Former district judge Spiro Cheriogotis and State Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) have advanced to a September 23 runoff for Mayor of Mobile after neither candidate cleared a majority in Tuesday’s four-way, nonpartisan election.
The field also included County Commissioner Connie Hudson and former Mobile Chief of Police Paul Prine.
Unofficial returns with 97% of precincts reporting showed Drummond with 13,897 votes (33.7%), Cheriogotis 11,389 (27.6%), followed by Paul Prine 8,186 (19.9%) and Connie Hudson 7,722 (18.7%).
On Tuesday night, Cheriogotis said, “Because of you, we’re closer to building a Mobile where every neighborhood feels safe and every family feels supported,” and confirmed the September 23 runoff date.
“This campaign has always been about the people of Mobile. I’m humbled by your support and ready to keep fighting for a safer, stronger city. Together, let’s look forward to what’s next for Mobile.”
This year’s mayoral race in Mobile became a referendum on what comes after a decade of consistency under outgoing Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who announced last fall he wouldn’t seek a fourth term.
His decision set off a wide-open contest centered on crime, growth and long-promised infrastructure.
Cheriogotis entered after stepping down from the county bench, pitching himself as a steady hand on public safety, youth violence and basic services. He also drew establishment strength with a public endorsement from Stimpson and a pre-election fundraising lead.
Drummond, a Democrat state legislator, ran on governance and neighborhood investment. She also rode a wave of changing racial demographics in the region that played out on Tuesday.
Connie Hudson, a longtime commissioner and ex-city council member, leaned on her reputation for execution on capital projects and stacked local endorsements.
Paul Prine once led the Mobile Police Department. He framed his run around crime reduction and a promise to pare back bureaucracy.
After 2023 annexations added tens of thousands of residents, pushing Mobile past Birmingham in head-count, new voters in the west and south of the city participated in a mayoral race for the first time.
Grayson Everett is the editor and chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
