The filing deadline to run for elected office in Birmingham, Alabama, is on July 10, 2021. Prospective candidates may file for the following nonpartisan offices:
• Mayor
• All nine seats on the city council
• Nine of the 10 seats on the Birmingham City Schools school board
The general election is scheduled for August 24. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election, the top two candidates with the most votes will advance to a runoff election on October 5, 2021.
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama and the 99th-largest in the U.S. by population.
June 10, 2019: Sen. Jon Tester endorsed Steve Bullock for president. Most Democrats spent the weekend campaigning in Iowa at party and Pride events.
Share the latest from the campaign trail.
There are eight new candidates running since last week, including three Democrats, three Republicans, and one Libertarian. Nineteen candidates are no longer running. In total, 733 individuals are currently filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president.
“If you want to survive, and you want to get the nomination, you have to kill the bear. [Biden is] the biggest bear in the woods. … If he survives and he gets to Iowa, he’s going to be tough to stop.”
– Hank Sheinkopf, Democratic strategist
Democrats
The Des Moines Register compiled the key moments from 19 Democratic presidential candidates’ speeches at the state Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
During an interview on Cheddar’s Need2Know podcast, Michael Bennetdiscussed student loans, climate change, and why he prefers the term “pragmatic idealist” to “centrist.”
Joe Bidenwill campaign across Iowa Tuesday and Wednesday with stops in Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant, Davenport, and Clinton.
While campaigning in Iowa, Bill de Blasio said he was making mental health policy one of the centerpieces of his campaign.
Sen. Jon Tester endorsed fellow Montanan Steve Bullock for president Sunday. He is the tenth Democratic U.S. senator to make an endorsement in the 2020 presidential election.
Julián Castrospoke with local officials about water filtration systems and food insecurity during a visit to Flint, Michigan.
Mike Graveldiscussed Brexit, economic development in Africa, and regime change in the Middle East in an interview with Cherwell.
While speaking at an NAACP event in South Carolina, Kamala Harris said her career as a prosecutor would be her greatest asset in a general election against Donald Trump.
In an interview on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Amy Klobuchar discussed abortion policy and said the Trump administration’s trade policy was harming farmers.
Wayne Messamcalled on supporters to contribute $5 to his campaign on his birthday Friday.
Seth Moultonspoke at the annual party Unity Dinner in Raleigh, North Carolina, Saturday.
Tom Steyer’s Need to Impeach advocacy group is targetingEric Swalwell and 11 other Democrats in key leadership and committee positions in a $360,000 campaign calling for the impeachment of Trump.
Republicans
Donald Trumpannounced Friday that the U.S. would not impose tariffs on Mexican goods following an agreement with Mexico on border security.
Bill Weldcriticized Trump’s trade and tariffs policies, saying they “have done great harm to our farmers, workers and businesses large and small across America.”
General Election Updates
The Florida Democratic Partyreleased a summary of its report Saturday detailing the party’s performance in the 2018 election and goals for the 2020 election. Brandon Peters, the state party’s voter protection director, also told party leaders at the annual Leadership Blue 2019 meeting that he was preparing for a recount with a goal of 15,000 lawyers and volunteers across the state.
Join Ballotpedia as we speak with Dr. Stevan Hobfoll about how the political environment has changed.
“For the [Democratic primary] debates to be meaningful, they have to winnow down the participants. This is the uncomfortable reality both the DNC and the candidates have to face.”
– Patti Solis Doyle, 2008 Clinton presidential campaign manager
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at that criteria and know who’s going to get kicked out. It’s easy to see that the debates in the fall are going to be a bunch of white men and, if that’s the case, that’s a big misstep.”
– Jess Morales Rocketto, 2016 Clinton presidential campaign adviser
Democrats
Following special counsel Robert Mueller’s statement about his investigation into potential foreign intervention in the 2016 presidential campaign and obstruction of justice, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, and Kirsten Gillibrandsaid for the first time that impeachment proceedings should begin against Donald Trump.
Eric Swalwellsaid he was “preparing for impeachment” as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. “I’m the only candidate that has to try the case, so I want to make sure that I’m doing all I can as we go down this road,” Swalwell added.
