Kelvin Datcher and Frank Woodson qualify for Democratic primary runoff

Democrats in Alabama House District 52 (HD52) voted on Tuesday in the special Democratic primary to advance Kevin Datcher and Frank Woodson. The two will face off in a Democratic party runoff on July 16. The vacancy was created by the resignation of disgraced Alabama House member John Rogers (D-Birmingham).

Datcher and Woodson were the two highest vote getters out of the six Democratic primary candidates.

Kelvin Datcher is the Deputy Director for Community Development with the Birmingham Mayor's office. He is endorsed by the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.

Datcher is a deacon at the Sardis Missionary Baptist Church. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Birmingham Zoo and on the Board of Directors for 100 Black Men of Birmingham. Datcher worked to secure a $50 million Choice Neighborhood grant for the community. He is married, has three children, and a 90 pound dog named Biscuit.

Frank Woodson worked 20 years for UPS. More recently he has worked with "historically disadvantaged families and communities in central Alabama. In 2007, he became the Executive Director of Mission Birmingham, a faith-based community development organization that sought to be a physical demonstration of God's love to the community. After guiding Mission Birmingham into a successful venture with ADECA and HUD to help stabilize communities in Birmingham during the foreclosure crisis, Commissioner Woodson steered Mission Birmingham to play a significant role in Birmingham and throughout the state during the 2011 Alabama tornado outbreak disaster. Subsequently, Governor Robert Bentley appointed him to a Commissioner with the Alabama Service Commission. In 2011, Commissioner Woodson became Executive Director of Mission Birmingham Transformation Strategies in order to create strategic partnerships between the community of faith, corporate, government and our extensive community-based networks," (Woodson's campaign website).

The eventual Democratic nominee will face Republican Carlos Crum in the special general election on October 1.

Rep. Mike Rogers represented HD52 for 42 years. He and Rep. Fred "Coach" Plump (D-Fairfield) both pleaded guilty in a kickback scheme where the two of them and Rogers' ex-girlfriend conspired to defraud a youth baseball recreation league of $300,000. All three of the co-conspirators have agreed to plead guilty in the public corruption investigation

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