By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Tuesday, the longtime Harbert Executive Will Brooke (R) announced that he was going to run for Congress in Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District.
Mr. Brooke said on his website, “As a businessman, I know job one in Washington is to cut Federal spending and get our financial house in order. A good first step is replacing the planned economy disaster called Obamacare with a market based solution to our healthcare needs.”
Will Brooke has degrees in business and law from the University of Alabama. Currently he is the Executive Vice President and Managing Partner for Harbert Management Corporation where he is responsible for its venture capital funds. Brooke brings 25 years of hands on business and corporate leadership to the Sixth District race.
Brooke said that over the years he has worked for fair, honest government, including the rule of law, a fair judiciary, tort reform, education reform and stronger ethics in government.
In 2011, Brooke chaired the powerful Business Council of Alabama (BCA). That year ethics reform, tenure reform, public pension reform, tort reform, state budget reform and numerous pieces of conservative legislation supported by BCA were passed by the Alabama Legislature.
Brooke is formerly the Harbert Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer. In 1993 he co-founded the Harbert Management Firm. Brooke practiced law in Birmingham for over a decade before he took a position with Harbert as General Counsel.
Brooke is also a member of the board of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and the University of Alabama’s Entrepreneurship Institute.
Chairman Brooke was deeply involved in the successful efforts to reform the Alabama Supreme Court in the 1990’s. He was also the Chairman of ProgressPAC in 2010 where he helped elect the first Republican majority in over 100 years. Brooke was appointed to the Alabama Innovation Council in 2009, and served as Chairman of the Council, which issued a comprehensive report on steps needed to grow Alabama’s innovation economy.
Brooke is running in a crowded Republican field that includes: the co-founder and long time CEO of the Birmingham based Alabama Policy Institute (API), Gary Palmer; Indian Springs orthopedist Chad Mathis and State Representative Paul DeMarco (R) from Homewood. Prominent businessman and former Auburn Trustee John Blackwell and Alabama State Senator Scott Beason are also both reportedly mulling a run for the rare open seat.
Some political insiders have suggested the Brooke could be a force in this crowded field because of his proven ability to fund raise as well as his own reportedly substantial personal wealth.
The Sixth District Congressional District seat is currently held by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R) from Vestavia. After serving in the seat for 21 years, Rep. Bachus announced that he would not seek re-election when his current term expires. The
Republican Primary will be in June 2014.
