Alicia Escott Lumpkin has broken her silence about the lawsuit filed by State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) challenging Lumpkin's eligibility to run for office.
Lumpkin says Givan did not show up for a Democratic Party hearing. Givan says she's awaiting court action and the hearing "would have been a waste."
Lumpkin defeated Givan, 52% to 34%, in the May primary election.
"Recently, concerns were raised regarding my eligibility to serve as the Representative for House District 60, despite the clear outcome of an election," Lumpkin wrote in a social media post.
"Today, the Democratic Party convened a hearing to revisit those concerns. My team and I arrived prepared and ready to address the matter once again, confident in the truth and in the fact that I complied fully with all legal requirements when qualifying to run for House District 60," she continued. "Unfortunately, the individual who requested the hearing did not show up."
"At the same time, additional legal filings have now emerged, including a petition seeking the recusal of the assigned judge," Lumpkin wrote.
Filings in the case show that Givan is seeking the second judge's recusal due to ties to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and others connected to the case.
RELATED: Alicia Escott Lumpkin defeats four-term incumbent Juandalynn Givan in Dem primary
"As these proceedings continue, my focus remains unchanged, serving the people of House District 60 and advancing the work that matters most to our communities," Lumpkin explained.
"This moment calls for collaboration, civic engagement, and a shared commitment to strengthening participation as we move toward November. Our communities are best served when leadership is focused on solutions, unity, and progress. There is simply too much important work ahead of us to remain distracted by division," Lumpkin closed with.
Givan responded to a request for comment via text.
"My team filed an amended complaint for declaratory judgment on the law. We sent the party notice regarding that fact, as well as we had asked the party to request certain documents that could be cross-referenced, and they didn't," Givan wrote. "We thought it best, in the end, not to attend. It would have been a waste."
Givan is asking the city for evidence that Lumpkin was no longer legally employed by the City of Birmingham when she ran for office.
Alabama Code § 45-37A-52.95(9) states that "No employee of the Mayor's staff shall run for elected office while so employed."
Lumpkin was still employed by the City when she originally qualified to run for the state house.
After a challenge by Givan based on the law, Lumpkin withdrew her candidacy and then re-qualified around January 21, 2026, using a letter of resignation as proof she was no longer employed. Givan says that isn't enough. She's seeking a myriad of documents that would prove, without a doubt, whether Lumpkin was legally still an employee when she ran.
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