Why Handsome Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin Just Became the Internet’s Obsession
If your timeline has been filled with folks suddenly looking to move to Birmingham, you have Randall Woodfin to thank. The city’s mayor sent the internet into a complete frenzy after taking the stage to dance—and flex his own grill—to Nelly and Paul Wall’s 2005 classic, “Grillz.” Now, the Alabama metropolis has everyone’s full attention.
The viral clip—which instantly clocked millions of views across TikTok, X, and Instagram—caught Woodfin onstage looking effortlessly sharp on stage and flashing a custom gold grill. Praises soon followed.
One X commenter joked: “Bro said being mayor doesn’t mean he has to stop being fresh.”
Another X user added their endorsement, noting that Woodfin’s accomplishments as mayor are just as impressive as his style. “And before anybody tries to talk shit, this man has brought the murder rate down year and year. This year alone was the lowest murder rate in 50+ years! 3 years ago the murder rate was the highest in 30 years! My folks in Birmingham were literally calling it Gotham City!” they posted. And they are not wrong.
Birmingham has seen a 75% reduction in homicides compared to the same period last year in the first one hundred days into his third term, the City of Birmingham announced. “Detectives have made arrests in every homicide case this year, achieving a 100 percent clearance rate in alignment with the Birmingham Police Department’s seven-point crime reduction strategy,” the statement added, noting how “robberies are down 26.7 percent, aggravated assaults are down 30.1 percent, and total violent crime is down 31.8 percent.”
RELATED: Ala. Mayoral Candidate Randall Woodfin Is a Sign of the Growing Progressive Movement in the South
Local farms were also awarded $100,000 through the city’s Urban Farmer Grant Program, increasing food access and community garden support. Birmingham—approximately 91 miles north of Montgomery, Alabama, with an estimated population of 196,000 residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau—launched the Entrepreneurship Center for Growth and Excellence “to provide resources, technical assistance, and capital access to support small business growth across Birmingham.”
While the internet is currently celebrating his swag, Woodfin’s viral charisma is nothing new to the people who voted for him. He made history in 2017, becoming Birmingham’s youngest mayor in over a century at age 36, according to the National Urban League. He built his reputation on turning internet-era authenticity into real-world results, securing re-election in 2021, followed by a landslide third-term win in 2025, solidifying his status as a political powerhouse in the South.
Beyond the viral dances, the attorney and Morehouse College graduate earned his law degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, per Johns Hopkins University. He previously served as an assistant city attorney and as president of the Birmingham Board of Education.
The Root spoke with Woodfin in 2017, when he was considered a long-shot candidate, after he jumped into the mayoral race just a year prior. He campaigned on lowering the city’s crime rates, creating ways for young people to pursue free education at local community colleges, and revitalizing Neighborhood Watch.
“It’s introducing conflict resolution to our boys and girls entering middle school. It’s finding a way to get our young people to understand what empathy means in childhood before they’re adults,” he told The Root. “It also means tackling poverty head-on and asking young boys to put guns down and stand ready to replace it with a job in their hands.” However, Mayor Woodfin isn’t the only leader in Birmingham who has the internet in a trance.
Enter Police Chief Michael Pickett. Appointed to lead the Birmingham Police Department, Chief Pickett has sparked a viral phenomenon of his own. His sharp suits, commanding presence, and composed delivery during press briefings have practically turned every BPD press conference into a trending event.
Photos and clips of Pickett addressing the city often go viral across Instagram and TikTok, with thousands of admirers chiming in on the “heartthrob’s” looks while local residents celebrate his community-focused approach to lowering violent crime.
Last year, Pickett told USA Today that although he is “honored” by all the online attention, he consistently remains focused on cutting homicides, “serving the citizens of Birmingham, fighting crime and holding those folks accountable, that I said, choose to break the law in our city.”
