Black mayors endorse Davis

Sixteen current and former black Alabama mayors endorsed Artur Davis for governor on Thursday. They cited "his record of standing up for ordinary Alabamians and his vision for creating jobs and improving public schools."
"I know Artur Davis, I know his track record of standing up and fighting for communities like mine, and I am proud to support him for governor," said Selma Mayor George Evans.
Evans and his colleagues join Mobile Mayor Sam Jones, who previously endorsed Davis, a Montgomery native who represents Birmingham and much of the Black Belt in Congress.
He and agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks are the Democratic candidates for governor.
"For years, I have said that I do not need nor will I seek the permission of Montgomery's power brokers, regardless of race, to run for office and serve the people of Alabama," Davis said in a statement. "These grassroots endorsements are a signal that the era where one voice can speak for an entire community is over."
The congressman said the mayors are the elected officials closest to the people they represent.
Other mayors who endorsed Davis include: Kenneth Coachman of Fairfield in Jefferson County; Oscar Crawley of Lanett in Chambers County; Ed Daniels, former mayor of Marion in Perry County; Ron Davis of Prichard in Mobile County; Glenda Dubose of York in Sumter County; Fletcher Fountain, Sr., of Ft. Deposit in Lowndes County; Carrie Fulghum of Gainesville in Sumter County; Mary Fuseyamore of Pickensville in Pickens County; Stanley Hollie of Akron in Hale County; Jamaal Hunter of Uniontown in Perry County; Ronald Jones of North Courtland in Lawrence County; Edward May of Bessemer in Jefferson County; Willie Mae Powell of Shorter in Macon County; Raymond Steele of Eutaw in Greene County; and Roy Willingham of Emelle in Sumter County.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen