By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R from Alabama) has served 5 terms in the powerful U.S. Senate. The 81 year old has been in the Congress since the Carter Administration and means to remain there into the next President’s second term. In 2014 fellow Senator Jeff Sessions (R) sailed to re-election with no opponent in either the primary or the general election. There have been speculation that Shelby might also be re-elected without any opposition; but that was not to be.
Sen. Shelby will have a challenger in the March 1 Republican Primary in John Martin.
Meanwhile two Democrats will face off in the March 1 Democratic Primary for the right to be their party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate.
Charles Nana says on his website that he has dedicated his career to making things better for the less privileged in his communities as well as private companies he associated with. Mr. Nana said that he has become a leading name in the business transformation and process improvement industry, yet has also built a reputation as a tireless fighter for the less privileged.
Ronald Steven Crumpton is a 47-year-old father of one. Crumpton lives in Wilsonville and is originally from Alabaster. Ron has seven years of experience as a lobbyist. He is the Executive Director of the Alabama Patients’ Rights Coalition as well as the Executive Director of the Alabama Safe Access Project. He was formerly the Executive Director of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition, and the Legislative Liaison of Alabama Compassionate Care. He is a graduate of Pelham High School, and Jefferson State Junior College where he studied Political Science and Journalism. He has also studied American Government and Political Theory at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ron began his studies after becoming disabled and unable to continue is career in landscaping and irrigation services. While attending college Ron became a patients’ rights advocate, and has authored many pieces of significant legislation including the Alabama Medical Marijuana Safe Access Act, the Alabama Cannabis and Hemp Reform Act, and the Alabama Multiple Handicapped Service Dog Act. He is currently working on legislation that would help prevent the abuse of special needs children and adults in schools and care facilities.
Charles Nana was born in Cameroon, West Africa and is the first son in a family of 14 and the very first to obtain a college degree. He migrated to the United States in the 80’s where he obtain a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, a Master degree in Biomedical engineering from Catholic University of America and an International MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of business with emphasis on entrepreneurship and strategic management. Charles is married to Florence and they have three sons, Nanda, Wanci and Kedy, He is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
Ron Crumpton has an 11 point plan to end poverty, which he says, “Is a plaque on our nation that is caused, in part, by a system that encourages companies to cut costs by cutting wages, and hiring more part-time employees to avoid paying benefits. This causes an accumulation of wealth at one end of the spectrum and makes poverty unavoidable on the other.” Crumpton favors: raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour; Investing in school infrastructure and technology to provide funds to repair or replace dilapidated schools and provide teachers with the technology necessary to teach our children; Ending pay discrimination; moving to a single-payer health care system; and removing and rerouting interstates like I-20/59 in Birmingham which divide Americans by race and class. Crumpton said, “Ending poverty is in the best interest of all Americans, not taking steps to end poverty puts our economy and our nation at risk, and there is no ethical or moral point that justifies subjecting millions of Americans to a life of poverty when our entire nation would benefit from their success.”
Charles Nana says that he has been frustrated by the inability or unwillingness of our local political leaders to fight against issues destroying middle class & less privileged families. Nana vows to: end dumping and unfair trade practices from China, Korea etc.; fight to curb the devastation overdose prescription drugs is inflicting on Alabama families; fight to put to an end to universities (particularly D1 schools) from cheating their students from a descent education through the abusive use of adjunct professors and athletic programs financing; Work tirelessly to attract high tech jobs to Alabama; Promote and provide incentives for business innovations; Freeze tuition increase at all state colleges & universities; Invest aggressively in 21st century educational methodologies and infrastructures; and Establish moral obligations and community responsibility towards neighbors…..I’m my brother’s /sister’s keeper.
Sen. Shelby has enormous amount of public name recognition as well as millions of dollars already raised in this campaign account for re-election so he would be very difficult for any of his challengers to defeat. Ultimately the people of Alabama will decide who they feel will do the best job representing them in the Senate.
The Democratic and Republican Primaries are on March 1. Friday is the last day for candidate qualifying.
