2018 Elections Guide
People across Alabama will head to the polls Nov. 6 to cast their vote on candidates from local commissions to the state governor and U.S. Congress.
280 Living has worked with Birmingham Watch and the Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism to compile the following list of candidates on the ballot in your area. This includes short biographies to help you get to know your state and U.S. congressional candidates better.
The list below does not include candidates who are unopposed in the general election, as those races were decided in the primaries in July. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order for each race.
Voters must have a valid form of photo ID. Ballots will vary based on the voter’s specific address. To check your polling place and registration or learn more about voting guidelines, visit alabamavotes.gov. For more on the elections, visitbirminghamwatch.org.
AL HOUSE DISTRICT 41
► Corley Ellis, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Columbiana
○ Political races run: Ran for re-election to the Shelby County Commission in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Ran for election to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2016.
○ Political offices held: Appointed in 2006 to serve as Shelby County Commissioner for District 1. Served in that role for 10 years and was elected by his peers to serve as the chairman of the Shelby County Commission for two of those years. Ran for Alabama House of Representatives for District 41 in 2016 and has served in that capacity since that time.
○ Civic experience: Jefferson and Shelby County Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society; board of directors for the CAWACO RC&D; Shelby County Arts Council; Safehouse of Shelby County; Association of County Commissions’ Administrative Steering Committee and Public Works and Rural Transportation Steering Committee; South Shelby Chamber of Commerce.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office:
1. Ensuring that our teachers and students have the tools they need to succeed.
2. Creating a pro-business environment to bring more jobs and industry to Alabama.
3. Expanding vocational training to have a more skilled workforce and provide additional opportunities for our graduating students.
► Emily Marcum, D
○ Place of residence: Calera
○ Political races run: None
○ Political offices held: None
○ Civic experience: Clean Up Calera Day 2018; service on committees in the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), Law Libraries Association of Alabama (LLAA) and Southeastern Association of Law Libraries (SEALL), 2010-15
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: More funding for primary education and better roads will encourage more businesses to come to Shelby County.
AL HOUSE DISTRICT 43
► Carin Mayo, D
Place of residence: Hoover
○ Political races run: None
○ Civic experience: Manager for the masters in public administration program for UAB Department of Political Science and Public Administration since 2013; worked for National Labor Relations Board, 1992-2001; Alabama Environmental Council board, 2018; United Way loaned executive, 2013; United Way visiting allocation team, 12-15 years; Hoover School Superintendent’s Advisory Committee and Strategic Planning Committee; Cub Scout Troop 397 den leader, 2012-17; Bridge Ministries board, 2006-12; Family Promise of Birmingham, 2005-10; Wounded Warrior fundraiser; current treasurer for Kirkman Preserve Home Owners Association; co-chairperson of UAB Benevolent Fund campaign, 2015; UAB Benevolent Fund Council; volunteered with Habitat for Humanity since 1990s; outreach board, St. Mary’s on the Highlands Episcopal Church; choir, Cathedral Church of the Advent.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “We’ve just got to do something about health care. It has just gotten out of control. We have to make it more affordable for everyone.
“With education, I’m just tired of seeing Alabama 48th or 49th in everything. We can do better than that. We’ve got to find some financial sources from somewhere.”
Favors a lottery if revenues are earmarked for education: “There is so much of our money that’s driving across state lines to buy lottery tickets. We’re funding other state’s children, and we’re not funding our own. We have to quit leaving people behind. Children that are born into poverty can’t help their situation, and if they don’t get a good education, they’re going to stay in poverty and crime rates will keep going up.”
Also wants to create job training centers for both high school students and adults who have lost jobs due to declining industries or technology upgrades.
► Arnold Mooney, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Meadow Brook
○ Political races run: Alabama House District 43 election, 2014
○ Political offices held: Represented Alabama House District 43 since 2014.
