House District 30 candidate B. Craig Lipscomb on Saturday addressed his fellow Etowah County Republicans. House District 30 is composed of parts of St. Clair and Etowah County. Lipscomb and former Ashville Mayor Robert McKay are in a Republican primary runoff election on July 17.
“I am a local registered architect, small businessman, and family man,” Lipscomb said. I am married to my wife Angela. We have two children. We live on a small farm. I grew up in Gadsden. I have been here ever since I was a child.”
Lipscomb said that he graduated from Coosa Christian, went to Gadsden State Community College then transferred to Auburn University where he got his five-year architect’s degree. He then returned to Gadsden where he went to work for a Gadsden architecture firm for a three-year internship where he took his architecture exams to finally become a licensed architect. He practiced with them until 2010 when the economy took a nose dive and left the firm to help them stay afloat. Lipscomb then opened up his own architecture practice and a frozen yogurt shop. Eventually has sold the frozen yogurt business. He has been very active in his community including the Gadsden Kiwanis, the United Way board, the President of the Gadsden Symphony Orchestra.
“We did not have anyone from Etowah County running for District 30,” Lipscomb said. “After about a month of prayers and consultation with my wife I entered the race. I have spent the last six months working hard. I am in the runoff with the man from Ashville. The numbers were very tight; but the other two candidates also got a number of votes.”
“I am leaning on my friends in the Etowah Republican Party to help keep this seat in Etowah County,” Lipscomb said.
Robert McKay lives in St. Clair County.
Lipscomb spoke about improving infrastructure in Alabama
“The roads and bridges were built for half the people that are currently on it,” Lipscomb said. Infrastructure also includes broad band internet. The infrastructure priority for District 30 is the Southside bridge. I-759 is not in the district; but completing it is also a priority.
Lipscomb said that District 30 includes: Walnut Grove, Altoona, Southside, Rainbow City, Glencoe, Ashville, Ragland, and Riverside.
The monthly Etowah Republican breakfast events are emceed by Yellowhammer News Anchor Jay Holland. Holland said that about the time Lipscomb was in high school. “I lost district 30 by one vote.”
Holland told the group that he is having heart surgery on June 26.
In the June 5 primary, Robert McKay had 34.28 percent of the vote with 3,122 votes. B. Craig Lipscomb had 25.32 percent with 2,306 votes. Riverside Mayor Rusty Jessup had 24.04 percent of the vote with 2,190 votes. Jessup missed the runoff by just 117 votes. Ryan Preston had 16.36 percent.
Incumbent state Representative Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) vacated the seat to run for the open state senate district. Butler lost the GOP primary to Cherokee County cattle farmer Andrew Jones.
