life out of the public spotlight. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Recognition

Woodfin's election in 2017 drew national attention as a significant political event, particularly given his status as the youngest mayor of Birmingham in modern history and the support he received from prominent national figures such as Bernie Sanders. His campaign and election were covered by national outlets including CNN and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, placing Birmingham's municipal politics in a broader national context during a period of significant political activity in the United States.

Within Birmingham, Woodfin's focus on education earned him recognition as the city's "Education Mayor," a designation highlighted in local media coverage of his third-term initiatives. His ability to win three consecutive mayoral elections, each by significant margins, reflects a sustained level of voter support unusual in Birmingham politics.

Legacy

As of early 2026, Woodfin is in the midst of his third term as mayor and his legacy remains in active development. Several themes have defined his tenure. His emphasis on education, beginning with his service on the Birmingham City School Board and continuing through his mayoral initiatives, has been a consistent thread throughout his public career. The "Education Mayor" designation reflects this sustained focus.

His approach to public safety—encompassing the hiring of a new police chief from outside the city, the launch of the Peace Campaign, and ongoing crime reduction efforts—represents another significant area of his administration's work. By his third term, Woodfin stated that the city had made notable progress on public safety, though he acknowledged that challenges persisted.

The blight removal campaign, the COVID-19 response, and the handling of the city's pension crisis represent additional dimensions of his administration's record. His election in 2017 as the youngest mayor in Birmingham's modern history, with the backing of a prominent national political figure, established him as a notable figure in Southern urban politics. Whether his three terms ultimately reshape Birmingham's trajectory in areas such as education, public safety, and fiscal health will be assessed over the coming years as the long-term effects of his policies become clearer.