Staff Report
Birmingham, AL- Nine candidates have qualified with the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) to run as Republicans in the upcoming race to replace Congressman Jo Bonner as the U.S. Representative for Alabama’s 1st Congressional district. Congressman Bonner resigned on August 2nd, after more than ten years serving in Congress.
ALGOP Chairman Bill Armistead said, “We have an extraordinarily qualified field of Republican candidates vying to fill the remainder of Congressman Bonner’s term. We have a great mix of well-known candidates as well as some political newcomers. One thing is certain, citizens in the First Congressional District will have a conservative Republican representing them as they have had for almost 50 years.
“Former U.S. Rep. Jack Edwards was the first Republican to represent the First Congressional District when he was elected in 1964. Representative Edwards was followed by former U.S. Rep. Sonny Callahan who was succeeded by former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner. The people of the First District have elected three outstanding Republican Congressmen to represent them in the last 50 years and I have no doubt that the winner of the special election primary will carry on the outstanding tradition begun by Jack Edwards.
“More than ever, Alabama needs to elect a Representative that will go to Washington and fight the over reaching federal government led by Barack Obama. Top on the agenda should be reducing the size of government and the repeal of Obamacare. We simply have to get this country back to work.,” continued Armistead.
The qualified candidates for AL-1 are as follows:
Bradley Byrne- Attorney, Republican Candidate for Governor in 2010, former Chancellor of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education and former State Senator.
Daniel Dyas- General contractor and small business owner.
Chad Fincher- State Representative and small business owner.
Wells Griffith- Attorney and Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Republican National Committee.
Quin Hillyer- Nationally recognized conservative columnist for the American Spectator.
Jessica James- Realtor, grant-writer for Bishop State Community College and former candidate for Alabama State Board of Education.
Sharon Powe- Entrepreneur, Legal Assistant for the US Small Business Administration and government affairs for Mobile (Pritchard municipality).
David “Thunder” Thornton- Retired Shell Production Specialist and retail employee.
Dean Young- Realtor, owner of four small businesses and former candidate for Congress.
