Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place No. 8 Tracey Crisan McDonald Party: Republican Professional experience: Vernis & Bowling of Alabama; McDonald & Dotson; Keahey Law Firm; March, Rickard & Bryan, PC; Heninger, Burge, Vargo & Davis; constitutional law professor, Birmingham School of Law, St. Vincent’s Hospital; the Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Education: Cumberland School
Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place No. 7 Tracie A. Todd Party: Democrat Political experience: Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit Court, Place 7, 2012- present. Professional experience: Former deputy district attorney, Jefferson County; special judge, Birmingham Municipal Court. Education: Juris doctorate, University of Alabama School of Law; exchange student, Australian National University College of Law;
Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place No. 6 Donald E. “Don” Blankenship Party: Democrat Political experience: Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place 6, 2013-present. Professional experience: Private practice,1994-2012; associate, Waldrep, Stewart & Kendrick, 1990-1994; various positions: city planner, senior city planner, administrative assistant to the mayor and zoning administrator, City of Birmingham, 1981-1990; planning administrator,
Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place No. 5 David Carpenter Party: Democrat Age: 51 Residence: Bessemer Political experience: Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge, Place 1, 2001-present; presiding judge, 2013-present. Professional experience: Founder, Jefferson County veterans’ court; attorney, The Carpenter Law Office, 2003-2012. Education: Master of laws, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law,1995;
Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place No. 1 Joseph L. Boohaker Party: Democrat Political experience: Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge, Place 1, 2001-present. Professional experience: Private practice lawyer, 1980-2000; law clerk, 11th Judicial Circuit, Florence, 1979-1980. Education: Juris doctorate. University of Alabama, 1979; bachelor’s University of Alabama, 1976. Top contributors: UMWA, $500.
Circuit Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place No. 16 Teresa T. Pulliam Party: Republican Political experience: Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit Court, 2006- present (appointed in 2005, elected 2006 and re-elected in 2012). Professional experience: Private law practice for 14 years, 1991-2005; prosecutor, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office 1986-1991; prosecutor, Mobile District Attorney’s Office,1983-1986; instructor in
State Senator, District 17 Name: Shay Shelnutt Age: 51 Residence: Trussville Professional experience: Realtor, Cahaba Real Estate, 2018-present; Realtor, Keller-Williams Realty, 2006-2018; Math teacher and coach, Clay-Chalkville High School, 1996-2005; teacher, Oneonta High School, 2005-2006. Political experience: Alabama State Senate, 2014-present. Civic experience: Counselor, Royal Family Kids Camp for foster children, 2010-present; Just Keep Smiling,
Jefferson County Board of Education, Place 2 Eddie Brown Party: Republican Age: 63 Residence: Fultondale. Previous political offices: None. Professional experience: Retired; director of support operations, Jefferson County Schools, 2002-15, manager of maintenance, 1995-2002; Plumber, 1974-95. Education: Graduated Mortimer Jordan High School, 1973. Civic experience: Fultondale Gas Board, 2014-present; Fultondale Zoning and Planning Board, 2010-present.
Recently, Alabama’s Republican secretary of state, John Merrill, got into a Twitter spat with Mallory Hagan, a Democrat running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, over whether Merrill is suppressing the vote in the state. To have candidates for political office, one of them an incumbent office holder, debate such a contentious issue on Twitter demonstrates how much social media has become a part of the conversations surrounding elections, including the upcoming midterms. And that’s hardly the only way social media touches politics these days. Candidates use Facebook pages. Voters share videos and news links to help or hurt a given party or candidate. Sitting office-holders regularly comment on current events. Social media users locally also share their experiences with how the voting process works in the state. How big a part of the political conversation is social media, and how much influence does it wield in decisions being made? With social media now a common way for people to access and share information, what role will Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms play in the upcoming midterm elections locally? While the exact impact is only a guess, it is clear that local voters and local candidates are relying on social media to participate in the next round of voting – even in the face of evidence that outside forces have used it to manipulate the electorate. Read more.
Jefferson County Commission District 4 J.T. Smallwood Party: Democrat Age: 52 Residence: Trussville Political experience: Elected to three terms as Jefferson County Tax Collector, 2002, 2008, 2014. Professional experience: 1995-99, Smallwood Law Firm; 1999-2002, Jefferson County Family Court; UAB Hockey coach: 2017-2018, assistant coach, 2018-2019, volunteer head coach. Education: UAB, bachelor’s; studied theology, Samford University;
