Russell County, AL elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Russell County: 17 seats on 6 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
County Commission
Russell County Commission
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates for each school district's area, matched to its board by name. They're estimates with a , larger for small districts.
How many local governments Russell County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Russell County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
2
0
School districts (school boards)
2
1
Special districts (elected boards)
3
0
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Russell County
58,811people
37.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$51,197 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
22.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$165,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
13.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.3%U.S.: 8.4%
54.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
34.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6% · White 43.9% · Black 45.1% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 4.5% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Russell County
4.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Alabama: 3.7%.
999people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
21,769people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
22,768in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.4%
999
21,769
22,768
August 2026
4.2%
963
21,842
22,805
July 2026
4.5%
1,019
21,676
22,695
June 2026
4.6%
1,045
21,834
22,879
May 2026
4.0%
927
21,993
22,920
April 2026
3.0%
687
22,107
22,794
March 2026
3.6%
826
22,166
22,992
February 2026
3.7%
855
22,028
22,883
January 2026
3.5%
809
22,095
22,904
December 2025
2.7%
622
22,545
23,167
November 2025
3.0%
709
22,554
23,263
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.6%
840
22,281
23,121
August 2025
3.6%
839
22,336
23,175
July 2025
3.7%
848
22,331
23,179
June 2025
3.6%
841
22,375
23,216
May 2025
3.0%
681
22,386
23,067
April 2025
2.8%
647
22,497
23,144
March 2025
3.4%
791
22,368
23,159
February 2025
3.8%
866
22,192
23,058
January 2025
4.0%
925
22,166
23,091
December 2024
3.3%
757
22,305
23,062
November 2024
3.6%
820
22,242
23,062
October 2024
3.5%
809
22,235
23,044
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.4%
783
22,366
23,149
2024
3.5%
804
22,129
22,933
2023
2.7%
628
22,267
22,895
2022
2.6%
587
22,155
22,742
2021
3.1%
706
21,962
22,668
2020
5.8%
1,343
21,747
23,090
2019
3.2%
751
22,536
23,287
2018
4.1%
967
22,475
23,442
2017
4.5%
1,044
21,909
22,953
2016
5.6%
1,305
21,863
23,168
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Alabama's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.5% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Russell County
112.8 per 100,0002025. Alabama: 348.3.
327.5 per 100,0002025. Alabama: 1,461.8.
1murders2025, 31 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
31
112.8
90
327.5
2024
60
217.7
177
642.3
2023
41
149.8
159
580.8
2022
51
186.3
141
515.1
By police agency (1)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Russell County Sheriff's Office
2025
31
90
27,140
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Alabama · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.58 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 27,140 people.
43sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
72civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Russell County Sheriff's Office
43
72
27,140
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
43
1.58
72
1
2024
42
1.54
76
1
2023
42
1.55
62
1
2022
38
1.41
73
1
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Russell County Circuit Clerk?
Jody Sellers is the Circuit Clerk of Russell County, Alabama.
Who is the Russell County Coroner?
Arthur L. "Peewee" Sumbry Jr. is the Coroner of Russell County, Alabama. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Russell County Judge of Probate?
Belinda Strickland is the Judge of Probate of Russell County, Alabama.
Who is the Russell County Sheriff?
Heath D. Taylor is the Sheriff of Russell County, Alabama. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Russell County commissioners?
Gentry Lee (District 1); Scott Chambers (District 2); Rod Costello (District 3); Ronnie Reed (District 4); Cedric Darrell Darty (District 5); Chance Corbett (District 6); Larry D. Screws (District 7).
Who is on the Russell County School Board?
Tim Simpson (Board of Education Member, At-large); Dewilda "Dillie" Elliott (Board of Education Member, District 1); John Keith Mitchell (Board of Education Member, District 2); Meghan Catrett (Board of Education Member, District 3); Kenneth Barnes (Board of Education Member, District 4); Chelsea Kite Smith (Board of Education Member, District 5).
What is the population of Russell County?
About 58,811 people, with a median age of 37.5; the median household income is $51,197 and 22.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Russell County?
4.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 999 people unemployed in a labor force of 22,768, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Russell County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 2 school district and 3 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from the Alabama Secretary of State's County Official Lookup, and for the county commission, other county officers and the county board of education, the county's or the county school system's own website (matched to the seat each person won in the SOS's results of its last general election); each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Russell County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races