By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News
The race to replace U.S. Representative Martha Roby has its first confirmed candidate. Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman told Alabama Daily News that he plans to run for the Republican nomination for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd District.
“I’m all in,” Coleman said Wednesday when contacted by ADN. “And I’m all in to win.”
Roby announced last week that she will not be seeking reelection to a sixth term in Congress in 2020. The surprise announcement has led several potential candidates to consider bids to succeed the Montgomery Republican, but Coleman is the first to confirm his candidacy.
“Our family has prayed a lot about it over the last week, and when you try to live a God-led life, you can’t ignore this call to serve. Our country is at a real turning point right now. President Trump has us going in the right direction, but he’s being attacked at every turn by a Democrat Congress determined to bring him down. I want to go to Congress to fight back and put in the hard work required to restore this country’s greatness.”
Coleman is the owner and operator of Coleman Worldwide, a global moving and storage company based in Dothan that is one of the state’s largest businesses. He has kept a significant presence in Alabama’s business and political community, having recently served as chairman of the Business Council of Alabama. Coleman is also well-tied in with the local Fort Rucker military community as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army.
Coleman said he is currently in the process of building a campaign team and has signed on with the same firm that helped get Tennessee Governor Bill Lee elected last term. Their paths to politics are similar, he said.
“I like Bill Lee a lot and our backgrounds as businessmen are very similar. But I liked his campaign because they didn’t try to turn him into a politician. I think people like and appreciate someone from a business background outside the political establishment running to bring a little common sense to government, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
Coleman said he has worked for years with Roby, Sen. Richard Shelby and other members of Alabama’s delegation on business and military issues, and that he is eager to serve in Congress himself.
“I am looking forward to taking my conservative Alabama values and strong pro-business agenda to Washington to diligently serve the good people of the of the 2nd Congressional District of Alabama with humility, integrity, care, and respect.”
Coleman said a formal campaign announcement would be made soon.