By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Republican Party Primary in Alabama House District 43 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Primary battles of the June 2014 Primary seasons. To this point, there are four candidates that the Alabama Political Reporter is aware of that have already announced their intentions to seek the Alabama House of Representatives Seat, currently held by Representative Mary Sue McClurkin (R) from Indian Springs. Rep. McClurkin has announced that she will not for re-election in the staunch Republican district representing parts of Shelby and Jefferson Counties.
On Tuesday, three of the four candidates were speaking at the Rainy Day Patriots meeting at the Homewood Library for their candidate forum seeking support from one of Alabama’s most influential Tea Party Organizations.
Amie Beth Shaver was the first HD 43 candidate to speak. She said that 41 years ago in a small town in the Northeast a 17 year old girl found out that she was pregnant. She had three options. She could have had the child aborted, she could have raised that child, or she could have given that child up for adoption. Shaver said, that child was me. Shaver and her two siblings are all adopted and she is very grateful that that young mother chose life.
Shaver said that she began talking in schools in 1992 about abstinence when even then people of influence were telling her that no one wanted to hear that message. Shaver said that she told kids that you can make the right decisions about your life.
Shaver said that she opposes Common Core and that is “just the tip of the iceberg” of what the Federal government wants to do with our schools.
Shaver said that her husband and her father are both doctors and that gives her an inside view of the changes that are happening with Obamacare. “We live this on a daily basis.” Her own family had to deal with an $80,000 healthcare bill when her husband fell ill and needed surgery.
Shaver said that the two factors driving up healthcare costs were the need for tort reform and the over utilization of care an they were completely left out of the healthcare reform passed by Congress. “This was never about healthcare it was about greed and control.”
Shaver said that she favors small government and that, “Your pay check should be fat and your taxes should be skinny.”
Shaver is a former Miss Alabama and is the mother of four.
Cheryl Ciamarra is also running for the House District 43 seat.
Ciamarra also criticized Obamacare. She said that it was passed by preying on the goodness of America, promising that it would help poorer Americans but what they are really doing is changing our form of our government with Obamacare. Ciamarra said that the difficulty of the roll out is because they are combining the Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service, your health care providers, and the health insurance industry and are taking away the freedoms that you have.
Ciamarra said that she worked hard to defeat Obamacare (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) in Congress. In 2009 Ciamarra said that she was serving as legislative director for Alabama Right to life and thus had a seat on the National Right to Life Board. She said that then she promised to deliver the seven Alabama Congressmen as “no” votes on Obamacare.
The first four Congresswomen were easy. The next two eventually came around and also agreed to vote “no”.
The seventh, then Rep. Artur Davis (D) was hard. She started a Focus on Life Radio program and hammered him on that radio show. After a few days Davis’s office called her asking her to stop giving out their phone number and agreed to speak with them. Davis however remained undecided.
Ciamarra said that she called everyone she knew to call to attempt to influence Davis into voting “no.” All she had left to do was to pray in her car in the parking lot in front of her Church. While praying a name came to her. That persons name was already in her phone so she called them. That person said that he could get through to Rep. Davis and promised to ask him to vote “no”. Rep. Artur Davis voted against Obamacare. Ciamarra said, “Our hope is God.” “We are the little people doing work for God.”
Ciamarra said that the Alabama House of Representatives is, “The natural extension of what I have been doing.” Over the years she has lobbied the legislature on Pro-Life issues. She has never been a professional lobbyist but has the knowledge of the legislature that she can represent the people.
Ciamarra said that she is pro Second Amendment and is a member of the NRA.
Ciamarra said that the loss of Mary Sue McClurkin is a big loss for the pro-Life movement because, “Mary Sue carried our bills.” Many times conservative men struggle debating liberal pro-abortion women on the floor of the House. “Bill after bill our bills go down at the microphone.” Ciamarra said that she can stand at the microphone and debate those women. She has a proven track record and, “Would like to work for you.”
Ciamarra is hosting a campaign kickoff fundraiser on Thursday at 7:00.
Arnold Mooney also announced that he is running for the District 43 seat. He was raised by World War II veterans and learned a lot about having passion for life. “My parents taught me a lot about life.”
Mooney told the Patriots, “You are here because you care about something. I care about a grandchild,” that is about to be born in January. “You are here because you want to be involved.” Mooney said that he worked for Senator Jim Allen and that government has changed a lot since then.
Mooney compared Obamacare to a stool sample.
Mooney said that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Mary Sue McClurkin’s campaign chairman. He also has 35 years of experience in business and workforce development.
A fourth candidate, longtime Pelham-area optometrist Douglas Clark, is also making a bid to replace McClurkin in 2014.
Douglas Clark was not present.
