Keith Williams (Alabama)

Keith Williams ran for election to the Birmingham City Council to represent District 6 in Alabama. He lost in the general election on August 26, 2025.

Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Birmingham, Alabama (2025)

General election

General election for Birmingham City Council District 6

Incumbent Crystal Smitherman defeated Keith Williams in the general election for Birmingham City Council District 6 on August 26, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Crystal Smitherman (Nonpartisan)	82.3	2,605
		Keith Williams (Nonpartisan)	17.7	562

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,167
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Williams in this election.

2021

See also: City elections in Birmingham, Alabama (2021)

General election

General election for Birmingham City Council District 6

Incumbent Crystal Smitherman defeated Keith Aaron and Keith Williams in the general election for Birmingham City Council District 6 on August 24, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Crystal Smitherman (Nonpartisan)	66.6	2,374
	Submit photo	Keith Aaron (Nonpartisan)	28.6	1,021
		Keith Williams (Nonpartisan)	4.8	172

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,567
= 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.

2019

See also: City elections in Birmingham, Alabama (2019)

General election

Special general election for Birmingham City Council District 6

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Birmingham City Council District 6 on October 8, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Crystal Smitherman (Nonpartisan)	51.5	1,287
	Submit photo	Onoyemi Williams (Nonpartisan)	15.2	380
	Submit photo	Carlos Chaverst (Nonpartisan)	14.0	349
	Submit photo	LaTanya Millhouse (Nonpartisan)	10.6	265
	Submit photo	Clarence Muhammad (Nonpartisan)	5.1	127
	Submit photo	Willine Body (Nonpartisan)	2.0	50
		Keith Williams (Nonpartisan)	1.6	41

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,499
= 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: Municipal elections in Birmingham, Alabama (2017)

The city of Birmingham, Alabama, held elections for mayor and city council on August 22, 2017. A runoff was held on October 3, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 7, 2017.

Incumbent Sheila Tyson defeated Keith Mims and Keith Williams in the Birmingham City Council District 6 general election.

Birmingham City Council, District 6 General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Sheila Tyson Incumbent	79.49%	3,140
Keith Mims	15.19%	600
Keith Williams	5.32%	210
Total Votes		3,950
Source: City of Birmingham, "General Election Results," August 29, 2017

Campaign themes

2021

Keith Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Williams' responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Keith Oscar Williams is an associate minister at St Mark Missionary Baptist Church, counselor, author, and freelance web designer. He is also a community activist and officer of the North Titusville Neighborhood Association.

Williams graduated from Parker High School in 1992 and earned a degree in finance at Alabama State University in 1996. He founded his Greater Works Business Services web design firm in 1998. During the Gulf War, Williams served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort McClellan. and enrolled at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He founded Great I Am Ministries Outreach International in 2003 and graduated from Liberty in 2008. He has also taken on-line courses in biblical studies from Grace and Truth Bible Institute and completed a certification as a counseling practitioner from Achology: The Academy of Modern Applied Psychology.

Since returning to Birmingham in 2016, Williams has worked as a sales associate at Wal-Mart and Lowe's and volunteered with Junior Achievement through his involvement at True Light Missionary Baptist Church. As a community activist he co-founded the Voters Legal Justice Watch Group and is a member of Faith in Action Alabama, Our Revolution Birmingham, the Poor People's Campaign, Alabama Arise, Neighborhood Advocates for Justice, and Birmingham United Neighborhoods. He also participated in pushing for the 35th Avenue Superfund Site to be included on the National Priorities List.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Investing in people and investing in our communities
• Not just talking, but I am ready to ACT (accountability, community engagement, and transparency)
• Doing things differently for a different result

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Finding innovated ways to address crime in our communities by revamping the police department, creating an independent citizens police review board to measure accountability, offer alternative methods of policing (e.g. community policing, problem solving policing, Cure Violence Model, violence interruption/intervention), and addressing the root cause of crime.

Advocating for developers to utilize vacant properties to build affordable homes, businesses, shops and restaurants, community gardens, parks and greenspaces, and entertainment venues. I will push the city council to make funding available for infrastructure (e.g. roads, sidewalks, lighting, and addressing blight and dilapidation).

Working with environmental groups to form the a local Green New Deal, fighting to ensure communities are added to Environmental National Priority List for additional funding and resources, expand a city wide recycling program to keep recycled materials from landfills, and address pollution and environmental injustice.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Learning how the government works, knowing the system and the law to identify the problems so they can be changed, the ability to research as a means to hold people accountable, and having a relationship with all constitutional officers from local to federal.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

The person I look up to is former North Titusville President John C. Harris because he's a perfect example of being intelligent without going to college. He taught me about government and politics. I consider him to be a mentor because he shown me how to get things done.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Richard Wright, Black Boy; William Mitchell and Thomas Fazi, Reclaiming the State: A Progressive Vision of Sovereignty for a Post-Neoliberal World; Carol Chetkovich and Frances Kunreuther, From the Ground Up: Grassroots Organizations Making Social Change; The Black Agenda Paperback

by Dr. Nathan & Dr. Julia Hare; The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System Hardcover – February 1, 2022

by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman (Author), Tressie McMillan Cottom (Introduction)

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, accountability, transparency, stewardship, and community involvement are the most vital principles of any elected official. To be able to dismantle the establishment with inclusion, justice, and opportunity for everyone. To have the courage to stand and the willingness to fight, even if you are alone, standing up for what is right should always be top priority.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, accountability, transparency, stewardship, research and investigation, advocacy, and moral servantitude.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Advocate, legislate, pass a balance budget

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be a person people can say that I listen to them, I am a fighter and will not

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

In 1979, I witness the first total darkness during the daytime that lasted for several hours. I was five years old at the time it happened.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a newspaper carrier, an independent contractor with the Birmingham News. I was 11 at the time and served in that capacity for 13 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Native Son by Richard Wright is my favorite book because it reminds me if what is wrong with America. A black man trying to survive in a world that doesn't accept him. He's afraid of his interactions with people that don't look like him. When he gets into trouble, he knows society will condemn him. His only way to escape is run away.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would like to be Superman who share spiritual characteristics of Jesus Christ, to save us from ourselves a fight of neverending truth and justice for all regardless of who we are or what we have/haven't done.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

His Love - The Clark Sisters

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

As a veteran in the Army, I do suffer from PTSD and bipolar depression. With the right help, I am able to manage it with ease.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The city council have the ability to investigate any city department, board/agency, or official for the purpose of inquiry and transparency

The city council can vote on ordinances and resolutions that have been created by the people.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Although it's not necessary to have any government or political experience, a candidate should have some knowledge of the two with a track record of ongoing service to the community/city.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Someone who have a sense of judgement and stewardship, being able to research the facts, the ability to be an active listener, and to who empathy and compassion. This person must be honest and word and action, having integrity, transparency, and accountability. This person must also be a servant seeking nothing in return.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Why your coffee tastes so good? Because Hebrews it.

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.

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Keith Williams did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

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