Longtime Ala. politician elected to replace ousted Birmingham mayor

Longtime politician wins Birmingham mayoral race

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Voters picked a longtime Alabama politician to fill the unexpired term of a former Birmingham mayor who was convicted on federal bribery charges and removed from office.

With all but one of 160 precincts reporting, unofficial returns showed William A. Bell Sr. won a runoff election Tuesday. He narrowly defeated lawyer Patrick Cooper.

Bell will complete the nearly two years remaining on the term of former mayor Larry Langford, who was convicted on multiple felony charges in October and removed from office. Langford endorsed Bell to replace him.

Bell is currently a member of the county commission in Jefferson County, which is trying to avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy ever. He previously served on the Birmingham City Council.