Northport Councilman Karl Wiggins Announces Re-Election Campaign

One of the newer faces on the Northport City Council will run for re-election to the seat he came to after a series of events kicked off by the 2023 resignation of former mayor Bobby Herndon.

When Herdon left the mayor's office over frustrations with his five-member city council, Northport code called for then-President Jeff Hogg to be made mayor.

Hogg, though, wanted to keep the voting power of his council seat. He made the legal but unusual choice to vacate the office of council president temporarily, long enough for District 3 Councilman John Hinton to be named President, then mayor, allowing Hogg to keep his office representing District 5 until his own resignation in March 2024.

Hinton's ascension to mayor left a vacancy in District 3, which Governor Kay Ivey ultimately filled when the other council members could not agree on who should replace Hinton.

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Enough ancient history - Wiggins has held the council seat in District 3 since Ivey named him to it in March 2023, and he announced on Thursday night that he will seek it again when municipal elections are held in all but a dozen Alabama cities this August.

Campaigning directly to voters for the first time, Wiggins said his platform is built on smart growth for Northport, infrastructure maintenance and growth, and public safety.

“I’m running for City Council because Northport is growing, and with that growth comes responsibility,” Wiggins said in his announcement. “We need to make sure our infrastructure keeps pace, our development is intentional, and our public safety professionals have the tools they need to serve and protect.”

His four priorities outlined in the announcement were expanding sewer infrastructure on Highway 69, encouraging responsible residential and retail growth, continuing to expand recreational projects like the soon-to-open River Run Park and backing police and firefighters with the equipment and training they need.

“Northport is growing, and we need experienced leadership to help guide that growth in the right direction,” Wiggins said. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but there’s more to do — and I’m ready to keep working for District 3.”

Northport's municipal elections will be held on August 26, 2025. All five city council seats and the mayor's office are up for vote. Check out our just-launched coverage hub for those races here.

Any incumbent or challenging candidate seeking coverage on the Thread can reach the editor at stephen.dethrage@townsquaremedia.com.

For updates on those races and more, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.