Who Follows Craft? Start With Phillip Harris

Robert Craft has been mayor of Gulf Shores since 2008. In August 2025, voters gave him a fifth term with 57.8% of the vote in a three-way race (City of Gulf Shores). His campaign points to $272 million in capital improvements, $76 million in grants and the creation of Gulf Shores City Schools (1819 News).

He has not said whether he will run again. He has been here before. Starting his third term in 2016, Craft told WKRG, "I hope I don't do this again." He ran twice more and won both times (WKRG).

The next city election falls on Aug. 28, 2029. Gulf Shores has a strong-mayor government, so whoever follows Craft takes over a city with real momentum: a new Comprehensive Plan, a growth pause, a $30 million bridge-and-plaza project and a school system that didn't exist ten years ago. Nobody has announced. But one name already stands out: Mayor Pro Tem Phillip Harris.

The case for Harris

He's already next in line. Harris holds Place 3 and serves as mayor pro tempore, the council's second-ranking role (City of Gulf Shores). No one on the council is closer to how the mayor's office runs day to day.

He's been here since 1986. Harris and his wife Jill moved to Gulf Shores that year to help run the family business, Nolan's Restaurant. In 1993 he started Harris Construction & Development and the couple reopened Nolan's. Public service runs in the family: his father, George Harris, served nine years on the council (city bio).

He knows growth better than anyone at the table. His city bio says he has served on the Planning Commission for more than a decade, and he still sits on it as the council's member. He also serves on the Gulf Shores Utilities board and the Gulf Coast Health Care Authority. The next mayor's biggest job will be growth: finishing the new Comprehensive Plan and deciding what happens when the growth pause runs out. Harris has spent years on exactly those questions.

He shows up and does the work. At the Sept. 28 council meeting, Harris made or seconded five of the motions on the agenda, including the Kids Park construction contract (up to $1.1 million), a 3D crime-scene camera for police and a vehicle barrier system (official minutes).

He plays it straight. In August, staff recommended closing the Canal Park boat launch. Harris owns property on both sides of the launch, so he recused himself. The council kept the launch open (1819 News).

Voters like him. Harris drew a challenger in 2025 and beat Eric Bradley 2,415 to 1,641, about 60% (City of Gulf Shores).

Harris hasn't said he wants the job. But if Craft steps aside, no one brings a deeper résumé of local roots, business experience and inside knowledge of city government.

The rest of the bench

Harris isn't the only name people bring up. Here's who else to keep an eye on, starting with the council.

Jennifer Guthrie, Place 2. The newcomer with the biggest number. She unseated incumbent Gary Sinak with 70% and drew 3,003 votes, more than anyone else on the 2025 Gulf Shores ballot. One term in, she's the council's breakout story. Is she building toward something bigger?

Dr. Jason Dyken, Place 4. The council's independent streak. In September he pushed to let part-time residents use the East Gulf Place resident beach lot. It failed 2-4, and he cast the only vote against the final parking ordinance. Part-time owners noticed.

Steve Jones, Place 5. He beat Blair Castro 2,719 to 1,381 in 2025, about two to one. Quiet, steady, and it shows at the ballot box.

Joe Garris Jr., Place 1. On the council since 2004. His 2025 race was the closest in town, which brings us to the next name.

Austin "Coach" Boyd. He outpolled Garris in the first round, 1,916 to 1,768, but fell short of a majority. Then runoff turnout dropped by about two-thirds and Garris won 722 to 641. Boyd showed he can win votes. Expect to see the name again.

Angie Swiger. A former Baldwin County Board of Education member, she ran for mayor in 2025 as "The People's Mayor" and finished second with 23% (1819 News).

Her campaign is also remembered for a fight over a pizzeria's campaign signs. At the July 28, 2025 council meeting, the owners of L.A. Pizzeria told the council their landlord, Angie's husband David Swiger, put her signs up at their restaurant. They said he later tossed other candidates' signs behind the building. When they pulled the Swiger signs too, they said he told them to put the signs back or leave. They chose to leave, and the restaurant closed (Gulf Coast Media; WKRG).

The Swigers say the tenants were never evicted and left by choice, and that David apologized for overreacting (Lagniappe). Police Chief Dan Netemeyer told Gulf Coast Media that Angie Swiger confronted the couple in the parking lot after the meeting. Running the meeting that night was Mayor Pro Tem Phillip Harris, filling in for Craft. He let her speak but said the council chamber wasn't the place to argue it out.

Ray Moore Jr. He finished third for mayor with 19%. Three months later he joined the Gulf Shores Planning Commission, the board that will help shape the new Comprehensive Plan. That's a front-row seat for anyone thinking about 2029.

Our take: In our view, the pizzeria episode showed a campaign putting itself ahead of a local small business. That isn't the judgment Gulf Shores needs in the mayor's office. We don't see Moore as the right fit either. Voters weren't sold in 2025: Craft outpolled the two of them combined, 2,518 to 1,924.

The near-misses. Eric Bradley (40.5% against Harris) and Joseph Marinaccio (41.9% against Dyken) both came close enough to try again.

All 2025 vote totals: City of Gulf Shores official results; 1819 News runoff report.

What to watch before 2029

• Craft's own words. Any hint about a sixth run changes the whole field. Until he speaks, everyone waits.
• The growth pause, March 2027. The pause on rezonings and new PUDs expires before the new Comprehensive Plan is due. How the council handles that vote will tell you who's leading on growth.
• Who takes the hard votes. Bridge change orders, impact fees and the budget all come up in the next few months. Those votes become the record candidates run on.
• Campaign committees. Anyone raising money for 2029 has to file campaign finance reports. We'll be checking.
• Qualifying, summer 2029. That's when we find out who's actually running. Until then, this is the bench.

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