By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Cullman County Commission on Aging Director Randall Shedd won 47% of the vote in Tuesday’s Republican Special Primary in House District 11. HD 11 includes parts of Cullman, Blount and Morgan counties. The vacancy was created by the resignation of Representative Jeremy Oden (R) after Gov. Robert Bentley appointed him to the Alabama Public Service Commission. Shedd will face former Cullman County School Board Member Danny Alldredge in the special Republican Primary runoff election on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Alldredge received 27.6% of the vote.
The winner will face Democrat Kelly Evans in the Special General Election on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.
Shedd told ‘The Blount Countian’, “I am the best candidate for this office because I can be a strong voice in Montgomery for District 11. For 16 years, as mayor of Fairview, we made progress by developing partnerships – with other levels of government, with private enterprise, with civic and faith-based organizations, and we helped ourselves. As mayor, we actually lowered taxes in our town to the lowest in the county and our town has almost no regulations. While many communities in our nation were closing businesses, Fairview was opening new ones. As mayor, we conducted community meetings, agreed on what we wanted to do in our town, developed a longterm plan, and worked together to get it done. I think state government could use our recipe.”
Alldredge told ‘The Blount Countian’, “I am the best candidate for this office because I have the educational background, the work experience, and a desire to make a difference in this state. I have been praying about this opportunity for a number of years since my pastor encouraged me to seek the election of this office. My wife, my family, and my church are very supportive of me. I feel compelled because of my love for my children and my grandchildren to seek this office, and I am committed to putting my experience as an educator to work for the future of our children and grandchildren.”
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead said in a written statement, “As a former candidate, I know the decision making process these four fine Republicans went through to qualify and I thank them each for their willingness to serve the public. Now voters in Cullman, Blount and Morgan counties will have a choice to make between two individuals who would both make fine additions to our Republican House Caucus in Montgomery.”
Armistead said. “The fact that only one individual chose to qualify as a Democrat for House District 11 is just more proof that more and more Alabamians realize that the Democrat Party of today is the party of Barrack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Alabama Democrat Chairman Judge Mark Kennedy. The Alabama Democrat Party is not the party our grandparents may have belonged to. Looking at recent election results, it is clear that conservative Alabama voters have rejected the Democrat Party’s liberal way.”
