Montgomery elects first black mayor

Pradyot Sharma Montgomery elected its first black mayor as county probate judge Steven Reed defeated David Woods in a run-off election. This adds historical significance as Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy and a major part of the civil rights movement. According to preliminary unofficial results, published by Montgomery’s government website, Reed received 32,918 votes accounting for 67.28% of the total, while Woods received 16,010 votes which was 32.7%. “Today is not just about the victory it’s about the vison,” Reed said in his victory speech. “Let the record show this is what we can do as a community, as a city and let this go far beyond Montgomery, let it go far beyond Alabama, and let it go far beyond this nation that we made a statement here tonight.” Reed was the first probate judge to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples in Alabama in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. The then-Chief Justice Roy Moore had ordered probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples Reed will be sworn in on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m.