MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Six Republican candidates are set to face off next week in the special primary election for Alabama House District 27 in Marshall County.
Scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, the special election was called by Gov. Kay Ivey in January to fill the HD27 seat left vacant by Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, who was elected to the Alabama Senate earlier that month.
With no qualifying Democratic candidates in the race, six Republican candidates will appear on the ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a special primary runoff will be held April 30.
A native of Marshall County, Stacy George is a former correctional officer, Morgan County commissioner and nuclear power plant operator.
George has run for several state positions in the past, including twice for governor in 2014 and 2022, as well as for the Alabama Senate in the recent special election to represent Senate District 9.
Fighting against tax increases, improving transparency among elected officials, and supporting businesses are among his key platforms in his campaign, according to his campaign website.
George’s campaign currently has $100 cash in hand, and has raised $100 total in contributions as of Jan. 29.
Former Marshall County volunteer firefighter, Bill Hancock is the owner of Bill Hancock Motors LLC, and current vice president of the Marshall County Board of Education.
On his run for office, Hancock told The Arab Tribune that his campaign was built on the values of “sincerity, conservatism and financial responsibility,” and that he hoped to follow in the footsteps of Kitchens.
Hancock’s campaign currently has $11,762 cash in hand, and has raised $14,595 in campaign contributions almost entirely from automotive businesses or individuals affiliated with the industry, such as Larry Fortenberry, who owns Superior RV in Marshall County and donated $5,000 to Hancock’s campaign. Hancock also funded his campaign to the tune of $20,000 with a personal loan.
Alan Miller is a current member of the Arab City Council, and works as a manager for Redstone Federal Credit Union in Arab, having worked for the company for nearly 30 years.
Describing himself as a “fiscal conservative,” Miller has been a member of the Arab City Council for more than five years, and has touted his experience serving on the council’s finance committee in his bid to represent House District 27.
Miller is also the treasurer for Arab First United Methodist Church, where he also serves on the church’s council and stewardship committee.
His campaign currently has $8,162 cash in hand, and has raised $7,279 in contributions, the bulk of which came from individual donations.
Jeana Ross is a retired educator and former secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, and today, works as a consultant for early education systems.
In her bid to represent House District 27, Ross told Alabama Daily News that continued support for early education would remain among her top legislative priorities, and has leaned into her more than 40 years of experience in education during her campaign.
Ross was ADECE secretary from 2012 to 2020, and led the agency during a time when Alabama grew its pre-K program by more than 470%, from 217 classrooms in 2012 to 1,250 in 2020, while remaining the top program nationally for quality.
Ross’ campaign currently has $17,396 cash in hand, and has raised $70,970 in contributions, by far the most in the race. Of Ross’ close to $71,000 in campaign contributions, nearly half – $33,000 – came from various political action committees.
Owner of Stricklend Farms in Joppa, Bill Stricklend is a sitting commissioner on the Marshal County Commission and former investigator with the Marshall County District Attorney’s Office.
Stricklend has also served in the United States Air Force and Alabama National Guard, as a member of the Marshall County 911 Board, and as a trustee on the Arab Electric Co-op Board of Trustees. He has leaned into his more than 35 years of public service in his bid to represent House District 27.
In his campaign, Stricklend has labeled himself as a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, of term limits for elected officials and as a supporter of public education.
Stricklend’s campaign currently has $12,022 cash in hand, and has raised $10,894 in contributions from a mix of donations from individuals, businesses and political action committees.
Guntersville resident Billy Todd is a retired U.S. Army veteran who currently works for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a claims specialist, and also does work as an actor.
With 24 years of service in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, Todd has served in 11 combat tours as a search and recovery specialist. As a vocal opponent to diversity, equity and inclusion in public schools, Todd has also amassed a considerable following on social media, with more than 100,000 followers on X, formally known as Twitter.
Todd told Alabama Daily News that he was running for office to counter the “failure” of local politicians who had allowed “education to go woke,” referring to DEI initiatives. Todd has also run on opposing tax hikes and wasteful spending.
Todd’s campaign currently has $3,294 cash in hand, and has raised $3,444 in contributions, contributions made up entirely of small, individual donations.