House District 52 Democratic primary heads to run-off; 2nd place unclear

A roll of "I voted" circular stickers. A Democratic primary in a Birmingham-area House district is headed to a runoff. (Getty)

The race for the Democratic nomination in a Birmingham-area House seat is headed to a runoff, but it wasn’t quite clear Tuesday evening who the second candidate will be.

As of 8:54 p.m. Tuesday, Kelvin Datcher, deputy director for community development for Birmingham, had 510 votes (38%) in unofficial returns and will move on to the run off. But the race for second place was tight. Fewer than three votes separated Frank Woodson, a nonprofit leader, and LaTonya Millhouse, a community relations manager at Oak Street Health. Woodson had 239 votes (17.78%); LaTonya Millhouse had 236 votes (17.56%).

The runoff will take place on July 16, and the winner will face Carlos Crum, the only Republican to qualify, in the October 1 general election.

Datcher said in an interview Tuesday evening that as a first-time candidate, he’s proud to have come in first, and he said that he’ll continue to meet the community.

“We’re just going keep doing what we’ve done, which is, knock on doors, from Fairfield to Homewood to Birmingham to Mountain Brook, to go to community events, to continue to understand and learn about the challenges and concerns that our folks are facing,” he said.

Millhouse said that she already asked Probate Judge James P. Naftel for a recount, alleging at least one precinct didn’t follow procedure.

“It’s just not adding up. The math is not mathing,” she said Tuesday night over the phone.

Messages seeking comment were left with Woodson.

During the campaign, the candidates largely focused on similar issues. In separate interviews, candidates discussed topics such as education, health care and community safety .

Multiple candidates identified education as a primary issue for multiple candidates, and had differing views on how to address concerns. Datcher said he supported increased teachers’ pay, reduced classroom sizes, and funding for arts and music programs.

Access to health care was also a concern among candidates, who largely said they support Medicaid expansion, citing economic benefits and improved access to health care. Millhouse said there is an urgent need for Medicaid expansion, which she believes will bring more jobs and stimulate millions of dollars.

Candidates also seemed concerned about community safety. Most candidates said there was a need for safer communities, with some tying safety to economic development and educational progress. Woodson said that crime in Birmingham should be a concern for everyone in Alabama, and that it could very well go beyond the cities.

The seat was previously held by Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, who agreed to plead guilty to charges of wire and mail fraud and obstruction of justice and resign from the House 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. The seat is likely to favor the 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.

This story was updated at 10:09 p.m. to include comment from LaTonya Millhouse.

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