One day short of a year before the municipal election, Josh Vasa on Tuesday announced his campaign to seek the District 3 seat on the Birmingham City Council.

A crowd that appeared to fill the Clubhouse on Highland wore campaign buttons and T-shirts. They seemed eager to start shaking hands and knocking on doors.

The candidate has been at least as eager.

“We’ve been planning on the possibility of kicking off for the campaign for a few months now,” he said before the festivities. “We thought it would be great to start out early, let people know that that we’re running, let them know what we’re running for and try to use and leverage the kickoff as an opportunity to get to meet neighbors more, talk to folks more. With an extended runway of one year, we really have the opportunity to talk to as many people as possible. That’s what we’re really focusing on.”

Vasa said a call from 23-year District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott ignited his fire to seek the office. During the program, Abbott, who is retiring at the end of her term, said Vasa is the person for whom she’s been searching.

“I have been looking for seven years to find someone that I could support for City Council because I didn’t want to give up after all these years and let some nut take over,” Abbott said. “There are plenty of them out there that run for office for all kinds of weird reasons. But Josh cares about people. He wants to help. He wants to make things better. What more could you ask for? Really, nothing. Everybody wants a council member who will listen to them and try.”

In August 2025, voters will go to the polls to elect a new mayor and nine council members. Mayor Randall Woodfin has said he intends to run for a third term next year; Vasa’s announcement Tuesday started the engines revving for the council races.

During that announcement, Abbott cited Vasa’s work experience, which includes stints working for Birmingham-Southern, Kid One Transport, Alabama Public Television, Sidewalk Film Festival, McWane Science Center, the Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Birmingham Strong and Blight Free Birmingham.

“What does that tell you about Josh Vasa?” she asked. “Number one, a man who works for not-for-profit (is) a man who cares about other people because he’s not doing it for the money. We all know that not-for-profits do not pay well in general, unless you create one for yourself.”

The 43-year-old Vasa said Abbott has represented the district well for more than two decades, winning six elections. She approached him months ago about taking up the mantle.

“I think what she is looking to do … is find someone who has been doing the work, who has proof of doing the work, that has shown the ability to build coalitions, partner with people and really find a moderate ground to get things done,” he said. “That’s what I feel like I bring to the table.”

Vasa said he’s lived in District 3 for the past 15 years, first in Highland Park and the past 10 years in Glen Iris with his wife and daughter.

Community Engagement, Public Safety and Infrastructure Highlight Platform

The candidate said community engagement is a big piece of his platform.

“People want to feel engaged,” he said. “They want to meet up with one another and not just be social but to get that solid foundation of knowing one another so that we can then work on the issues that are important to us.”

Public safety and public infrastructure are other Vasa priorities, along with supporting schools. “People want to make sure they feel safe,” he said, “and they don’t want to run into a pothole and have to pay for $500 worth of car damage.

“What I’m really excited about is taking my background in public service for the organizations that I’ve worked with, pair them with the appropriate entities, whether that be schools, BPD (Birmingham Police Department), whoever it may be, to try to build bridges and relationships from people who are already doing good work and see where that takes us,” Vasa said. “That’s really what I’m excited about.”

Tuesday’s event drew several neighborhood leaders, as well as Abbott, the mayor and Council President Darrell O’Quinn.