Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego has endorsed Russell Bedsole for Alabama House of Representatives District 49. The election is Tuesday. Bedsole, who has 21 years of experience with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, announced his candidacy for the vacant District 49 seat on June 2, 2020.
“As a longtime member of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Bedsole knows firsthand how crucial law and order are to our nation,” said Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego. “Bedsole will be a powerful voice in the Alabama House of Representatives. He will fight for the hardworking law enforcement officers and first responders serving our communities.”
The special primary election will be held Tuesday, Aug. 4, to fill the seat left vacant when Rep. April Weaver, R-Briarfield, joined President Donald Trump’s administration as a regional director of the Department of Health and Human Services. House District 49 includes portions of Bibb, Chilton and Shelby Counties.
Bedsole’s campaign said that during his time of service, Alabaster has benefited from positive economic growth, a first-class school system and a high quality of life.
Bedsole describes himself as a conservative Christian candidate, who “believes that life starts at conception, that the 2nd amendment should be protected, that our taxes need to be low and fair, and that our cities and counties need their fair share of infrastructure support.”
Bedsole says that he is dedicated to the service of the citizens of District 49 and standing up for conservative values and promised to make District 49 a great place to live for all of its citizens by working to improve District 49’s infrastructure and traffic flow, increased economic development and advancing school systems.
“I humbly ask for your vote on August 4th to allow me to serve District 49,” said Bedsole.
Bedsole has also been endorsed by Conservation Alabama.
In addition to Bedsole, Donna Strong, James Dean, Chuck Martin, Jackson McNeely and Mimi Penhale are all running in the special Republican primary on Tuesday, Aug. 4. If a runoff election is needed, it will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.
The eventual Republican nominee will face Cheryl Patton in the special general election on Tuesday, Nov. 17. There is no Democratic primary on Tuesday because Patton did not have a primary opponent. The winner will serve the remainder of April Weaver’s term, which ends in late 2022.
Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. You must be a registered voter in HD49 in order to participate. You may only vote at the polling place you are assigned, and you must have a valid photo ID to participate in any Alabama election.
