MONTGOMERY, Ala. – State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, announced Monday that he will run for a seat on the Alabama Supreme Court.
Inside Alabama Politics first reported on Friday that Ward was eyeing the Place 1 seat currently held by Associate Justice Greg Shaw. Shaw was elected to the Supreme Court in 2008. He was reelected in 2014 and his current term ends in 2021. According to a spokesman, Shaw plans on running for reelection in 2020.
Ward, who serves as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and president of the Alabama Law Institute, said his work on prison and criminal justice reform make him well qualified for a leadership role in the judiciary.
“The roles of the three branches of government are very well defined. The legislative branch writes the laws, the executive branch enforces the laws and the judicial branch interprets the laws,” Ward explained. “My judicial philosophy will be easy to understand. As a judge, my role will be to interpret the law exactly as it is written, not to write new ones.”
Shaw campaign spokesman Josh Cooper said in a Monday statement that they trust voters will “thoroughly evaluate the candidates and select the most qualified to serve on the state’s highest court.”
Shaw is a graduate of from Auburn University and Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. His wife, Samantha Shaw, served two terms after being elected State Auditor.
Ward was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 and won the District 14 Senate seat in 2010. His district includes portions of Shelby, Chilton and Bibb counties.
Ward is a graduate of Troy State University and the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He has a background in law and politics, having worked as a deputy attorney general under former Attorney General Bill Pryor and the district director for former Congressman Spencer Bachus.
Cam is married to Lindsey Clements Ward and he has two daughters, Riley, 17, and Clements, 1.
The Republican Primary is Tuesday, March 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.