Three candidates qualify for Jefferson County Commission District 5 election

With qualifying having ended Tuesday, the race to fill the unexpired term of Steve Ammons on the Jefferson County Commission begins in earnest with three candidates — retired Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin and developers Jeff Wise and David Silverstein.

Bolin announced his candidacy in mid-May, while Wise and Silverstein officially entered the race this week.

Wise, who lives in Mountain Brook, graduated from Tarrant High School and went on to Jefferson State Community College and Auburn University, majoring in accounting. The 65-year-old initially worked for Rust International and then a petroleum equipment company before forming his own petroleum equipment company, American Petroleum Equipment Construction.  

Wise went on to become a developer whose projects included Winn Dixie, CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid and Walgreens stores. His largest development came in the mid-1990s — the 304-acre Letson Farms in McCalla. 

Married for 40 years to Joan Cagle Wise, the candidate has four daughters and seven grandchildren. He cites them as his reason for running. 

“I'm running for my grandkids,” he said. “I want them to have a better life than I had. I think there's a world of potential here in Jefferson County, and we just all need to get on the same page and tap into it. I've learned a lot through the tough times. I want to share what I've learned and try to help make Jefferson County a better place to live.” 

Silverstein, also from Mountain Brook, is the founder of The FiveStone Group, a commercial real estate firm based in Birmingham, specializing in the development of mixed-use projects. Prior to forming The FiveStone Group, he was an operating principal at Bayer Properties. His development projects include The Summit, Cahaba Village and the preservation and redevelopment of the Pizitz building in downtown Birmingham. 

Silverstein, 67, is married to the former Susan Tilson. They have five children and 13 grandchildren. He attended Birmingham University School (now The Altamont School), Vanderbilt University and Cumberland School of Law. 

“I was born and raised in District 5, and I am blessed to have raised my family here as well,” the developer said in his campaign release. “I look forward to bringing my hard-earned professional experience to work for the residents of Jefferson County to ensure that this county continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

The Hoover Sun previously reported on Bolin’s candidacy. Read that story here.

All three men hope to replace Ammons, who recently resigned from the commission when he was appointed CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance. They would represent people in Jefferson County District 5, which includes parts of Hoover, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Birmingham and Leeds.

The special election to fill the District 5 seat will be July 18.  A runoff, if needed, will be Aug. 8. Qualifying for the election ended Tuesday, 21 days before the election.  

Anyone seeking the seat needed a petition signed by 100 or more eligible voters in District 5. Antiqua Cleggett made a late bid to get on the ballot but fell well short of having the required number of District 5 residents on her petition.

Candidates do not have to declare a party affiliation for this special election, but Bolin ran his judicial campaigns as a Republican.

Wise also said he is a Republican, and Jefferson County voting rolls show him voting in multiple Republican primary elections in the past.

Silverstein's campaign said he is a nonpartisan candidate. “He's supported Republicans as well as Democrats in the past and believes in electing the best person for the job,” campaign spokeswoman Claire Brickson said.

State campaign finance records show Silverstein has given money to both Democratic and Republican candidates’ campaigns, though more frequently to Democrats and also to the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee. Silverstein also voted in Democratic primaries in at least 2020, 2018 and 2017, Jefferson County voting lists show.

Barry Stephenson, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Registrars, said it's no secret that District 5 is a predominantly Republican district, but that is not an absolute situation.

“There are Republicans in Districts 1 and 2, and there are Democrats in Districts 3, 4 and 5,” Stephenson said. “Nothing is monolithic, but it gets down to the individual candidates making their case.”

District 5 polling places are largely unchanged from regular elections, but five were changed.  

The Hoover Senior Center is under renovation, so people who normally vote there will vote at the Hoover Recreation Center, which is basically next door. Fullness Christian Fellowship and Bluff Park United Methodist Church are hosting Vacation Bible Schools, so their voters will cast ballots at Shades Mountain Community Church. 

Mountain Brook Community Church is also having Vacation Bible School. People who normally vote there will vote at Cahaba Heights Baptist Church. Edgewood Elementary School in Homewood is undergoing renovations this summer, so voters from that area will vote at the Homewood Public Library.  

Each voter affected by the above changes was mailed a card from the Board of Registrars, telling them where to vote in the special election.