By CAROLINE BECK, Alabama Daily News
The 2022 general election may be more than a year away, but the primaries take place next May and party qualifying ends in January. That means now is decision time for many state lawmakers on whether or not to seek another term in office.
Alabama Daily News continues its coverage of which lawmakers plan to seek reelection and which are hanging up their political boots.
HD 40
Rep. K. L. Brown, R-Jacksonville, told ADN on Tuesday that he will not be running for reelection in 2022.
“I had originally thought that I would only serve two terms so I’m already one term over than I originally planned and I’m just ready to move on,” Brown said.
Brown was first elected to House District 40 in 2010 and currently serves on the Children and Senior Advocacy Committee and the Ways and Means General Fund Committee.
Julie Borrelli, the current director of finance for the city of Anniston, told ADN that she is running for the Republican nomination for the House seat.
Borrelli said after witnessing lawmakers pass bills without really examining the true extent of a bill’s impact, she wanted to help make a positive impact for her community.
“Instead of just complaining, I wanted to do something about it,” Borrelli said. “I think that I have the background, I do understand financially what different things mean, I understand what it’s like to have kids in school, to be a working parent. I understand all these things that people have going on in their lives.”
She said she identifies more as a center-leaning Republican and if elected would create laws that would help her constituents, not just the Republican party.
“I just want to do what I can to try and put forth good valuable legislation and vote the way my community wants me to vote,” Borrelli said.
Pam Howard, a Jacksonville resident and owner of a security company, also announced on Tuesday that she would be running for the Democratic nomination for the House seat, the Anniston Star reported.
Howard ran for the seat in 2018 where she received 25% of the vote.
House District 40 contains parts of Anniston, Oxford and Jacksonville. The district is reliably Republican with Brown winning 74% of the vote during the 2018 general election.
HD 61
Rep. Rodney Sullivan, R-Northport, has said that he will not run for reelection next year after serving just one term in the House.
Sullivan said in a Facebook post that he is choosing to step down from his seat to be more involved in his family’s life.
“Public service has always been in my heart and I’ve worked hard to stay true to the job and to you, the neighbors that I was elected to serve,” Sullivan said. “However, the time has come for me to step away. I’m at a point in life with young ones who are very involved in many different activities, and continuing to serve takes me away from them and prevents me from being as involved as I wish to be.”
Sullivan has previously served on the Northport City Council and currently serves on the House County and Municipal Government Committee, the Fiscal Responsibility Committee, the Financial Services Committee and the Agriculture and Forestry Committee.
Ron Bolton, a retired captain of the Northport police department, told ADN that he plans on announcing his campaign for the Republican nomination for the House seat next week.
House District 61 contains parts of Tuscaloosa, Coker, Reform, Carrolton and Pikensville and is a reliably Republican district with Sullivan winning 65% of the vote in the 2018 general election.
HD 100
Rep. Victor Gaston, R-Mobile, told Alabama Daily News that he does intend to run for reelection next year but hasn’t officially declared it yet.
“I need to check in with the people that I represent and that’s what I’m in the process of doing now but I am expecting to run again,” Gaston said.
Gaston represents House District 100 and has held the seat since 1982, making him one of the longest-serving House members. He currently serves as the House President Pro Tem.
HD 84
Rep. Berry Forte, D-Eufaula, told ADN he will run again in 2022.
“I’m a people person and I like to help people and there are still things I want to see get passed,” Forte said.
He said he would like to see Medicaid expanded and more rural broadband connections are brought to his district before he considers retiring.
Forte has held House District 84 since 2010 and currently serves on the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee and the Commerce and Small Business Committee.
HD 94
Rep. Joe Faust, R-Fairhope, told ADN he will run for reelection in 2022, saying he wants to focus on cleaning up the water in Mobile bay.
“I know that’s a big project that probably won’t get done in my lifetime, but we felt like it ought to be something that we at least get started on,” Faust said. “That’s my main reason for running, because of the contacts that I have and you certainly don’t get anything done by yourself. You have to know people who are involved, and use those contacts to help reach your goals.”
Faust has represented House District 94 since 2004 and currently serves on the House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture and Forestry Committee.
The district is reliably Republican with Faust winning 70% of the vote in the 2018 general election and holds the cities Fairhope, Point Clear and Magnolia Springs.