Round-up of the ‘five things you need to know’ about all statewide candidates
The 2018 election is upon us. With the general election less than a week away, it’s time to for any undecided voters to determine who they’re going to support on Election Day. Which is why Alabama Today is rounding-up all of our “Five things you need to know” posts and putting them in one easy place for you to reference ahead of Nov. 6. Sure some of the points are more light-hearted than others, but we hope these articles provide you, our readers, with our unbiased snapshot of the candidates. We encourage you to also check out each of their campaign websites for further information on where they stand on the issues. Statewide candidates Governor Democrat: Walt Maddox Republican: Kay Ivey Lieutenant Governor Democrat: Will Boyd Republican: Will Ainsworth Attorney General: Democrat: Joseph Siegelman Republican: Steve Marshall Alabama Supreme Court: Chief Justice Democrat: Bob Vance Republican: Tom Parker State Treasurer Democrat: N/A Republican: John McMillan Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Democrat: N/A Republican: Rick Pate Secretary of State Democrat: Heather Milam Republican: John Merrill State Auditor Democrat: Miranda Joseph Republican: Jim Zeigler Court of Civil Appeals, Place 1 Democrat: N/A Republican: Christy Edwards Court of Civil Appeals, Place 2 Democrat: N/A Republican: Chad Hanson Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 1 Democrat: N/A Republican: Richard Minor Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2 Democrat: N/A Republican: Chris McCool Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 Democrat: N/A Republican: Bill Cole Public Service Commission, Place 1 Democrat: Cara McClure (did not respond to requests for information) Republican: Jeremy Oden Public Service Commission, Place 2 Democrat: Kari Powell Republican: Chris “Chip” Beeker
Five things you need to know about Chad Hanson
In the race for Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Place 2, Chad Hanson beat out incumbent Terri Thomas in the June 5 primary. Now, facing no Democratic challenger in the November general election, Hanson has presumably won his race and will become Court of Civil Appeals Place 2 Judge in 2019. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Chad Hanson: 1. He’s the founding partner of Seal Hanson LLC Hanson attended the University of Alabama to receive his undergraduate degree, and the Mississippi College School of Law to earn his Juris Doctorate in 2000. In 2008, Hanson founded his own practice, Seal Hanson LLC in Birmingham, where he currently practices. 2. He Beat an incumbent, and spent very little money doing it Incumbent Court of Civil Appeals Place 2 Judge Terri Thomas was backed by the Business Council of Alabama, and raking in the donations when Hanson won just over 53 percent of the votes in the June 5 primary. According to Hanson, “she spent about $140,000 and I spent about $5.” 3. He’s not new to leadership Hanson was not only the founding member of his law firm, he also founded the Vestavia Hills Civitan Club, and the Trussville Civitan Club, where he served as president. He also served as president of the Center Point Chamber of Commerce, according to Birmingham Watch. 4. He’s the son of two educators Hanson is the youngest son of two educators, and his father served as superintendent on the local school board. He says he learned his strong work ethic from his father as he watched him serve his community through leadership, according to his campaign website. 5. He’s been married for 18 years and has two daughters Hanson has been married to the same woman for eighteen years, and they have two daughters together. The family attends Faith Community Fellowship church in Trussville.
Five things you need to know about Dr. Will Boyd
Now that the runoff elections are over, voters are turning their attention to the November General Election less than 90 days away. Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Dr. Will Boyd, who had no primary opponent, now faces one big challenger in the November general election, Republican nominee Will Ainsworth. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Will Boyd: 1. He holds numerous degrees, in several different fields. Born in South Carolina, Boyd received a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of South Carolina. He later returned to school, earning a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Regis University, a Doctorate’s degree in Philosophy and Religion from Capella University, and another Doctorate’s of Psychology with a focus on Clinical Christian Psychology with a Christian Worldview. He has also been awarded several honorary doctorates in Divinity and Christian Counseling, according to his campaign website. 2. He’s held several jobs in various career fields. Beginning his career in the business field, Boyd began working as a Manager-In-Training in both the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China at A.O. Smith, the largest manufacturer and marketer of water heaters in North America. Boyd then held several positions in various firms the manufacturing industry including Production Manager, Quality Manager and Manufacturing Engineer. Signaling a transition in his career, Boyd began serving as the Dean of Student Success & Adjunct Assistant Professor at Greenville College in Illinois. He’s also written three books entitled: Scratching the Surface; Can You Hear Me Now? How Active Listening and Continuous Articulation of Core Values Can Improve Leadership Effectiveness in Any Organization, Even the Church; and Watch God! 3. He is a Bishop and Pastor. Transitioning his career further into ministry, Boyd moved to Florence, Ala. to become the Chancellor at St. James the Elder Theological Seminary, a Co-Patriarch and Dean of the Holy Catholic Church International college of cardinals. Boyd currently serves as the Bishop of Zion Ministries and Pastor of the Saint Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Florence, acording to his Linkedin profile. 4. He’s previously run for two separate U.S. Senate seats, and held several elected positions. Before moving to Alabama, Boyd was the first African American elected to serve as a City Councilman in Greenville, Ill. he also ran for the senate seat left vacant by then U.S. Senator Barack Obama. Once in Alabama, Boyd picked up the politics again becoming the Democratic nominee for Alabama’s 5th congressinal disctict, and running for the U.S. Senate seat won by Doug Jones in 2017. 5. He currently serves as chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee. Boyd currently serves as the Chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee, and Lauderdale County Chair on the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee.
