Photo courtesy of Graham Smith.
Graham Smith announced her bid for mayor in early April, following Mayor Stewart Welch’s retirement announcement.
Mountain Brook City Councilor Graham Smith has officially announced her candidacy for mayor, leveraging her political background and community ties.
Smith, who has served on the council since 2022, is running unopposed for now and says her decision to step forward is a natural extension of her long-standing commitment to public service.
“I've always been raised in a family that values service to one's community,” Smith said. “My parents have always served our community. My brother currently serves in his community — they live in New York right now — and that was just something that you did if you wanted to have a good quality of life.”
Smith grew up in Long Island before she met her husband, Harrison, while attending Washington and Lee University, where she earned a degree in journalism. Harrison is a Mountain Brook native, and the couple moved back to his hometown 14 years ago, where Smith has been an active part of the community ever since.
“I wasn’t born in Mountain Brook — I chose Mountain Brook,” Smith said in her campaign announcement. “I chose our city as home because of the incredible people that care for each other and care about each other.”
A former legislative director for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, Smith draws on a wide array of civic and governmental experience. She has served as president of the Jefferson County City Councilors Coalition, PTO president for Cherokee Bend Elementary and a board member for the Friends of Jemison Park, Alabama Trails Foundation and Mountain Brook PTO Council. She also holds an MBA from the University of Alabama.
During her tenure on the council, she has worked to streamline city operations and maintain a balanced $54 million budget. “To run Mountain Brook well, it needs to be run like a business,” Smith said. That includes everything from pension obligations to sanitation contracts, and she emphasizes that financial stewardship remains at the core of her leadership philosophy.
Smith’s platform for mayor focuses on three primary pillars: keeping Mountain Brook families safe, fostering a vibrant business community and stewarding taxpayer dollars.
“Whether you're serving on the council or you're serving in the mayoral role, I can pretty much organize my decisions under those three categories,” she said.
As a mother of two school-aged boys and a former PTO president, Smith is also deeply invested in the school system and plans to continue supporting the success of Mountain Brook Schools if elected.
She’s also keenly aware of the logistical challenges the city faces after her time on the council. Projects like expanding the sidewalk system, improving athletic fields and addressing neighborhood flooding are high on her list.
Smith has expressed admiration for the leadership of outgoing Mayor Stewart Welch and acknowledges the expectations that come with following in his footsteps. “Stewart Welch has told me, and others have told me, basically, it comes down to don't mess it up,” Smith said. “This is such a lovely community that really, we just want to keep it as vibrant and thriving as it has been.”
Smith is currently uncontested in the mayoral race. June 24 is the last day to qualify to run for municipal office. Municipal elections will be held Aug. 26.
