Comeback Town: Time to pay close attention to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin

Comeback Town is an opinion column exploring everything happening in Birmingham, coordinated by David Sher. If you want to keep up with the city's future, subscribe to the ComebackTown newsletter.

For 14 years, I have hosted and written about the potential for Birmingham to improve. After more than a decade of pushing and hoping, the city has finally turned a corner. Birmingham is hitting its stride, delivering win after win and generating headlines that would have seemed impossible just a short time ago.

A Visionary Approach

The city's recent success feels driven by a mayor who prioritizes long-term progress over short-term political gains. It is no surprise that Mayor Randall Woodfin secured 75% of the vote in his last election despite facing eight challengers.

I first met Woodfin when he served as president of the Birmingham School Board. I pitched him an idea modeled after the Kalamazoo Promise, which provides college scholarships to local students. While I initially thought we should limit the scope to two-year colleges to manage costs, Woodfin had a much bigger vision: covering all public colleges and universities in the state. Once he became mayor, he made it happen.

The Birmingham Promise has since provided over $15 million in tuition assistance for more than 1,600 students, alongside hundreds of paid internships. The young man I met on a bicycle years ago clearly had a plan all along.

Public Safety and Education Milestones

Woodfin’s impact is perhaps most visible in public safety. By utilizing data and a disciplined strategy, the administration has focused resources on the small fraction of individuals responsible for the bulk of the city's violence. The results are stark: homicides dropped 45% in 2025 compared to 2024. Furthermore, the Birmingham Police Department achieved a historic 87.3% homicide clearance rate, with a 100% rate during the first 100 days of his third term. As of now, the department is fully staffed and has seen only 15 homicides in 2026.

Beyond safety, the city is playing the long game in education. Recognizing that many children start school behind their peers, the city is investing millions into Small Magic. This nonprofit helps ensure children enter kindergarten with the necessary literacy and social skills. The program has already reached over 5,500 children.

The results in local schools speak for themselves. In 2023, the state rated fifteen Birmingham City Schools as F. By 2025, that number plummeted to just one, and the district achieved its highest-ever report card score. With a B rating now in their sights for 2026, it is clear that by focusing on both immediate safety and long-term opportunity, Mayor Woodfin is governing for the future. He is effectively planting seeds for a harvest he may not be in office to see, cementing his legacy as one of the most impactful leaders in the history of Birmingham.