○ Civic experience: Staff assistant for U.S. Sen. James Allen (1977); ran U.S. Sen. Albert Lee Smith’s campaign for U.S. Senate (1984); chairman of Alabama Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin’s campaigns for Alabama House District 43; ran several other Alabama House and Senate campaigns; Eagle Forum of Alabama board of directors for past eight years; Workforce Investment Board 1999-2014, including chairman, vice chairman and finance chairman; former Meadow Brook Home Owners Association president; Unchartered Waters Sports Ministry chairman for past six years; Fellowship of Christian Athletes Board of Directors and executive committee for north-central Alabama for at least 30 years; involved in Briarwood Christian School capital campaigns, booster clubs and soccer program over past 32 years; has served as Meadow Brook Baptist Church deacon, personnel committee chairman and capital campaign chairman; Southern Seminary Foundation Board of Directors; led fundraising campaign for rugby stadium at Furman University; Monday Morning Quarterback Club member; St. Andrew’s Society past president; raised funds for 20 years for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Alabama.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “I have fought to protect traditional family ideals by promoting the values of personal integrity, work, faith and freedom that have made our nation great and are the glue to a prosperous and free society.
“I have seen firsthand the numerous government regulations, including Obamacare, that are obstructing business growth and restricting our religious freedoms. Big government has attempted to replace personal responsibility with entitled collectivism; small business and capitalism with big business and crony capitalism; and faith, morality and community with vague pluralities and undefined truth. ‘Big government’ members of Congress think they know what is best for Alabamians. …
“Not only will I continue to work to advance our conservative principles, but I will continue to fight back against their job-crushing mandates and assaults on our freedoms. I know what it takes to stand on principle, deliver results and fight for limited government and low taxation.”
AL HOUSE DISTRICT 45
► Dickie Drake, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Leeds
○ Political experience: Elected, Alabama House of Representatives special election, 2011; re-elected in 2014; member of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and Judiciary Committee; member, Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee.
○ Civic experience: Board member, Leeds Chamber of Commerce; past president and board member, Leeds Historical Society; past vice president, Leeds Jaycees; past president, Leeds Youth Baseball; youth baseball coach, 17 years; member, Leeds Exchange Club; member, Chief’s Council, 117 ARW; member, E-9 Association of the State of Alabama; advisory board member, Lehigh Hanson; advisory board member, Three Hots and a Cot, an organization for homeless veterans; deacon, Leeds First Baptist Church.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: Drake lists a range of issues including property and gun rights, education, health care and veterans’ affairs. He also called for fairness in sewer rates and is pro-life and a supporter of the Second Amendment.
► Jenn Gray, D
○ Place of residence: Irondale
○ Political races run: Current first-time candidate for Alabama House District 45.
○ Political offices held: None.
○ Civic experience: Board of Trustees, Alabama Waldorf School, 2014-present; Girl Scouts Troop Leader, 2014-present.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “My top priority is to fully fund Alabama’s First-Class Pre-K program. Alabama has the No. 1 voluntary pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds in the country, but it is only available to about 30 percent of eligible children because of inadequate funding. Quality pre-K programs produce a quality workforce and result in better job opportunities and a more robust economy for the entire state. Our First-Class Pre-K program gives Alabama a 7-to-1 return on our investment.
“I support the education lottery, which will provide $300 million a year to Alabama education without raising taxes.
“I’m in favor of reducing or eliminating the grocery sales tax, which is currently 10 percent in much of House District 45.”
AL HOUSE DISTRICT 48
► Jim Carns, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Mountain Brook
○ Political experience: Alabama House of Representatives, 2011-present; Alabama House of Representatives, 1990-2006; Jefferson County commissioner, 2006-10; co-chaired 18-member Jefferson County Legislative Delegation and elected by peers three of his four legislative terms; chairman of the House Republican Caucus as minority leader; was chairman of the Industrial Development and Economic Growth; member, Rules and Ways and Means committees; member, Association of County Commissioners of Alabama and the National Conference of Republican County Officials.
○ Civic experience: Elder, Briarwood Presbyterian Church.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: School safety, economic development and transportation top the Carns agenda.
