By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama State Board of Education member Mary Scott Hunter announced that she will be run in the open seat election for Alabama Senate District 7.
“The people of my district know me as a fighter, as a wife, a mom of three children who attend public school, and a woman of faith,” Hunter said. “They have seen me tested and know the quality of my character. I love this state, and I love the place I call home, Madison County, Alabama. I’ve decided to enter the race for Senate District 7 because it’s where I can best serve the people.”
Hunter is running for the seat held by Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, who announced that he will not seek relection. Alabama Republican Party Vice Chairman Sam Givhan has announced that he is running for the District 7 Senate seat. Businessman Jonathan Hard is also running for the seat, but he is running as a Democrat. Neither Givhan or Hard have won elected office before.
“I’m not a rookie in all of this, and I’m coming into this race with many allies and knowing where the snakes hide,” Hunter said. “There is much work ahead. I intend to use my experience serving on the Alabama State Board of Education to support efforts at all levels to improve public education from Pre-K through Ph.D. Good jobs are everything, and to get them we must prepare and lay the groundwork in education, infrastructure, healthcare, and other important areas. I look forward to the challenge.”
Hunter is a U.S. Air Force Veteran. She has a bachelor’s degree, a law degree, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama. She works for Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation advising and leading the company’s business interest in Compliance, Ethics, and Risk.
Hunter’s husband, Jon Shultz, is an engineer and has his own small business, Resolution LLC, delivering advisory services to NASA and other customers. Both U.S. Air Force veterans. They married in 2000 and were stationed together in Germany before moving their family to Huntsville in 2005. They attend Trinity United Methodist Church where she leads an adult Sunday School class.
She is a conservative Republican and was first elected to the Alabama State Board of Education In the Republican wave election 2010. She was re-elected in 2014. Hunter has also served as a trustee for the Alabama Community College System first as an elected office holder and for the last two years as the appointed ex-officio member.
While on the school board, Hunter has made several key swing votes including the adoption of the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, aligned with Common Core, and the hiring of Michael Sentance as state school superintendent.
Hunter has considered a run for U.S. Senate, but ultimately chose to run for lieutenant governor instead. There are already three other accomplished Republicans in that field. There are currently no Republican women in the state Senate, though state Sen. Harri Anne Smith was a Republican until being kicked out of the party before the 2014 election.
Senate District 7 is in Madison County.
The major party primaries will be on June 5, 2018.