Five things you need to know about Cara McClure
Cara McClure, the Democratic candidate for Public Service Commission Place 1 ran unopposed in the June 5 primary. But now that the primaries are over, the real battle has begun. McClure now faces incumbent Republican Commissioner Jeremy Oden in the November 6 general election for the PSC seat. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Cara McClure: 1. She’s an entrepreneur by nature Nurturing her entrepreneurial spirit, McClure’s parents allowed her to work for their family’s cleaning service while she was in elementary school. There she made cold calls to apartment complexes and small businesses, she also sold candy door-to-door she says in her campaign bio. 2. She is a co-founder of the Magic City Chapter of Black Lives Matter group. After a dispute between group members on whether or not to join with the national Black Lives Matter group, the Black Lives Matter in Birmingham group split into two separate entities from which the Magic City Chapter of Black Lives Matter was formed. McClure was a co-founder of the second group, which voted to join the national coalition of BLM groups. “I’ve been with that group [Black Lives Matter in Birmingham] since Day One,” McClure told AL.com. “I didn’t like how the women were treated. I said we really need to join the national group, and they voted no. We’ve put together an awesome group. We’re not just out there screaming. We want real change.” 3. She’s a dedicated activist. Beyond her work with the BLM movement, McClure also helped launch Showing Up for Racial Justice Birmingham — a group that works to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice through community organizing, mobilizing, and education. She also spearheaded “Black Mama’s Bail Out Day” in Birmingham, which raised money to help bail out incarcerated black mothers to help reunite with their children and families ahead of Mother’s Day. As a recent Glamour Magazine article that featured McClure pointed out, “if elected, she would become the first African American—male or female—to serve on the commission in Alabama. Her hope is to represent the people she’s been fighting for throughout her life: ‘the marginalized and poor black and brown communities that are underrepresented on the commission,’ she says. ‘Those who don’t have a voice or seat at the table.’” 4. She was briefly homeless. Following a marital separation McClure and her son were left homeless. Rebounding quickly and using her personal struggle as a tool, McClure founded her own apartment locator service, ASAP Apartment Locators in January of 2013 to help individuals and families find their ideal homes, which she continues to operate today. 5. She and Kari Powell are leading a double-team effort for PSC Places 1 and 2. In addition to creating McClures branding, Kari Powell and McClure are leading a double-team effort for PSC Places 1 and 2 traveling, campaigning and speaking together at events. Both running as Democrats, they seek to bring fair and affordable utility rates to Alabama.
Five things you need to know about Chris McCool
The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2. Three candidates stepped up to the plate seeking election in the June 5 primary. Both Chris McCool and Rich Anderson garnered enough support to tip the race into a a runoff election set for July 17. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Chris McCool: 1. Has served on the Executive Committee of the Alabama District Attorneys Association (ADAA) for 10 years. During that time he’s served in multiple roles: as President, Vice President, and Treasurer. 2. He’s won a lot of awards for the work he’s done. In 2007, he was named “Prosecutor of the Year” by VOCAL (Victims of Crime and Leniency) and “District Attorney of the Year” by the ADAA. He was also named “Prosecutor of the Year” by the Alabama Forest Owners Association in 2012. 3. He’s worked as an adjunct professor. McCool was an adjunct professor in the Trial Advocacy Program at the University of Alabama, School of Law from 1998 to 2000. 4. He knows a thing or two about farming. He lives on, and manages, the farm that has been in his family for five generations. 5. Roll Tide Roll (need we say any more?). McCool graduated from the University of Alabama in 1990, with a bachelor’s degree in History and Classics, and the University of Alabama, School of Law in 1993.