“The largest part of our budget is education, and I have to focus on that every year … and an extra focus right now is on safety in education because that is going to be the biggest thing we’re going to take up when we go into session in 2019 and that is going be getting these resource officers into as many schools as we can as quickly as we can.”
Existing businesses are the focus of his economic development platform. “I’ve always been pushing for economic development and for Alabama to be more user-friendly to existing businesses that are here and can expand if they want to, as well as offering incentive programs to get large new businesses coming in. … Also roads and transportation are going to be a really big issue.”
► Alli Summerford, D
○ Place of residence: Mountain Brook
○ Political races run: “I am new to politics. As a small business owner (I started a web design company almost 20 years ago), I’d like to bring the creative problem-solving skills necessary to run a successful a small business to the issues facing the state.”
○ Political offices held: “None. I think we need new ideas and new voices in the Statehouse. If we continue to send back the same voices with the same ideas, we’ll continue to get the same results.”
○ Civic experience: Founding member of Mountain Brook Track Club booster group, 2017-present; member of the Women’s Committee of 100, 2012-15; volunteer maintaining the Birmingham Hospitality Network’s website, 2008-13, in addition to other local organizations; Alabama representative for an international Rotary exchange trip in France, 2007; board member of The Women’s Center (Illinois), 1999-2003, during which I helped select and negotiate a new location.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “As a parent, small business owner and active member of my community, my vision for Alabama probably looks a lot like yours. In order for our state to have a growing economy, robust job market and strong communities, we must first have healthy and well-educated citizens. In order to move forward, we need to shift the focus and conversation from right and left to common sense solutions that work toward a better Alabama.
“Forward is an Alabama whose government functions for the benefit of its people, not for the financial gain of long-term career politicians.
“Forward is an Alabama where all our citizens have access to quality health care.
“Forward is an Alabama with an education system that arms our kids with the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s job market.
“Forward is an Alabama that protects its bounty of natural resources and embraces new sources of clean energy.”
AL HOUSE DISTRICT 73
► Matt Fridy, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Montevallo
○ Political races run: State representative, 2014.
○ Political offices held: State representative, 2014-18.
○ Civic experience: Alabama State Bar; Birmingham Bar Association; Federalist Society; Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Work Group; Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee; Leadership Shelby County Class of 2007-08; founding director for Junior Board of Directors of Hands On Birmingham; founding director for Junior Board of Directors of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association; Evangel Classical Christian School board member; Spring Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church elder and session member.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “My focus has been, and continues to be, advancing the quality of life in Shelby County. We are continuing to make record investments in education, and I’m particularly proud that, thanks to conservative budgeting reforms, we have not had education proration in years.
“Our economy continues to expand thanks in large part to our reforming the way in which we approach economic development, and the result of this economic development is record low unemployment, both in Shelby County and in Alabama as a whole.
“I will also continue to advocate for our first responders, pushing for reforms like the Philip Davis Act of 2018, which I was proud to sponsor and pass and which increases benefits for the children of first responders killed in the line of duty.”
► Jack Jacobs, D
○ Place of residence: Pelham
○ Political races run: None.
○ Civic experience: Attorney in private practice; Lay leader, Morning Star United Methodist Church, 2016-present; Silverleaf Homeowners Association President 2010-14.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “All Alabamians should have the opportunity to earn a good life. It is time that Alabama established a state lottery to better fund education. Alabama’s pre-K program for 4-year-old students has been a success we need to expand for all children. Investment in both college and career technical training is needed for the jobs of the future.
“We are facing a crisis in health care as more rural hospitals close. Medicaid expansion would provide needed medical care across Alabama. Without expansion, the state loses $1.8 billion each year in matching funds. We face an epidemic in addiction to opioids and severely underfunded mental health — we cannot wait any longer.
“Roads in Shelby County need to catch up to growth. We are wasting money and time sitting in traffic. We need smart solutions to make our commutes easier and less stressful. I pledge to work together to help solve these problems.”
