Republican voters in Senate District 9 – which includes parts of Blount, Madison and Marshall counties – will go to the polls Tuesday to select a nominee.
Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville; former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy Lee George and Rep. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab are seeking the nomination. No Democrat qualified for the race.
The seat was held for nearly 13 years by former Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield, R-Guntersville, who resigned from the Senate in October to take a job as an executive vice president with the Business Council of Alabama.
If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates will take place on Feb. 6. A general election is set for April 23, which could leave the district without representation for two of the three months of the 2024 legislative session.
The special general election for House District 16 will be held the same day.
Brock Colvin
Age: 28
Residence: Albertville
Occupation: Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial
Education: A.S., Finance, Snead State Community College, 2016; B.S., Commerce and business Administration, Economics and finance, University of Alabama, 2019
Party: Republican
Previous political experience: Alabama state representative, 2022-present.
Fundraising: According to filings with the Secretary of State, Colvin raised $146,929 and spent $90,305, non-through Thursday afternoon.
Colvin said that three most important issues for the district are education, workforce development and economic development.
The representative also said he would support expanded state support for private schools, an issue he thinks will be key in the coming session. Colvin said that he thinks that money should follow the student, and that the state Department of Education should not have regulatory authority over homeschooling or private schools.
“I just don’t know of any issue ever that putting the government in more control fixes anything,” he said.
Colvin also said he would work to continue funding a workforce development center and other partnerships in the district, and to get input from business owners about their needs.
On economic development, Colvin said that Alabama is a business-friendly state and he wants to keep it that way through cutting and preventing new regulations and keeping taxes low. Colvin referenced bills past this past session related to liability for liquor shops and road builders and said “outrageous lawsuits” harm businesses. He also referenced the automobile industry as having lawsuits that increase premiums.
“My philosophy is getting the heck out of business’s way and letting them be a business,” he said. “”Let the free market work itself out.”
Stacy Lee George
Age: 54
Residence: Arab
Occupation: Business owner of Let George Do Produce and Notary on Wheels
Education: Attended Calhoun Community College and Auburn University
Party: Republican
Previous political experience: Republican candidate for governor, 2022; Republican candidate for governor, 2014; Morgan County Commissioner, 2000-2008.
Fundraising: According to filings with the Secretary of State, George raised $10,020.00 and spent $16,928.81, with non-monetary contributions of $1,353.60 and other receipts of $9,887.01 through Thursday afternoon.
George said that Senate District 9 has never had “real representation.”
“My main goal is to make sure that the people of Senate District 9 have representation, real representation here and that it takes the Montgomery establishment special interest out of the hands of Montgomery and puts it in the people of District 9,” he said.
George said he has more time in public office than his opponents.
George said that the first thing he would do if elected is give children the ability to pray before football. He said the next step would be a prayer before the start of school.
George also said that he would also support repeal of the state grocery tax, which legislators reduced from 4% to 3% last year. George also said he would repeal the gas tax increase that lawmakers passed in 2019.
George said that he would also use his former experience with NASA and the Department of Defense, as well as the space and rocket center and Redstone Arsenal in the district, to provide more opportunities for students and connect the district with political leaders. He also said that the recently redrawn lines might be an issue for the district’s voting this year as people might not realize they’re in the district for the special election.
As a former correctional officer, George also highlighted the rising costs of the state’s prison construction project. A new prison under construction in Elmore County is expected to cost over $1 billion, making the prospects of a second prison in Escambia County uncertain. George previously told the Reflector he wants to “pause” the construction of the building.
Wes Kitchens
Age: 34
Residence: Arab
Occupation: Agent at Holloway Hunt Insurance Agency
Education: B.A., Political science, Auburn University, 2011.
Party: Republican
Previous political experience: Alabama state representative, 2018-present.
Fundraising: According to the Secretary of State as of 2024, Kitchens raised $187,748, spent $212,758 expenditures, and had $500.00 in non-monetary contributions and $50,000.00 in other receipts through Thursday afternoon.
Kitchens said that his political experience separates him from his opponents, having been elected to office in 2018 and serving as vice-chair of the Republican House caucus.
Infrastructure, education and workforce development that Kitchens said he sees as the three most important topics.
On infrastructure, Kitchens said that parts of the district have major traffic problems, and he wants to leverage federal dollars for the district. Kitchens also said that some rural roads in Blount County have been resurfaced for the first time in 30 years, and he wants to continue those programs.
“Making sure that we continue to prioritize those projects that are public safety but that are also getting students to schools and just making everyday life easier for the residents,” he said.
Pre-kindergarten is one of the state’s biggest assets, said Kitchens. Kitchens said that not all kids should be required to go to pre-K but all who want to attend should be able to attend.
“When you’re starting with that strong foundation, it will carry on all the way through high school and even into college if you choose that route,” he said.
Kitchens said that the state has one of the worst labor participation rates in the country, and he wants to make sure that people have the avenues for job training and are graduating high school.
