Most Alabama municipalities will hold their municipal elections on August 26. This cycle is trending towards some of the most expensive municipal races in state history. Campaigns obligated under state law are currently submitting weekly campaign finance reports, although the reporting requirements will change to daily starting August 18.
House Bill 156, which passed last year, amended the campaign finance reporting requirements to help candidates in municipal elections where less than $1,000 was raised or spent. That bill allowed candidates in races that don't raise or spend that amount to be exempt from state filing requirements.
The 2025 municipal races with the most spending are in some of Alabama's Big 10 cities, specifically Hoover, Mobile and Birmingham.
The top five city council fundraisers (monetary contributions), excluding those that have already taken place or races where the top fundraisers face no opposition, are:
- Tanveer Patel with $109,417 – Hoover City Council Place 1
- Crystal Smitherman with $98,820 – Birmingham City Council District 6
- Clinton Woods $79,297.96 – Birmingham City Council Place District 1
- Beau Fleming $73,525 – Mobile City Council District 5
- Ben Reynolds $72,472 – Mobile City Council District 4
Tanveer Patel leads the fundraising and spending efforts for council candidates statewide, raising $109,417 in her bid to win an open seat on the Hoover City Council. She has spent $102,266.38, leaving her with $7,150.62 on hand.
Birmingham Council candidate, incumbent Councilwoman Crystal Smitherman, is in second place for both fundraising and spending, while Clinton Woods, running for Birmingham City Council, takes third.
Smitherman has raised $98,820 and spent $77,930.34 in her race against Keith O. Williams. Woods has raised $79,297.96, spending $46,593.69.
With just over $73,525 raised so far, Beau Fleming, who is running for Mobile City Council Place 5, has the fourth-highest amount raised. Place 5 is held by Joel Daves, who announced last April that he would not seek re-election.
Ben Reynolds rounds out the top fundraisers for city council elections. He is running for Mobile City Council Place 4, having raised $72,472. He has spent the least among the top fundraising candidates, with total expenditures of only $29,916.81.
The election will be held on August 26, and although the state does not offer early voting, those who qualify for absentee ballots can cast their votes in person or by mail. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said the application deadline for mail-in ballots for the August 26 elections is August 19. The in-person application deadline is August 21.
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