By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Shocking many Montgomery political insiders, in Tuesday’s special Republican Primary for state Senate District 35, business consultant Bill Hightower took 46.5% of the Republican primary vote. Alabama State Representative Jim Barton (R) came in second with 30% of the vote. Former Marine pilot Nick Matranga came in third with 23% of the vote.
Hightower and Barton will face off in a March 12 runoff.
The winner of the runoff will be the State Senator as the Alabama Democratic Party was unable to recruit a candidate for the seat previously held by Ben Brooks. Sen. Brooks vacated his seat after being elected a Mobile Circuit Court Judge.
Hightower told the Mobile Press Register, “I’m extremely pleased, and I’m grateful for those friends who supported me in this race.”
Only 7.5% of the electorate voted in the Special Republican Primary and this was the only race on the ballot.
According to his website bio, Bill Hightower is married to Susan Binegar Hightower, from Grand Bay. He and Susan have three children; Will (26), Haven (22), and Ben (18).
Bill Hightower moved to Mobile in 1968, when his father, Billy M. Hightower M.D., established an Open Heart Surgery Center at Mobile General Hospital (Now University of South Alabama Medical Center).
Hightower graduated from Murphy High School, attended the University of South Alabama and graduated with his B.S. in Commercial Banking/Finance, with studies in economics from the London School of Economics & Political Science, London, England. He also has a 1990 M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University. After working for several different corporations that took him all over the world Hightower moved back to Mobile and “is owner of a private practice which focuses on corporate strategic consulting. He works with clients in the U.S., Europe, and China in defining their growth strategy and implementing it through acquisitions and alliances.”
Hightower’s wife Susan from Grand Bay owns Wee-Exchange one of the largest children’s consignment businesses in Mobile, called Wee-Exchange, and operates a clothing store in Bel-Air Mall called, Little Monkey Toes. She also is a realtor with Roberts Brothers Realty.
On his website Hightower says he believes: that strong families and faith are the fundamental foundations of America; in small government, low taxes and free enterprise; the sanctity of human life; school choice and competition in education; that public education decisions are best made at the local level; securing our borders against illegal immigration; that community colleges should play a key role in job training and economic development; Alabama should opt out of the national healthcare plan being forced on us from Washington; that small businesses create jobs, not the government, and we need to repeal excessive regulations on our job creators; that gambling is bad for Alabama because it increases crime, divorce, & drives out productive business; our coast and natural environment is a God given gift to us and should be cared for responsibly; and that policies should be enacted that encourage personal responsibility, not government dependence.
