MOBILE, Ala. — With Election Day just days away, candidates for Mobile County district attorney spent Saturday making one last appeal to voters along some of the city’s busiest corridors.
West of I-65 on Airport Boulevard, a crowd of Republican supporters turned out to wave signs for DA candidate Keith Blackwood, a longtime prosecutor who framed his years in the District Attorney’s Office as his core argument for the job.
“My experience, my passion for justice — I’ve got an almost 15-year record now of fighting for the people of Mobile County,” Blackwood said. “I’ll continue to do that as their next district attorney. I’m excited and thrilled to take that role.”
Across the interstate in midtown Mobile, backers of Democratic nominee Moshae Donald gathered with signs of their own, arguing the office needed a new direction.
“We need a change in leadership in Mobile County,” Donald said. “We want our communities safer and we want to see people get a fairer shot. Just being tough on crime is not enough. We have to be tough on crime and also smart on solutions.”
A New Sheriff and DA Guaranteed
Whichever way the votes fell, Tuesday’s election was certain to bring change at the top of county law enforcement: Mobile County was guaranteed to seat both a new sheriff and a new district attorney, with no incumbents in either race.
Neutral Ground on Government Street
Partisanship was easy to find, but not universal. Near the Winn-Dixie on Government Street, members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity spent the afternoon on a community service project — holding signs that urged passersby not to back a candidate, but simply to vote.
“That’s what we’re all about; it’s what the fraternity is all about — community service,” said Dr. Terry Hazzard of the fraternity. “And we’re encouraging the citizens of Mobile to do just that.”