Tuscaloosa’s Cassius Lanier Announces City Council Re-Election Campaign

Tuscaloosa City Councilman Cassius Lanier will seek a second term in office, he told the Thread Monday afternoon.

Lanier, who represents District 7 on the council, joins a growing number of incumbents seeking to retain their offices when citizens head to the polls in March 2025 - Mayor Walt Maddox and councilors Raevan Howard, Norman Crowe and John Faile have all launched re-election campaigns.

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Lanier technically won the office two times in 2020, first defeating former councilwoman Sonya McKinstry in a razor-thin race he won by 25 votes.

A judge eventually nullified that victory, ruling that there were problems with the timeline of when Lanier qualified to run for city council and when he received pardons for crimes earlier in life which would have prevented him from holding office.

A special election was called, the same two candidates faced off again, and Lanier's second victory was far more convincing than his first - he earned 64 percent of the vote and has represented District 7 since then.

In that time, Lanier said he was proud of dramatically reducing blight in District 7, including working with businessman Stan Pate to finally advance plans to demolish the old McFarland Mall and building something bigger and better in its place. The council has awarded a record-high $65 million in tax incentives for Pate for his next project at the old mall site.

Lanier said he also stood up against bad actors like the former owners of the Master's Inn and the Motel 6 on McFarland Boulevard.

The city councilman said he wants to continue the good work and shift focus from removing blight to recruiting and retaining new restaurants and retailers. He also said there are major streetscaping and beautification efforts coming soon to the District, especially on Skyland Boulevard.

Tuscaloosa's municipal elections will be held on March 4, 2025. Almost all other Alabama municipalities including Northport will host their own elections later in the year, on August 26, 2025.For updates on those races and more, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.