Mobile mayoral candidate Connie Hudson secures Retired Fire Fighters endorsement

A Mobile mayoral candidate received a key endorsement Tuesday, a little more than three months before the Aug. 26 municipal election.

Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson was officially endorsed Tuesday by the Retired Fire Fighters Association, representing former full-time firefighters in Mobile. The group’s membership is approximately 340.

The group cited Hudson’s lengthy public service career as the reason for their endorsement in a statement made at Hudson’s campaign office.

Hudson, a Republican commissioner for the past 15 years, had previously served on the Mobile City Council representing District 6 from 2001-2010. The mayoral race is non-partisan.

“Commissioner Hudson has always been fair, transparent, and collaborative in her decision-making,” the leadership of the Retired Firefighters Association said in a statement. “She listens to our concerns, works with us to find solutions, and has never wavered in her support for our mission. With her proven leadership and dedication, we are confident that Commissioner Hudson will lead Mobile with integrity and unity, ensuring a safer and stronger future for all.”

Securing endorsements from public safety groups will be key in the weeks before the Aug. 26 election. Current Mayor Sandy Stimpson received crucial endorsements from the unions representing police officers and firefighters in 2013, ahead of him defeating then-incumbent Mayor Sam Jones.

The latest endorsement comes after other candidates in the race have unveiled some key individual endorsements in recent weeks.

Stimpson, on May 7, endorsed former Mobile County District Judge Spiro Cheriogotis as his choice for a successor.

Last week, former Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones endorsed state Rep. Barbara Drummond as his choice for mayor.

The rest of the candidates in the race include former Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine, former Police Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety Lawrence Battiste, former Mobile County Commissioner Stephen Nodine, and former Mobile City Councilman Jermaine Burrell.