Birmingham, Alabama, votes for new mayor

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - The U.S. city of Birmingham, Alabama, elects a new mayor on Tuesday after the previous one was convicted of corruption linked to a multibillion dollar municipal debt crisis.

Birmingham is at the heart of Jefferson County, which is struggling to avoid what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Though Birmingham's finances are separate from those of the county, many voters say clean government is a key issue in the race to govern Alabama's biggest city.

Attorney Patrick Cooper is considered a front-runner and has raised the most funds in a field of around 13 candidates.

A run-off is likely, said Randolph Horn, professor of political science at Samford University.

"The voters appear to be trying out different types of representatives with the turnover in recent elections. It seems the voters have not found what they are looking for yet," said Horn.

Former mayor Larry Langford lost his job in October when a jury in a federal trial convicted him on 60 counts including corruption, bribery and fraud. Since then the city has had two interim mayors.

Charges against Langford relate to his tenure as president of Jefferson County's commission earlier this decade when the county ran up huge debts as it refinanced a scheme to upgrade its sewer system.

That debt mushroomed in February 2008 when bond insurers downgraded the debt. Since then the county has been struggling to renegotiate terms with creditors and also cope with a short term financial crisis.

Langford defeated Cooper in the mayor's race in 2007. At that time, the influential Birmingham News daily endorsed Cooper. This month it opted for Emory Anthony, a criminal defense lawyer.

Results from the election are due late on Tuesday.

(Editing by Matthew Bigg; Editing by Andrew Hay)