Polls Are Open in Runoff Election in Tuscaloosa’s District 1

Voters in west Tuscaloosa are taking to the polls today for a runoff race to decide who will represent them on the city council for the next four years.

As the Thread reported after last month's general election, incumbent councilman Matthew Wilson won the majority of the 1,076 votes cast in District 1, but not a plurality, which was required to win the three-candidate race outright.

His challenger today, Joe Eatmon, drew 337 votes, which was just six more than third-place finisher Que Chandler, but enough to set the state for this runoff.

Get our free mobile app

Only citizens who live in District 1 can vote in the runoff. District 1 contains all of northwest Tuscaloosa, annexed land including and around the Tuscaloosa National Airport and most of the city's southern riverfrontage. 

Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation (TDOT) Building Auditorium at 1100 28th Avenue across from Greenwood Cemetery.

Both candidates seemed to have spent the lead-up to the runoff quietly campaigning until this weekend, when Councilman Wilson was seemingly caught on camera and identified by witnesses kicking down an Eatmon campaign sign in someone's yard.

Wilson has still not addressed the video or responded to requests from the Thread and other outlets in the region for comment.

For real-time runoff race results as they come in Tuesday night, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.