Polls Open in North Tuscaloosa’s District 3 Special Election for Vacant City Council Seat

Polls have opened in Tuesday's two-man special election for a vacant Tuscaloosa City Council seat in District 3.

The district includes almost all of the city north of the Black Warrior River, except for the northwest limits near the Tuscaloosa National Airport.

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The seat was vacated earlier this year when former incumbent Norman Crow was elected to higher office and won a seat on the Alabama House of Representatives.

With about three years left on the current municipal government terms, a special election was called to replace Crow, and two men qualified to run - developer Richard Henry and former football player Doug Parrish.

Henry is a lifelong Tuscaloosa resident and has been a property manager locally for almost 20 years.

He owns the Right Space commercial real estate firm and has served in several leadership roles concerning local development.

Parrish grew up in Tuscaloosa and played college football at Taft Junior College, the University of California-Berkeley, and San Francisco State.

He went pro and joined the Canadian Football League, where Parrish played six seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos, including their 1993 Grey Cup Championship season, when they won their equivalent of the Super Bowl.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open for 12 hours before closing at 7 p.m. With only two candidates and no chance of a runoff, election results should be returned, and a winner declared later Tuesday night.

For live results as they come in and other coverage of news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.