Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin this week filed his 2020 year-end finance report, showing $1,003,783 raised so far with $1,000,756 cash on hand for his upcoming campaign.

Woodfin officially announced his reelection bid last week and already has a big cash advantage.

In fact, the recent donations to Woodfin are records for any Birmingham municipal race in both the total dollar amount raised and the number of contributors. In all, the incumbent mayor received more than 2,000 contributions.

The 2021 race is shaping up to be an interesting one, as Jefferson County Commission President Pro Tem Lashunda Scales and former Auburn football player Chris Woods have already announced candidacies. Additionally, former Mayor William Bell, who Woodfin beat in 2017, has indicated he will again seek the office.

“We are humbled and grateful that so far more than 2,000 people have supported our campaign financially,” Woodfin said in a statement. “This is a sign that people are seeing the results of our efforts to change the culture at City Hall to put people first and to invest in all 99 neighborhoods. While there is still much work to be done, people recognize that progress is taking place even in the face of challenges the likes of which our city has never seen before.”

Campaign supporters, including State Rep. Rolanda Hollis (D-Birmingham) and Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, say Woodfin’s leadership during the ongoing pandemic has not only served the residents and businesses of the Magic City but also steered decisions made later by the county and the state. Despite COVID-19, Hollis and Tyson advise, the Woodfin administration has continued to improve Birmingham communities, from paving streets and removing blight, to creating jobs, supporting education and reducing overall crime.

“I am proud to have worked arm in arm with Mayor Woodfin on the City Council and now on the County Commission,” Tyson stated. “The progress that has been made has been remarkable. We still have challenges ahead of us, but with the leadership of Randall Woodfin, our city is well on its way. Everywhere I go people are excited about the future of Birmingham.”

Hollis specifically cited Woodfin’s work to rise above past the administration’s infighting and controversies to work with the city council, legislative delegation, county commission and others to get things done in a constructive manner.

“Mayor Woodfin has put in the time to build relationships and partnerships with our other elected officials,” Hollis concluded. “For the first time in my experience, we are all working together in the same direction. That has resulted in job growth, increased funding for our schools, the removal of blight across our city, record investment in new facilities and new jobs, and so much more. The sky is the limit of what we can do over the next four years with Mayor Woodfin at the helm.”

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn