By Alabama Public Radio
Birmingham, AL – Voters in some suburbs of Birmingham will go to the polls this fall to elect a replacement for veteran Representative John Hawkins. Hawkins died of cancer last month at the age of 77. He'd represented Birmingham's southern suburbs in the Legislature off and on beginning in the 1950s. Governor Riley has set a special election to fill the vacant seat. Party primaries will be held September 21st, with runoffs scheduled for October 12th. The general election will then be November Second, at the same time as the presidential election. Candidates have until July 30th to qualify to run in the Republican or Democratic Party primaries. The only known candidate so far is former Jefferson County tax collector Jack Williams. He announced Tuesday that he will run as a Republican.