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Sonja Smith
Sonja Smith is a member of the Birmingham City Schools in Alabama, representing District 8. She assumed office in 2017. Her current term ends on October 28, 2025.
Smith is running for election to the Birmingham City Council to represent District 8 in Alabama. She is on the ballot in the general runoff election on October 7, 2025. She advanced from the general election on August 26, 2025.
Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Smith received her bachelor's degree in music from Birmingham-Southern College in 2003 and a master's degree in music from Louisiana State University in 2006. Her career experience includes working as a healthcare advocate, as a teacher, a tennis coordinator for USTA Southern, and a project coordinator for Enroll Alabama (AIDS Alabama). She has been affiliated with the advisory board of Birmingham Episcopal Campus Ministries, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Birmingham Sister Cities, and the Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals.[1][2]
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Birmingham, Alabama (2025)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Birmingham City Council District 8
Sonja Smith and April Myers Williams are running in the general runoff election for Birmingham City Council District 8 on October 7, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Sonja Smith (Nonpartisan)  | |
 | April Myers Williams (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Birmingham City Council District 8
The following candidates ran in the general election for Birmingham City Council District 8 on August 26, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | April Myers Williams (Nonpartisan) | 32.2 | 1,408 |
| ✔ | | Sonja Smith (Nonpartisan) | 31.7 | 1,389 |
| Jonathan Hatten (Nonpartisan) | 7.6 | 334 | ||
| Adlai Trone (Nonpartisan) | 7.6 | 332 | ||
| David Rivers (Nonpartisan) | 7.1 | 309 | ||
| Joe May (Nonpartisan) | 5.0 | 218 | ||
 | Justin Smith (Nonpartisan) | 3.8 | 165 | |
| Susan Palmer (Nonpartisan) | 3.5 | 153 | ||
| Eric Delk (Nonpartisan) | 1.5 | 67 | ||
| Total votes: 4,375 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2021
See also: Birmingham City Schools, Alabama, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Birmingham City Schools District 8
Incumbent Sonja Smith defeated Antwon Womack, Antoinette King, and Curtis Tyrone Robinson in the general election for Birmingham City Schools District 8 on August 24, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sonja Smith (Nonpartisan) | 62.3 | 2,469 |
 | Antwon Womack (Nonpartisan) | 18.8 | 746 | |
| Antoinette King (Nonpartisan) | 12.4 | 490 | ||
| Curtis Tyrone Robinson (Nonpartisan) | 6.6 | 260 | ||
| Total votes: 3,965 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
- See also: Birmingham City Schools elections (2017)
All nine seats on the Birmingham City Schools Board of Education in Alabama were up for by-district election on August 22, 2017. The races drew 32 candidates, including four incumbents who filed to retain their seats. Thirty-one candidates appeared on the ballot. Runoff elections for Districts 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8 were scheduled for October 3, 2017, after no candidates in those races received a majority of the votes.[3]
In the general election, District 6 incumbent Cheri Gardner defeated former candidate Ervin Philemon Hill Sr. Incumbent Sandra Brown was re-elected after facing newcomer Lawrence Jackson for the District 9 seat. District 2 newcomer Terri Michal defeated fellow newcomer Brandon McCray. District 3 candidate Mary Boehm defeated former Birmingham City Schools interim Superintendent Larry Contri.[3]
During the runoff election, District 1 former candidate Douglas Ragland defeated newcomer Cedric Small. They defeated former candidates Jerry Tate and Keith Rice and newcomer Bennie Holmes in the general election. District 4 incumbent Daagye Hendricks was re-elected after facing former board member Edward Maddox. They defeated Amber Courtney in the general election. Newcomer Michael Millsap defeated fellow newcomer David McKinney for the District 5 seat. They defeated former candidate Martha McDowell and newcomers Aaisha Muhammad, Eloise Manning Crenshaw, Lt. Buford Burks, Andrea Mitchell, and Angela Scoggins-Watson in the general election. Challengers Patricia Spigner McAdory and Walter "Big Walt" Wilson advanced to a runoff election after defeating incumbent Wardine Alexander in the race for the District 7 seat. Spigner McAdory won the seat. Sonja Smith defeated Patricia Bozeman-Henderson for the District 8 seat. They defeated former candidate Antwon Womack and newcomer Tyrone Silmon in the general election.[4]
| Birmingham City Schools, District 8 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Sonja Smith |
63.67% | 2,837 |
| Patricia Bozeman-Henderson | 36.33% | 1,619 |
| Total Votes | 4,456 | |
| Source: Birmingham, Alabama, "General Municipal Runoff Official Report," accessed October 11, 2017 | ||
| Birmingham City Schools, District 8 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Sonja Smith |
31.46% | 1,253 |
| Patricia Bozeman-Henderson |
29.58% | 1,178 |
| Tyrone Silmon | 27.44% | 1,093 |
| Antwon Womack | 11.52% | 459 |
| Total Votes | 3,983 | |
| Source: Birmingham, Alabama, "Official Summary Report: City of Birmingham Mayoral Election," accessed September 5, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sonja Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Support Local Businesses I am passionate about cultivating a thriving small business ecosystem. I will support existing small businesses in realizing their full potential while we work together to nurture new ventures. By sharing resources, offering strategic guidance, and showcasing local entrepreneurship, we can create an environment where innovation flourishes and economic opportunities abound for all.
- Expand Youth Opportunities I am committed to partnering with small businesses, neighborhood associations, and the school system to expose students to alternative and innovative career paths. Together, we will create dynamic opportunities for students to engage with professionals from diverse industries and gain real-world insights. By fostering these collaborations, we can provide hands-on experiences and mentorship that inspire creativity and open doors to new possibilities, preparing the next generation for success in an ever-evolving economy.
- Strengthen Our Neighborhoods I believe in the power of collaboration to build strong, vibrant communities. I am dedicated to supporting local neighborhood associations in achieving their goals and driving innovative growth. Together, we will explore sustainable strategies that not only stabilize our neighborhoods but also enhance their unique character, creating safer and more connected environments for everyone.
Communication
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2021
Sonja Smith did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Smith provided the following description of her political philosophy to Ballotpedia: "I want to be a voice for the parents, teachers, and students of my district. I want to hold office promoting open communication, transparency, accountability, and integrity."[1]
See also
2025 Elections
External links
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Candidate Birmingham City Council District 8 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbiosub - ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 23, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 AL.com, "Birmingham municipal election: Final numbers are in, winners declared," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Birmingham, Alabama, "General Municipal Runoff Official Report," accessed October 11, 2017
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