Former Mobile City Council member Bess Rich has announced she is running to reclaim the District 6 seat, campaigning on a platform of fiscal restraint and transparent city government.
Rich made her announcement in late August, shortly after Connie Hudson — who succeeded Rich as the District 6 representative nine years earlier — won election to the Mobile County Commission, leaving the council seat open.
A Familiar Face for the District
Rich served two terms on the Mobile City Council, where she built a reputation for pressing city leaders to prioritize essential services over new spending and for pushing to open up city government to public scrutiny. Among the changes she championed was the televising of city council meetings, along with regular community meetings and a district office she funded herself to keep in closer contact with constituents.
“In the current economic climate it is important for the residents of District 6 to have a conservative voice that will speak the truth and put their needs first,” Rich said in announcing her campaign. “I will continue the conservative voice of our district, pressing for a prioritization of spending on essential city services while reminding our city leaders that we can’t fix a spending problem with a tax increase.”
Rich said she initially faced resistance from colleagues and constituents when she pushed for more open government practices, but that many of those changes are now taken for granted at City Hall.
Background in City and Regional Boards
Following the 2005 city election, Mayor Sam Jones appointed Rich to his transition team, a sign of her working relationships across the political spectrum. She also spent seven years on the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System board, including a term as its chair.
Rich said she intends to work with Council President Reggie Copeland if elected and pledged to treat the seat as a full-time commitment, telling voters to expect direct access to her if they have concerns about city services.
The District 6 council race will be decided in Mobile’s municipal elections.