By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Voters in House District 104, in Mobile County, go to the polls on Tuesday to select their candidate to replace Representative Jim Barton (R) from Mobile. Margie Wilcox won a close race versus children’s boutique owner, Susan Hightower, in the Republican Primary Runoff special election six weeks ago and now faces Democrat, Stephen P. Carr.
Republican Voters narrowly chose Margie Wilcox over Susan Hightower. Ms. Wilcox received 51% (1723 votes) to Mrs. Hightower’s 49% (1657 votes). Now Wilcox has to unite the Republican electorate and turn out her voters in order to defeat Stephen Carr, who faces an uphill battle in the Republican leaning South Alabama District.
Margie Wilcox is a prominent business owner who owns cab companies and airport transport companies. The Theodore businesswoman is staunchly pro-Life and supports the traditional family.
Wilcox said on her website, “By ensuring that our parks are clean and safe and that our police have the resources and the laws to fight crime we can keep families together and our children safe. We need a stronger focus on families!” Wilcox is a charter member of St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church.
If elected, Wilcox promises to reduce the size of government, publish most government documents on the web, and strengthen Alabama’s ethic laws. Wilcox said on her website: “Just a few years ago our republican leadership did a great job in passing new laws to improve our trust and confidence in elected leadership. Unfortunately the loop holes have been found. Double dippers are still double dipping and the old revolving door is spinning even faster. I am a cheerleader for the conservative leadership in our state and I want to join them with a push to close those holes and keep the promise to be the most honest and transparent leadership in the history of Alabama!” Wilcox is a graduate of Leadership Mobile, a former member of the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee and has been very active in the Business Council of Alabama and the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Stephen P. Carr said in a press release on Friday. “With the announcement by Chad Fincher that he will not seek re-election, the Mobile delegation to the legislature has now had three departures by representatives from their seats in the last year. Clearly public service is a heavy responsibility and if your heart is not in the right place, namely to serve the people, then it can become very easy to walk away from that responsibility in pursuit of self interested occupations. Mobile has a chance on Tuesday, January 28th, to send a true public servant to Montgomery for a change. I am the best candidate and have no personal gain ambitions tied to my candidacy. I seek to serve the people, and that is what I will do as long as I have the privilege to serve. I have served in the Army, in Community Mental Health Clinics, in Church and Faith Based organizations, and have always put others’ interests before my own. This trait of wanting to help and to serve others is what has driven me to run for the District 104 seat and I hope that the people of Mobile County will give me the chance to prove to them that I am what I say that I am, a public servant.”
Stephen Carr said in a previous statement, “This (the January 28 special general election) will be the first election of 2014 for an open Alabama House seat and it marks a very important opportunity for voters to send a message to Montgomery that the supermajority politics of the last three years has not worked on the behalf of our citizens. In fact, the supermajority in Montgomery has not created adequate job growth, has not ensured that our public education system has a continual chance to succeed, and has not looked out for the interests of our seniors, veterans, low and middle income workers, and has not set us on a path that makes Alabama a relevant player on the National Political scene.”
The House District 104 seat became vacant following the resignation of Representative Jim Barton (R) this past August when he left to pursue a job opportunity as a professional lobbyist. The winner will serve the remainder of Barton’s term and will still have to face re-election in 2014 along with every other seat in the Alabama Legislature. House District 104 is located in the southern section of Mobile County and stretches from I-65 to the Mississippi line.
Both camps are anxious to motivate their voters to go to the poll. Rare winter weather on Tuesday could depress the expected low voter turnout even further.
Wilcox said on Facebook, “We are in the “red zone” (to borrow a football phrase). Let’s push hard to accomplish our goal and WIN this election. Call and volunteer for: waving, placing signs, reminding voters to vote, poll greeting, victory party committee, etc. Thank you for all of your efforts I am forever grateful.”
