By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, October 1, an estimated 120 people were in a park in Wetumpka to hear Becky Gerritson formally declare her candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
The prominent Wetumpka Tea Party co-founder and President said in a statement, “I am humbled to announce to you and the people of Alabama that I am running for Congress and the right to represent you, fight for you and your family, and stand up for our Constitution!”
Gerritson said, “Already, I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of support our campaign is receiving from the people of the Second District, and I cannot wait to meet each of you as I campaign hard throughout the district. While I know that our opposition will outspend us, what we are fighting for is too important for us to sit on the sidelines!”
The Tea Party conservative gained national fame when it was discovered that the IRS’s infamous Lois Lerner had targeted Becky and her Tea Party group in the months leading up to the 2012 campaign. Gerritson more recently has been critical of Congresswoman Martha Roby and what she calls the GOP “establishment.”
Gerritson wrote, “Together, I know that we can achieve a victory that will send a strong message to the Establishment in Washington that they can no longer campaign like conservatives and govern like Democrats! WE THE PEOPLE demand better! As your congressman, I will work every day to fight for our conservative values- regardless of the political consequences. Unafraid and unashamed, I will stand against the pervasive radical agenda in Washington, oppose this president and his liberal cronies, and restore our nation to the land our Founders intended it to be.”
Gerritson said, “I am unapologetically pro-life, unflinching in my support for the Second Amendment, and unwavering in my conviction that limited government is not only what the Founders intended, but also the best way to make certain all can have the opportunity for prosperity. For me, these are not simply campaign platitudes. This is what I taught my daughter. This is what I believe, and it is what I will fight for. Our country stands at the precipice of ruin. I know that you, like me, find new things to get discouraged about every time you turn on the news. However, that does not mean we are without hope. This great nation can still be saved, we can still be the land people cross oceans for, and we can be the shining city on a hill Reagan spoke of. But first, we must act. We have the power to affect change. We can throw off the shackles of big government, and I know that, together, right here in the Second Congressional District, we will take our stand. As we move forward, I cannot wait to meet you and talk more about my vision for this country. I humbly ask for your prayers and for your support.”
A number of very prominent Alabama Tea Party figures were at the Gerritson announcement event in the park where she first formed the Wetumpka Tea Party. The Alabama Political Reporter expects there will be a series of endorsements in coming weeks.
The Alabama Republican Primary is March 1.
