John Hilliard, who served as Birmingham’s District 9 councilor from 2017 to 2021, kicked off his campaign to win back the seat Thursday.

“You deserve better, and in order to get better, we got to fight for everything we get,” Hilliard said to the crowd at 4 Seasons Bar and Grille.

Hilliard said his decades of experience in elected office will help him create better outcomes for the area.

Hilliard served in the Alabama House for 10 years. He represented District 60, which included Pratt City, Ensley, Five Points West and North Birmingham. He lost the Democratic primary to Linda Coleman, who won the general election, in 2002. Hilliard also served on the State Democratic Executive Committee for 20 years and was a Democratic delegate for two presidential elections.

Hilliard faces District 9 incumbent LaTonya A. Tate, who beat him 987-927 in a 2021 runoff election.

Hilliard said his chief policy priority will be reducing crime.

Birmingham ended 2024 with a record-breaking homicide rate, and city leaders have instituted several programs to combat the statistic, including a $16 million police recruitment and retention program and the establishment of the Birmingham Crime Commission.

If elected, Hilliard said, he hopes to speak with community leaders and rely on their insight to guide policies that will help reduce crime.

“They’ve lived in those areas,” he said. “They know what’s going on.”

Hilliard said another major priority for him is economic development, especially in areas such as Ensley and North Birmingham.

“Our community, District 9, looks like it was hit by a tornado, and we actually need to do more in that community and do better than what’s been done now,” he said. “I polled a lot of the community leaders and people in the area, and they felt like nothing had been done, and that’s where we are now. It’s atrocious that our community is in the current condition that it’s in, and we need somebody to really speak up.”

Hilliard said he would like to explore the idea of issuing bonds to pay for large-scale blight removal and redevelopment.

Hilliard also said he hopes to accomplish a long-time goal of establishing an aviation program for Birmingham high school students.

Addressing his supporters at the kickoff event, Hilliard said, “We can train our kids and get them in a mindset of wanting to take it to the next level. … That’s a dream that I still have. I still want to see our public schools with flight clubs, with the kids walking through believing that they can take it to the next level. So I say to you, let’s keep dreaming together. I love you. Thank you for coming out tonight. I really appreciate each and every one of you.”