Voters in House District 52 choose between Datcher and Brown in special election today

Voters in Alabama’s House District 52 head to the polls today to decide who will complete the term of former Rep. John Rogers, who resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.

The special election features Democrat Kelvin Datcher, the deputy director of community development for Birmingham, squaring off against Republican Erskine Brown Jr., a 67-year-old retired U.S. Army veteran. Datcher, who also served as the Alabama state director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, emerged as the Democratic nominee after defeating nonprofit executive Frank Woodson in a July runoff.

House District 52 Democratic candidate Kelvin Datcher.

With the Republican primary candidate dropping out of the race, Datcher initially appeared set to cruise into office unopposed, but the Alabama GOP surprised political observers by entering Brown into the race just before the deadline.

Brown, who last ran for office in the 1980s as a Democrat seeking a state Senate seat, has maintained a low profile throughout the campaign, making few public appearances and offering limited commentary on his platform. Efforts to obtain more information about his candidacy have largely been unsuccessful.

House District 52 encompasses parts of Birmingham, including Glen Iris, Powderly, and West End, as well as sections of Homewood, Mountain Brook, Bessemer, and Fairfield.