From The Birmingham News (AL.com)
Watkins to support candidates
Sunday, August 14, 2005
By Barnett Wright

Birmingham lawyer Donald Watkins said he will spend up to $270,000 to endorse candidates for the Birmingham City Council elections in October.

Watkins said he will back any candidate recommended jointly by Mayor Bernard Kincaid and former mayor Richard Arrington.

Watkins, founder of the Voter News Network, an independent political group, said he plans to contribute $30,000 to a candidate in each of the nine districts.

The group has endorsed candidates in the past and backed Kincaid in the 2003 mayoral race.

Kincaid is midway through his second term. Arrington served four terms.

"Both of those men have held the job as mayor, have had to work with council groups and they know the potential for leadership when they see it," Watkins said. "Between those two people we should get a pretty good read for who has the potential to move this city forward."

Kincaid built his political career railing against Arrington and his Jefferson County Citizens Coalition, a partisan group that once dominated city politics.

Kincaid and Arrington say they are on cordial terms and speak often to each other about a variety of issues.

Kincaid said he will support candidates with Arrington - as long they settle on a person approved by his political organization.

"As mayor, my position is that I belong to the Jefferson County Progressive Democratic Council," Kincaid said. "The Progressives endorse candidates. The mayor won't be anywhere his organization isn't."

Several former council members who belonged to Arrington's Coalition are in the race for council and that could complicate some of the endorsements, Kincaid said.

Leroy Bandy in District 9, William Bell in District 5 and Sandra Faye Little-Brown in District 7 are looking to regain seats they lost in the 2001 election.

"They were people that, when they were on the council, Arrington didn't have to blink. He had those votes," Kincaid said. "If there are candidates on which he and I can agree that would be great, but the third party at the dance has to be the Progressives."

Watkins said he is prepared to support candidates endorsed by the Progressives or the Coalition.

"I assume (Kincaid and Arrington) may want to check with their organizations to get input and that's OK with me," Watkins said. "I think it's healthy for the community when we work together and not fall into warring factions."

Arrington said he hasn't made up his mind whom to support in the Oct. 11 election.

"I would be happy to work with Mayor Kincaid and discuss his viewpoints along with mine," Arrington said.

According to a Voter News Network poll released last week, five of nine City Council members are at risk of losing their seats. The survey was conducted in July by Jim Jager at New South Research, Birmingham, with a sample of 907 registered voters.


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