DECATUR — Mayor Tab Bowling of Decatur has been pulled into a runoff election against challenger William “Butch” Matthews, a former city councilman from the northwest area of the city.
According to unofficial city results published by the Decatur Daily, Bowling captured 47.81% of the 8,366 votes cast in Tuesday’s municipal election, falling 183 votes short of the total that would have prevented a runoff.
Second place finisher Matthews, who garnered 17.08% of the vote, served one term on the Decatur City Council from 1992-1996. He has run for mayor twice before, in 2000 and 2016. If elected, he would be the first African-American mayor of the River City.
The runoff election between Bowling and Mathews is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6.
There were seven candidates for mayor on the ballot Tuesday night in Decatur. A member of Bowling’s campaign team told Yellowhammer News earlier on Tuesday afternoon that they were prepared for the eventuality of a runoff.
A local businessman who self-funded his campaign, David Childers, placed third on Tuesday with 15.97% of the vote. Childers missed out on the runoff by 93 votes.
Jonathan Ford Baggs got 936 votes, good for 11.19% of the total. Paul Serwatka, John Moore and James Barnum finished in the single digits.
“I feel really humbled and honored to have received the support from our residents last night,” Bowling told Yellowhammer News over the phone Wednesday morning.
Bowling is seeking to be the first mayor elected to two straight terms in Decatur since Bill Dukes left office in 1992. Former Mayor Don Kyle did serve two non-consecutive terms over that 28 year period.
The mayor focused his reelection effort on improvements made in the city under his watch, such as 80 miles of streets that have been widened or resurfaced, and economic investments in the city totaling $1.6 billion.
“Obviously we would have enjoyed going into this day without a runoff, but with six opponents that is pretty tough,” Bowling added on Wednesday.
“We’re going to catch our breath here and then mount a strategy for trying to go into October 6, the runoff election, and come out of that with a victory,” he concluded.
Former Councilman Matthews placed a special emphasis on public transportation in his campaign, saying he would like to implement an Amtrak stop in Decatur and start a public bus system. The former public official is well known in northwest Decatur for years spent coaching youth baseball. A park in that area now bears his name.
Matthews did not respond to a request for comment by Yellowhammer News. He told the Decatur Daily, “I know this, it is an honor and a privilege to be in a runoff with Mayor Bowling,” saying, if elected, he would focus on taking care of municipal matters like making sure the litter got picked up and the grass was mowed.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.