AL SENATE DISTRICT 11
► Carl Carter, D
○ Place of residence: Moody
○ Political races run: None.
○ Civic experience: Hoover Kiwanis Club; YMBC; Public Relations Society of America accreditation chair, treasurer; Irondale Library Board.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “My top priority is to eliminate the sales tax on groceries. Alabama has the highest grocery tax in the nation — an average of 9.1 percent statewide including local taxes, and 10 percent in much of Senate District 11.
“I also support Walt Maddox’s education lottery, which will provide about $300 million a year for Alabama schools without raising taxes.
“Finally, we have to face up to the condition of our roads and bridges. Each Alabama driver pays more than $320 a year in extra vehicle operating costs because of our poorly maintained roads, and many companies shy away from investing in Alabama because of our roads.”
► Jim McClendon, R (I)
○ Place of residence: St Clair County
○ Political races run: State House of Representative races in 2004, 2006 and 2010; State Senate race in 2014.
○ Political offices held: State senator, 2014-present; State representative for 12 years.
○ Civic experience: Pell City Rotary (2017-present); Alabama Optometric Association (1968-present).
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “There are a number of things that I’m involved in. Right now I’m very involved in dealing with the opioid situation, which is a nationwide issue. Also Medicaid, as part of the Senate Health Committee, … we’re working out some of the problems there, particularly the relationship between the state and federal governments.
“I was named a 2018 Legislator of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for my highway safety work. I co-sponsored a bill against texting while driving bill, and I plan to sponsor a hands-free bill so that you can’t pick your phone up while driving a car.”
AL SENATE DISTRICT 16
► Lindsey Deckard, D
○ Place of residence: Shelby County
○ Political races run: None.
○ Civic experience: Government subcontractor for the military for 15 years in Birmingham; biomedical researcher at UAB for 15 years; former member of PTA in Florida; former member of church board of directors in Florida.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: One of Deckard’s top issues is instituting term limits, which she said help legislators get more work done. In the states that have term limits, Deckard said, the legislatures function well.
Deckard also wants to see campaign finance reform. “The big donors in our state tend to pick our representatives for us, and then of course, those representatives work for the people with the money who put them in office, and we get left holding the bag,” she said.
Echoing other candidates, Deckard wants to end corruption in Alabama and said that would help solve a host of other problems. “... Education, prison reform, tax reform, health care … all of those things we seem to put Band-Aids on because we don’t fix the underlying problem [of corruption],” Deckard said.
Deckard said she also wants to help lower health care costs and combat health provider monopolies in the state.
Lastly, she said the state must focus on funding public schools instead of private schools.
“In the last five years, $147 million has been siphoned out of the Education Trust Fund … for private school vouchers. … We all voted for public school funding, not private school funding,” she said.
► Jabo Waggoner, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Vestavia Hills
○ Political races run: Elected to Alabama House of Representatives seat, 1966, 1974, 1978 and 1982; unsuccessful for U.S. House District 6, 1984; elected to Alabama Senate District 16, from 1990-2014.
○ Political offices held: Alabama House District 51 Representative, 1966–83; Alabama Senate District 16 Senator, 1990–present.
○ Civic experience: Member of Homewood Church of Christ; serves on the following boards: Executive Committee of Birmingham Business Alliance, Faulkner University Board of Trustees, Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame; member of Hoover, Homewood, Shelby County and Vestavia Hills Chambers of Commerce; 50-year member of Civitan International; member of Masons and Shriners organizations; member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: Waggoner said he is “pro-business,” and has worked to help businesses, passing bills on their behalf. Waggoner praised the schools in his area and said he wants to continue improving education by providing more funding.
Infrastructure is a high priority for Waggoner, as well. “We’ve got to deal with our infrastructure needs .... hundreds of bridges do not meet code. … We’ve got some highways that are in horrible condition,” he said.
