Businessman & Former Football Pro Enters Race for Tuscaloosa Council Seat

A businessman and former professional athlete whose team won the Canadian equivalent of the Super Bowl in the 90s has thrown his hat in the race for a vacant seat on the Tuscaloosa City Council.

As the Thread previously reported, the council has set dates for a special election to replace Norman Crow in Tuscaloosa's District 3 after his election to the Alabama House of Representatives earlier this month.

Qualification to run is open through mid-January, and the election is planned for Tuesday, April 14th, with a runoff on May 12th if necessary.

On Wednesday night, Doug Parrish told the Thread that he is running for the District 3 seat.

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Parrish is a Tuscaloosa native who played high school football in Madison, Wisconsin, before a college career at Taft Junior College, the University of California-Berkeley, and San Francisco State.

He went pro and joined the Canadian Football League, where Parrish played six seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos, including their 1993 Grey Cup Championship season, when they won their equivalent of the Super Bowl.

Now Parrish is a businessman who founded and runs Red Dipper Electric and said he wants to run for the city council seat to begin giving back to Tuscaloosa.

“Tuscaloosa has given me opportunity, community, and purpose,” Parrish said. “District 3 deserves leadership that shows up, listens, and works to deliver real results for the people who live here.”

Parrish said he plans to host meet-and-greets and take questions from the residents of District 3, which includes most of the city north of the Black Warrior River and around Lakes Tuscaloosa, Nicol, and Harris.

“Leadership starts with being present. I want to meet our neighbors, hear their concerns firsthand, and ensure that city leadership is responsive, prepared, and buttoned-up for the district I live in and care deeply about," Parrish said. "At the intersection of community, leadership, and opportunity is where I stand. I’m running to make sure every voice in District 3 is heard.”

Parrish said he is a member of Weeping Mary Missionary Baptist Church, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and a devoted father. He is engaged to be married this June.

He joins fellow businessman Richard Henry in seeking the seat.

For more coverage of the race for District 3 and the candidates who seek the office, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.