In a decisive show of support, Jefferson County voters have elected two Democrats, Jameria Johnson Moore and Yashiba “Red” Blanchard, as their next probate judges.

Blanchard won the Place 1 seat, which is the head probate judge position. With 97.77% of the votes in the county counted, Blanchard had 52.22% of the vote to Republican John Amari’s 47.70%.

In the Place 2 race, Moore had claimed 52.74% of the vote to Republican Joel R. Blankenship’s 47.19%

Turnout in Jefferson County and Alabama in general was high. In Jefferson County, 56.82% of registered voters cast ballots during the election. Statewide, voter turnout was 56.82% with 62 of 67 counties having reported totals to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Lines at many polls snaked down corridors and out into parking lots for much of the day. Voters in line when the polls closed were allowed to vote, which pushed the counting of the voters later into the evening.

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Full Jefferson County Results

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In other Jefferson County races, Democrat Frederic A. Bolling appeared to be winning the Circuit Court’s Place 13, with 53.99% of the vote to Republican Douglas M. Roy Jr., with 45.90% of the vote.

In the county’s District Court judge Place 11 race, Democrat Chuantae Brown got 53.28% of the vote to Republican Jill Ganus Marriott’s 46.61%.

Two seats on the Jefferson County Board of Education were up for grabs. In the District 1 race, Democrat Walter Curry won decisively with 68.54% of the vote to Republican Phillip Brown’s 31.40%. In the District 2 race, Republican Robert “Glenn” Durough also won handily with 75.08% of the votes to Democrat Sultana Godwin’s 24.86%.

Democrat Karen Dunn Burks appears to remain as circuit clerk in the Bessemer Division, with 54.71% of the vote to Republican Camilo Fuller’s 45.23%. In the Bessemer Division’s deputy treasurer race, Democrat Sherry McClain had 54.83% of the vote to Delor Baumann’s 45.09%. In the assistant tax collector’s race, Democrat Ron Marshall won with 54.91% of the vote to Republican Johnny Curry’s 45.01%.

Many of the other races on the ballot were uncontested.

In the Probate Court race, both women bring extensive legal experience and backgrounds in public service to the bench.

Moore has held positions as a municipal judge for Birmingham and a special district court judge in Family Court. Currently a partner at Sperling & Moore, P.C., and a registered mediator with the state of Alabama, Moore campaigned on a platform of impartiality and lawful rulings. Her consistent emphasis on equitable justice resonated with Jefferson County voters, who responded with strong support.

Blanchard, an attorney with nearly a decade of experience in veterans’ disability, probate, domestic relations and plaintiff litigation, interpreted her victory as a call for transformation. “I feel as though the citizens of Jefferson County have spoken through their vote, and they’re ready for change, and I’m the person to start this change and to make sure it’s done properly,” she said.

Central to Blanchard’s platform is voter education and the restoration of rights for rehabilitated felons. She aims to launch a targeted program to help incarcerated individuals understand their voting rights and assist eligible voters in registering.

“I want to do an operation that’s going to target the incarcerated individuals who are residents of Jefferson County,” Blanchard explained, describing her plan to meet a long-standing need she identified during her campaign. “I’ve been knocking on doors for the last year and a half, and one of the frequent questions I’m asked is, what are you going to do about the individuals who are felons who can vote, but they’re not informed that they can?”

Blanchard also intends to support pro-se litigants — those representing themselves in probate cases — by establishing a pro bono lawyer section. Her vision includes an income-based application process for indigent individuals, especially families affected by crime, to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent access to legal assistance in probate matters.

“What I want to do is to start a pro bono lawyer section specifically targeted for pro-se litigants in probate court,” Blanchard said. “A lot of times, if you provide those parents and those loved ones with access, then that will be pro bono attorneys that can open up those estates.”

For her long-term goals, Blanchard plans to establish a system of estate planning resources throughout the county to alleviate the probate court’s caseload. By assigning probate office liaisons to cities across Jefferson County, she hopes to set up free will seminars and estate planning workshops, a step she believes will reduce the frequency of probate cases for individuals who pass away without wills.

“I think that’s a huge issue that backlogs the court,” she noted, “and I think my long-term goal is to see that the probate court is not so much clogged up by individuals coming to self-represent and also to come in and open up administrations opposed to probating wills.”