A special election has been set for Alabama House District 52 in Jefferson County, the seat formerly held by Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, before his forced resignation last week.
“Alabamians in House District 52 deserve fair and full representation in the legislative process, and this special election will ensure that is the case,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a written statement. “To uphold public trust, integrity is imperative and accountability is non-negotiable. I encourage everyone in this district to ensure they have a strong voice of representation in the Alabama Legislature by getting out and casting their vote during this special election.”
The special primary election is June 18. If necessary, a special primary runoff will be July 16. The general election is Oct. 1.
The deadline for qualifying with major political parties will be April 16 at 5 p.m. The deadline for all independent candidates or minor parties is June 18 at 5 p.m.
Rogers, 83, submitted his resignation effective last Wednesday, Clay Redden, a spokesman for the House of Representatives confirmed Monday. Rogers also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The charges are related to what federal prosecutors described as a kickback scheme that diverted money from a fund intended to pay for community projects in Jefferson County.
Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, was first elected to the Alabama Legislature in 1982. He agreed to resign as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. However, he would have been ineligible to continue serving with a felony conviction on his record.
He will be sentenced on July 26. Federal prosecutors are recommending that Rogers be sentenced to 14 months of home confinement. He agreed to pay $197, 950 in restitution as part of the plea deal..
The guilty plea comes after former state Rep. Fred L. Plump, Jr. and Varrie Johnson Kindall, Rogers’ former assistant, pleaded guilty to related charges. Federal prosecutors said that between 2018 and 2022 Rogers directed $400,000 to a youth sports organization run by Plump. Federal prosecutors said that Plump gave approximately $200,000 of that money back to Rogers and Kindall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.