NeitherJoe Biden nor Bernie Sanderscalled for impeachment. Sanders said he would support the House Judiciary Committee if it initiated proceedings.
Michael Bennetjoined four other presidential candidates in supporting the call for a Democratic primary debate dedicated to the issue of climate change.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings (D) endorsed Biden. Dallas is the ninth largest city in the country.
During an interview on The Gaggle podcast, Julián Castrodiscussed how his economic and immigration policies would affect Arizona.
The Center for Responsive Politics examined personal finance information from the 12 Democratic presidential candidates who have filed financial disclosures with the Office of Government Ethics. John Delaneyhad the highest net worth with an estimated $56 million to $280 million.
During a town hall in Greenville, South Carolina, Kamala Harris discussed increasing teacher pay, addressing gun violence, and the Mueller’s statement.
John Hickenlooperproposed increasing Title X funding by $700 million to expand access to long-acting reversible contraception like intrauterine devices.
Jay Insleemet with Washington state employees Wednesday to discuss ways to improve the safety, efficacy, and accountability of the workforce.
Amy Klobucharwill campaign in Nevada Thursday, including a meeting with the Nevada Democratic Veterans and Military Families Caucus.
Wayne Messamdiscussed his efforts to improve infrastructure in Miramar in Mass Transit Magazine.
Beto O’Rourkereleased his immigration platform proposal, including ending plans for a border wall, creating a pathway to citizenship for 11 million individuals residing in the United States without legal permission, and expanding naturalization and visa processes.
Sanders is campaigning in Nevada until Friday and California over the weekend. According to The Washington Post, Sanders is also developing a plan to mandate large businesses give a portion of their stocks to a fund paying out dividends for employees.
Donald Trumpresponded to Mueller’s press conference, tweeting, “Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you.”
Axios reported that the Trump campaign was developing digital micro-targeting operations for three demographic groups: black, Hispanic, and suburban women voters. The potential messaging would be criminal justice policy, school choice, and funding childhood cancer research for each respective group.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley announced he was running for president, joining Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary.
“An outsider candidate raising nearly $2 million in two months in entirely small contributions is unheard of. Andrew Yang has proven he can build an online fundraising army from scratch — the Yang Gang effect is real.”
“Still six years short of the Constitution’s minimum age requirement to be president herself, [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez’s massive social media following and ability to generate news headlines has made her a key player in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
With progressives looking to stand out in the crowded field of more than 20 candidates, some Democrats believe that no endorsement—other than the Obamas—would be more potent in [sic] than one from Ocasio-Cortez.”
– Eric Bradner, CNN national political reporter
Democrats
Michael Bennetintroduced the Opioid Crisis Accountability Act to fund programs to address the opioid crisis through a general fine on opioid manufacturers and distributors covered by federal health programs beginning in 1993.
Cory Bookerannounced more than a dozen new national campaign staff, including Amanda Perez as national policy director, Emily Norman as chief innovation officer, and Jen Kim as states chief of staff.
Steve Bullockhas also hired 10 new staffers in Iowa with Nick Marroletti as state organizing director and Jack Segal and Alexandra Cleverly as Iowa political coordinators.
Pete Buttigieg said he supported athletes who kneel during the National Anthem to protest police brutality. “I felt that I was watching Americans exercise a right that I had put my life on the line to defend,” he said.
In an appearance on NPR’s Morning Edition, Julián Castro discussed immigration and border crossings.
John Delaneyreleased a $4 trillion climate action proposal that would introduce a carbon tax and set out to reduce carbon emissions by 90 percent by 2050.
During an interview on Fox News, Tulsi Gabbardsaid a U.S. conflict with Iran would likely lead to a destabilized region and millions of refugees fleeing into Europe.
In an interview on PBS NewsHour, Kirsten Gillibrand discussed abortion and trade policy with China. “We can use the WTO, we can use multilateralism to effect a different outcome on how they deal with competitors and how they deal with the world economy. And I would hold them accountable. I would prosecute these cases of dumping of steel,” she said.
Mike Gravelcalled for a federal investigation into the police shooting of a Lakota man named Clarence Leading Fighter.
Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin questioning him about his possible involvement in the decline of Sears.
