Katie Boyd Britt understands the strength of her hometown roots. On Thursday, she returned to Enterprise and thanked many who have been by her side since she was a child.
The Republican candidate for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of her former boss Sen. Richard Shelby, Britt addressed the inaugural meeting of the Wiregrass Republican Women at the Enterprise County Club.
“Thank you for what you taught, praying with me time and time again, and for encouraging and supporting me throughout this whole journey,” Britt, the daughter of Julian and Debra Boyd, said.
“One of the things I am most proud of is where I am from. It’s the very people I see in this room, the people who have believed in me consistently. It’s my sister who inspires me daily with her small business and her passion and zest for life and it’s my parents who taught me the value of hard work.
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“It’s also where I learned about the American Dream. My dad always said, ‘Katie, keep your head down and work hard and you can achieve more than your parents before you. I also learned what it means to be a valuable part of this community.”
A first-time political candidate in the May 24 Alabama’s Republican Primary, Britt garnered 45 percent of the vote to Mo Brooks’ 29 percent and Mike Durant’s 23 percent. In the runoff, she carried 66 of the 67 counties to defeat Brooks.
“Katie is a hometown heroine and those of us who have watched Katie grow up know that her attributes will sync seamlessly in her role as a politician. She doesn’t have to be reinvented,” said Frances Strickland, who hired Britt to work at the Strickland’s family-owned jewelry store while Britt attended Enterprise High School. “She is genuinely what that she presents herself to be.”
If elected, Britt will be the first and youngest female U.S. senator and the first elected from the Wiregrass. More importantly, Strickland said, Britt will be the only female Republican in the Senate with school-aged children.
Britt thanked the capacity crowd from Coffee, Dale, Pike, Geneva, and Houston counties attending the event for their support.
“Through all her achievements, Katie has never lost sight of her love for her hometown and the people. Looking at this crowd out there today, Katie, I think the feeling is mutual,” Strickland said.
“In this crowd, I see your former classmates, former teachers, church family, dance students, their parents, and many others that Katie has inspired. She can be tenacious but be gracious, she succeeds but maintains humility. She is unwavering in her Christian beliefs, and she tackles every challenge with dignity, discipline, and an incredible work ethic.”
A practicing attorney, Britt was elected governor of Girls State while she was attended EHS, where she graduated valedictorian. She graduated from the University of Alabama, where she was Student Government Association president, and then attended the University of Alabama Law School.
Britt previously served as chief of staff for Shelby. She also served as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama from 2018 to 2021.
“Thank you for allowing me to work in your small business, not only when I was growing up, but when I came home for Christmas,” Britt said to Strickland. “As I look around this room and received this incredibly warm welcome, I cannot say thank you enough.
“There is a common bond between all of us and it’s something unique to have a bond that transcends city and county lines and allows us to all stand together as one,” Britt said. “What a great place to grow up.”
Britt said Fort Rucker is one aspect of the community that makes the Wiregrass unique.
“We’re a military community and that is one of the things that we are most proud of because we see the sacrifice of our military men and women every single day,” she said. “You also see that that sacrifice is not just theirs but that of their entire family because we sit next to their kids in school while their parents are gone for months on end.
“We are also taught by their husbands or wives in Sunday school while their spouses are serving overseas. We believe you never leave a soldier behind on the battlefield. Ever. And when they return home from their honorable service, this community knows that we must treat the veterans like the first-class citizens that they are.”
Britt shared advice she received from her grandfather: “He told me that what will determine a person’s path in life is their character, integrity, work ethic, and the way they treat people,” she said. “Then he told me that only I could control all four of those things.
“I’m going to keep my eyes on my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I’m going to do the things PaPa told me to do and that is control the things I can control,” she said.
“I’m going to fight for my children and for yours, and I’m going to fight to preserve the American Dream. I am going to fight for this nation because I believe we are all called to give more than we receive and to leave this state and nation better as a result of us being here.”
