On Wednesday, Jefferson County District 2 Commissioner Sheila Tyson announced her endorsement of Alicia Escott Lumpkin’s campaign for Alabama House District 60.
“I’ve never backed down from a fight for our community. I know the kind of leadership it takes to deliver. Alicia is ready to step up. That’s why I’m proud to endorse her,” Tyson said.
Lumpkin touted Tyson’s endorsement as a significant backing just weeks ahead of Alabama’s May 19 primary elections.
“Commissioner Tyson has spent her career standing up for our communities and delivering real results,” Lumpkin said. “To have her support means a great deal to me. I’m ready to bring that same commitment to Montgomery and fight for the people of District 60 every single day.”
Last year, Commissioner Tyson publicly clashed with Lumpkin’s primary opponent, incumbent state Representative Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, after Givan called for bolstering the Birmingham Police Department to address the city’s record-breaking homicide rate.
“When they passed the open carry state law and stand your ground, that’s the main problem. Look at what the crime and what it was and what it is now,” Tyson said last January. “So if she [Givan] gonna blame somebody, she needs to blame herself and the folks in Montgomery.”
In addition to Tyson’s endorsement, Lumpkin’s campaign has also been backed by several prominent state and local leaders, including state Representative Curtis Travis and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
An array of organizations has also endorsed Lumpkin, including the Business Council of Alabama, Alabama New South Alliance, Jefferson County Farmers Federation, For the Future Victory Fund, Alabama Young Democrats, Alabama College Democrats and UAB College Democrats.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee and the Birmingham School of Law, Lumpkin has spent 17 years working for the City of Birmingham, including as the city’s director of process improvement. She is also the niece of Sundra Escott Russell, the first African American woman elected to the Alabama Senate.
