Round two

Voters in Mobile and Tuscaloosa still have a few more hours to have their say in today's runoffs about who should succeed their longtime mayors.

Mobile County Commissioner Sam Jones, who came close to an outright victory in Mobile's first round of mayoral voting, carries the Mobile Register's emphatic endorsement. The Vanguard editorial board, meanwhile, gave its support to Jones' runoff challenger, City Councilman John Peavy, before last month's mayoral election.

Tuscaloosa's race was a bit closer the first time around, and the race between City Councilman Walt Maddox and former City Council President Sammy Watson could be a tight one again. The Tuscaloosa News editorial board, despite some concerns about "negative campaign messages," is backing Watson, while The Crimson White has given Maddox a resounding endorsement.

Jones and Watson are the favorites to take the reins of their home cities, but a Maddox win certainly isn't out of the question.