By polling at 1 percent in a Monmouth University poll released Thursday, Marianne Williamsonhas met the polling criteria for the first primary debate, likely guaranteeing her a spot on the debate stage. Earlier this month, she met the fundraising criteria.
Republicans
Vanity Fair reported on how the Republican National Committee and the Trumpcampaign are conducting and planning to use opposition research against Biden.
Bill Weld discussed his primary strategy in an interview with Politico. “I’ll be focusing on the 20 states that permit crossover voting. It’s not just Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, it’s 17 other states,“ Weld said.
The Washington Postreported on the rise of student loan debt as a key campaign issue. “A part of the reason student debt is so important for Democrats is that it’s a crucial motivator to get younger people to vote,” Democratic pollster Geoff Garin said. “Student debt is often the defining economic fact of their lives.”
“[Barack Obama’s] untitled memoir, which will reportedly begin with his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech and cover his two terms in the White House, won’t be released in 2019, as his publisher, Penguin Random House, had predicted just a few months ago. Dropping the book this year would have helped Obama largely avoid the current political calendar, and a 2020 release threatens to affect the primaries and the party’s campaign against Donald Trump by re-litigating decisions made a decade ago. Another option is to hold it until 2021, when Obama could be either the voice of a party in despair after another defeat, or poised to grab the spotlight from a freshly elected Democratic president.”
– Edward-Isaac Dovere, The Atlantic staff writer
Democrats
Politico reviewedJoe Biden’s drug policies and the current opioid crisis.
Bill de Blasiowill attend a rally of McDonald’s workers in Iowa striking for a $15 minimum wage and to form a union. Julián Castro will also join a McDonald’s rally in North Carolina Thursday.
Cory Bookersaid that he would create a White House Office of Reproductive Freedom focused on “coordinating and affirmatively advancing abortion rights and access to reproductive health care” at the federal level.
Pete Buttigiegdiscussed the state of the Republican Party and democracy in The New York Times podcast The Argument.
Kirsten Gillibrandreleased her “Family Bill of Rights” proposal that would address several medical, educational, and tax policies, including requiring insurance companies to cover fertility treatments like IVF and providing refundable tax credits for adoption. She also said she would establish “Equal Adoption Rights” prohibiting taxpayer-funded adoption services from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion.
Gillibrand and Bernie Sandersintroduced the Inclusive Prosperity Act which would tax the trade of stocks by 0.5 percent, bonds by 0.1 percent, and derivatives by 0.005 percent.
The Mike Gravelcampaign tweeted that Gravel was in the process of writing a book.
During an interview on Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kamala Harris discussed investigations into Trump and her equal pay policy proposal.
John Hickenlooperreleased his gun safety platform Wednesday, calling for universal background checks, extending waiting periods from three to 10 days, establishing a national gun license, raising the age to own a gun from 18 to 21, and supporting extreme risk protection orders.
Jay Insleesigned a measure into law in Washington prohibiting local authorities from asking about someone’s immigration status.
Amy Klobucharwill hold a roundtable with health officials, first responders, and healthcare and treatment professionals on the opioid crisis in Minnesota Thursday.
Seth Moultonadvocated a public option rather than single-payer healthcare during a hearing on various Medicare for All proposals.
Tim Ryandiscussed Chinese tariffs, the economy, Nancy Pelosi, and why he changed his mind on abortion access in an interview on WBUR’s Here & Now.
Elizabeth Warrenreleased a list of more than 50 legal matters she worked on including asbestos and bankruptcy cases.
Marianne Williamsonmade a three-day swing through New Hampshire from Tuesday through Thursday. She also appeared on Fox News, where she criticized the debate qualification criteria set by the Democratic National Committee. Williamson has met the minimum qualification for the debate via fundraising.
Republicans
Mike Penceattended a kickoff event in North Carolina for the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Charlotte next year.
General Election Updates
The Nevada State Senatepassed a bill supporting the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. If signed by Gov. Steve Sisolak, Nevada would be the 15th state to join the agreement, bringing the total electoral votes covered by the agreement up to 195. The compact will only take effect once 270 electors are pledged.
Ben Carson won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll with 25 percent of the vote. Scott Walker and Ted Cruz followed with 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
