Photo by Jon Anderson
201006_Sam_Swiney-election
Sam Swiney looks at final election results declaring him the winner of the runoff for Hoover City Council Place 2 as his wife, Nicole, watches during an election-night party at his home in the Bluff Park community in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020.
Bluff Park’s Sam Swiney walked away with a win in the runoff election for Hoover City Council Place 2 over fellow Bluff Park resident Robin Schultz Tuesday, deciding the final race in the 2020 city election.
Swiney captured 1,643 votes, or 57 percent, compared to 1,236 votes, or 43 percent, for Schultz. He won at nine of the 13 polling places spread across the city, with Schultz coming out on top at only the Hoover Public Library, St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, Shades Crest Baptist Church and Hoover Fire Station No. 8 in Greystone.
“I’m absolutely blown away that we had about 3,000 residents come out for the runoff,” Swiney said at a small election night party at his home with family and a few friends.
“I think Robin ran a really good race. He was a very good opponent and would have been a great councilman,” Swiney said. “Residents felt strongly about both of us. I’m just honored they would give me an opportunity to serve. … I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Swiney, a 37-year-old claims specialist with State Farm Insurance, said he thinks voters felt comfortable with him as someone who would be an approachable councilman — someone they could call on the phone and talk with about city affairs.
He also thinks his support for the school system and public safety departments in Hoover resonated with voters, as well as his desire to help older neighborhoods like Bluff Park, Green Valley and Monte D’Oro stay maintained and not get “left behind,” he said.
Even though Swiney came into the runoff with a narrow lead over Schultz from the Aug. 25 election and was ahead in votes as they came in Tuesday night, he wasn’t ready to declare victory until the votes from the last polling place in Greystone were posted online by the Hoover city clerk’s office.
Four years ago, he lost to Councilman Gene Smith by just 24 votes out of more than 12,000 votes cast.
“You want to make sure you see all the numbers before you get too excited,” Swiney said.
His first congratulatory phone call came from his 100-year-old grandmother, Jane Sligh, in Hueytown. He also received congratulatory calls from Schultz and Mayor Frank Brocato as the final results were announced.
“It was a tough race. Robin was a very good candidate and I think either one of us would have done well in the role,” Swiney said. “I definitely have a lot of respect for Robin.”
Schultz said Swiney ran a very positive campaign, and all five of the candidates for Place 2 in the Aug. 25 election ran clean campaigns.
“Sam obviously did a better job than I did, and we all need to support him, Schultz said.
Schultz, who has actively attended City Council meetings and Hoover school board meetings for many years, said he’s going to take a step back for a little while. “I feel that we need to take a break and regroup and see where we go from here.”
He had tremendous support from a lot of people for his campaign and is very grateful to all those who helped him. “It just didn’t work out the way it could have worked out. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Swiney is scheduled to take the oath of office with fellow new Councilman Steve McClinton, the five councilmen who got reelected and Mayor Frank Brocato on Nov. 2.
