Gadsden candidates were set to take the stage at Sunday forum ahead of Aug. 25 election

Candidates for Gadsden mayor, City Council and the city school board were scheduled to appear at a public forum Sunday afternoon at Gadsden State Community College. The event was set for 4 p.m. at the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center on the Wallace Drive campus, with doors opening at 3 p.m. It came nine days before the Aug. 25 municipal election.

The forum was organized by a group that identifies itself as Gadsden’s Divine Nine. Promotional material for the event describes the group as a nonpartisan organization.

GadsdenThrive did not attend. This report is based on the organizers’ public announcements and the City of Gadsden’s official candidate list. We were not able to independently confirm which candidates took the stage.

Which candidates were scheduled to appear?

Organizers published a list of candidates confirmed to attend. It named 10 people across five races.

In the mayor’s race, the list named Mayor Craig Ford and challenger Thomas Worthy. They are the only two candidates on the ballot.

In City Council District 1, the list named Brandon “Bowtie” Hall, LaMont Kyle and incumbent Tonya Lynn Latham.

In City Council District 3, it named incumbent Larry J. Avery Jr. and Denecia Ann Getaw. In District 5, it named Linda Riggins Aaron.

For the Gadsden City Board of Education, the list named District 1 incumbent Adrienne Reed and District 4 candidate K. Tiffany Ballou.

A confirmed list is a plan, not a record. Some candidates on a list do not make it. Others show up without confirming.

Who was not on the list?

The forum’s list did not cover the whole ballot.

Russell Johnson is a qualified candidate in City Council District 1, according to the city’s official candidate list. He was not among the names organizers announced.

Several other races on the Aug. 25 ballot had no candidate on the list at all.

GadsdenThrive does not know why. Candidates may have declined, had a conflict, never received an invitation, or simply not answered before the list went out. Organizers have not said, and we have not asked yet. We are not drawing any conclusion from a name being absent.

Who is running for mayor?

Ford has been mayor since November 2022. Before that he served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2000 to 2018, including a stretch as House minority leader.

Worthy is a former District 3 councilman. He retired after more than 25 years with the Gadsden Police Department and also served in the Alabama National Guard.

A third candidate, longtime council member Robert Avery, qualified in June and later withdrew. His name still appears on the city’s candidate list marked as withdrawn.

With only two candidates left, the mayor’s race will be settled Aug. 25. There is no runoff in a two person race.

What is on the Aug. 25 ballot?

Voters will choose a mayor, City Council members and school board members. The races are nonpartisan. Write-in votes are not allowed.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

If no candidate in a race wins a majority, a runoff will be held Sept. 22. The new administration takes office Nov. 2.

How can voters find their polling place?

The city mailed postcards in mid-July with each voter’s election date, polling place and district. The City Clerk’s office can help anyone who did not get one or whose card has wrong information.

Polling place lists and sample ballots are posted on the city’s election page.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Gadsden municipal election?
Tuesday, Aug. 25. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Can I write in a candidate?
No. Write-in votes are not permitted in Gadsden municipal elections.

Is there a November election for city offices?
No. The municipal election is Aug. 25, with a runoff Sept. 22 if one is needed. The new administration takes office Nov. 2.

Who is running for mayor?
Incumbent Craig Ford and Thomas Worthy. Robert Avery qualified and withdrew.

Disclosure: Phil Swindall, who reports for GadsdenThrive, is employed by Gadsden City Schools.