Democrat Kelvin Datcher Rides ‘Power of Listening’ to Victory in Alabama House District 52 Race

By Joseph D. Bryant | jbryant@al.com Kelvin Datcher will represent Birmingham in the Alabama State House after winning the third and final race to claim the seat formerly held by John Rogers. Datcher, an aide to Mayor Randall Woodfin, handily defeated Republican challenger Erskine Brown Jr. Datcher earned 1,174 votes to Brown’s 218 votes, according to unofficial results Tuesday night. “It’s super exciting, it’s overwhelming, and it’s a bit of a relief,” Datcher said shortly after the results arrived. Just under 1,499 of the district’s 34,452 voters cast ballots. That’s less than 5 percent turnout. Provisional ballots will be opened and counted later. District 52 is heavily Democratic and includes parts of Birmingham, Fairfield, Homewood and Mountain Brook. Datcher tonight gathered with his supporters and other Democrats at Elysian Gardens in Avondale for a dual election night party and a vice presidential debate watch party presented by the Jefferson County Democrats. Datcher while campaigning stressed the need to secure District 52 under Democratic leadership against a Republican challenge. Brown, the Republican, had no campaign website or social media presence. Brown on Monday told AL.com that he knew his candidacy was a longshot, but he urged voters to consider the platform...