By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Dr. Jennifer Marsden announced on Monday that she is running as a Democrat for Alabama House District 93.
The Newton Family doctor and Army Veteran said, “Too many of my patients- hardworking Alabamians and Veterans- are in a horrible situation when they get sick or injured: unable to afford proper medical care in the most advanced nation in the world. The problems with healthcare in Alabama are too big for me to solve in the doctor’s office, so I decided to run for state office.”
Dr. Marsden has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a Medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Marsden is an internationally published board-certified Family Physician.
She served in the US Army for over 7 years, commanding two overseas detachments, and attained the rank of Major. Her military decorations include the Army Parachutist Badge and Meritorious Service Medal.
Dr. Marsden has worked providing medical care for military families in Texas, was the campus medical director at Pensacola Christian College, practiced in England for 3 years, cared for underprivileged Alabama residents and immigrant farm workers in Slocomb and most recently worked at the Wiregrass VA Clinic.
Dr. Marsden said, “We have to fix healthcare: the Affordable Care Act, with all its flaws, is at least some action after years of accepting the unacceptable. Our state’s lack of support for the ACA and refusing the Medicaid Expansion are hurting us. Half our uninsured Veterans could get Medicaid coverage if we expand it.”
Governor Robert Bentley (R) has steadfastly opposed the controversial Medicaid expansion that is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, popularly known as “Obamacare”. The popular conservative governor, himself an accomplished physician, told a Cleburne County audience on Saturday that the country is doomed if the federal government does not get it’s spending under control. “Foreign powers can’t touch us, but the debt will kill us.” This nation is $17.2 trillion in debt and that is growing by $2 billion a day. “We are doomed.” “I am not going to be part of that,” speaking of the proposed Medicaid Expansion. “I will not put another 300,000 able bodied adults on a government dependency program.”
Dr. Marsden said, “I stand for selfless service in the spirit of those individuals who represented our citizens at the time of our founding fathers. These brave Americans were not professional politicians, they were farmers, authors, printers, merchants, physicians and brewers,” she stated. “They followed through on their commitment to serve the public good, completed their term in office, despite hardships, and then returned to tend their own business again.”
Dr. Jennifer Marsden will likely be running against Republican incumbent Representative Steve Clouse for the Alabama House District 93. The Ozark Republican has qualified for re-election and as of press time has no officially qualified primary opponent.
District 93 encompasses rural Dale County and parts of northwestern Houston County.
Dr. Marsden said that her campaign would center on four major principles: superior health care for all Alabamians, high quality job creation, improving public education and selfless service.
Dr. Marsden said the key to quality job creation is to have a well-educated and healthy workforce that will attract companies without dispensing what she calls, “wasteful corporate welfare and tax breaks that strain our state budget.”
Dr. Marsden said that expanding vocational training and small business “incubators” will help grow our economy in the long-term.
Dr. Jennifer Marsden has lived and worked in the Wiregrass for over 7 years. Her husband, U.S. Army Colonel (Ret) Ronald King is managing her campaign. They have two children: Cecilia, who is studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama and Veronica, who attends public middle school.
Democrats held the majorities in both Houses of the Alabama state legislature as recently as 2010. Republican won commanding Super-majorities in the 2010 election.
Alabama Democrats are desperate to regain control of at least one of the two legislative bodies in this year’s election.