Waggoner said “times are good in Alabama,” and praised the economy, manufacturing jobs, unemployment rate and revenue coming into the state.
U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 6
► Danner Kline, D
○ Place of residence: Vestavia Hills
○ Political races run: None.
○ Civic experience: Board member of One Great Community, part of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at UAB; telecom systems manager for city of Hoover; founder of “Free the Hops” movement.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: Kline is a proponent of affordable, universal health care, and said: “In the richest country that the world has ever known, it is immoral that literally some people die because they can’t get access to health care, and other people end up going bankrupt because they got sick.”
Kline also supports job creation for the 21st century, dealing with the rise of automation. “We might be 10 years away from self-driving trucks that replace truckers. … I don’t have a solution as to how to fix that, but I want to be at the table finding ways to invest in retraining and finding new ways to employ people who are losing their jobs because of forces outside their control,” Kline said.
He also favors public schools instead of prioritizing school choice. “We need to identify the problems with underachieving public schools and fix the problems, not make them worse,” he said.
Gary Palmer, R (I)
○ Place of residence: Hoover
○ Political races run: Successfully ran in 2014 and 2016 for U.S. House District 6.
○ Political offices held: U.S. House District 6 Representative since 2014.
○ Civic experience: Served on four different state commissions on behalf of three different governors; founding member of State Policy Network; past president of Alabama Policy Institute; member of Birmingham Rotary Club since 1993; Paul Harris Fellow.
○ Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: Palmer said the U.S. needs to pay down the national debt by “cutting spending, including eliminating improper payments;” regulatory reform by “eliminating duplicative and burdensome regulations;” lower energy costs and creating jobs and economic growth by accessing America’s “vast energy resources;” replace the Affordable Care Act with a health care plan that “puts people back in charge of their health care decisions, which will truly make health care affordable and available;” and is pro-life: “protecting life in all of its forms.”
Palmer also said he believes it is necessary to have a “strong military,” and that it is important to “respect and honor our veterans.”
JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF
○ Mike Hale, R (I)
○ Mark Pettway, D
JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
► Place 3
○ Pamela Wilson Cousins, D
○ Davis Lawley, R
► Place 11
○ Jill Ganus, R (I)
○ Thomas Thrash, D
JEFFERSON COUNTY COURT JUDGE, CIRCUIT 10
► Place 8
○ Marshell Jackson Hatcher, D
○ Tracey Crisan McDonald, R
► Place 16
○ Linda Hall, D
○ Teresa T. Pulliam, R (I)
► Place 27
○ Alaric May, D
○ Leslie Schiffman Moore, R
JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CIRCUIT 10
○ Mike Anderton, R (I)
○ Danny Carr, D
JEFFERSON COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE
► Place 1
○ Alan King, D (I)
○ John Tindle, R
JEFFERSON COUNTY CIRCUIT CLERK
○ Jackie Anderson-Smith, D
○ Philip Brown, R
SHLEBY BOARD OF EDUCATION
► Place 2
○ David Bobo, R (I)
○ Susan Lehman, D
STATEWIDE
► Governor
○ Kay Ivey, R (I)
○ Walter Maddox, D
► Lieutenant Governor
○ Will Ainsworth, R
○ Will Boyd, D
► Secretary of State
○ John Merrill, R (I)
○ Heather Milam, D
► Attorney General
○ Steve Marshall, R (I)
○ Joseph Siegelman, D
► Public Service Commission, Place 1
○ Cara McClure, D
○ Jeremy Oden, R (I)
► Public Service Commission, Place 2
○ Chip Beeker, R (I)
○ Kari Powell, D
► State Supreme Court Chief Justice
○ Tom Parker, R
○ Robert S. Vance, D
► State Supreme Court, Place 4
○ Jay Mitchell, R
○ Donna Wesson Smalley, D
► State Auditor
○ Miranda Joseph, D
○ Jim Zeigler, R (I)
► Alabama Board of Education, District 4
○ Yvette Richardson, D (I)
○ Don Wallace, R