Photos courtesy of Birmingham Water Works and city of Hoover
Three Hoover councilmen remained unopposed in the city's 2025 municipal election as of Tuesday, June 17, 2025. They are, from left, Derrick Murphy, Casey Middlebrooks and Steve McClinton.
UPDATE: Since this story was first posted, Steve Lawrence qualified to run for Hoover Council Place 5 against incumbent Councilman Derrick Murphy.
With the qualifying period for Hoover’s 2025 city election halfway over, three current Hoover councilmen remain unopposed so far.
No one had qualified to run against Councilmen Derrick Murphy, Casey Middlebrooks and Steve McClinton as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the city of Hoover’s online list of candidates.
Qualifying began June 10 and is open until 5 p.m. on June 24.
Counciwoman Khristi Driver, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the council 2½ years ago, is putting her name on the ballot for the first time this year, and she so far faces two challengers.
Driver, who works for Southern Nuclear Services, is facing opposition for Council Place 4 from Christian Coleman, a freelance writer who takes care of his two elementary-age girls and serves in the Alabama Air National Guard, and former Hoover Councilwoman Donna Mazur, who is retired.
Two other current council members — Curt Posey and Sam Swiney — said they aren’t seeking re-election, and Council President John Lyda so far has not announced if he will run again.
Robin Schultz, who owns Bluff Park Drone and PC Medics of Alabama, and Tanveer Patel, an entrepreneur who also is in the technology sector, are seeking the Place 1 seat vacated by Posey.
Three people are seeking the Place 2 seat being vacated by Swiney: Kenneth Cox, a former track and cross-country coach at Birmingham-Southern College; Copeland Johnson, a 23-year-old pre-law student; and former Hoover City Council President Gene Smith, who owns personal finance companies that make short-term installment loans.
Ashley Lovell, who does marketing for a respiratory equipment company, is seeking Council Place 3, currently held by Lyda. Liz Lane, who runs an art business in Bluff Park, announced she is running for council but had not officially qualified for a particular place as of Tuesday.
In the mayor’s race, Mayor Frank Brocato is the only official candidate so far, but police Chief Nick Derzis announced in March he is running for mayor, too. Derzis hasn’t filed his qualifying papers yet and likely will wait until the last day because he will have to take vacation from his job once he officially qualifies.
Anyone interested in qualifying to run for mayor or Hoover City Council must do so with the Hoover city clerk’s office at 100 Municipal Drive.
Hoover voters on Aug. 26 will elect a mayor and seven City Council members. All of Hoover’s council members serve citywide because there are no geographic districts in Hoover. That means all voters will choose all seven members.
See more information about Hoover’s municipal election here.
