A12 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018 THE PRESS-REGISTER AL.COM

2018 midterm elections

1st Congressional District

ROBERT KENNEDY JR. (D) BRADLEY BYRNE (R) (INCUMBENT) Website: kennedy4alabama.org Website: byrneforcongress.com

Three words stand at the forefront of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s message as he introduces Having made himself a familiar face in his 1st Congressional District, and become a himself to 1st Congressional District voters: faith, family and freedom. force in the region’s civic and industrial affairs, Bradley Bryne might have his eyes on a Kennedy, 48, who grew up in the Prichard area, won the Democratic nomination with- bigger prize — the Senate — in 2020. But for now, he’s running hard for re-election, posi- out opposition. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he served for nine years in active- tioning himself as a fierce conservative who’s proud of his record of service. duty Navy positions before transitioning into the business world, receiving a MBA from He’s also talking up the economy. “The one message I continue to hear from the peo- Duke University in the process. ple in my district is, ‘Keep doing what you’ve been doing — do more of it — because it’s In 2017, Kennedy ran for the U.S. Senate, finishing second in the seven-candidate Dem- making the lives of everybody in this community better. Our towns are not dying, they’re ocratic primary to Doug Jones. thriving,’” he said at a Republican “Better Off Now” event in September in Washington. “The reason why I decided to enter public life, and the reason why I decided to enter Byrne, 63, a lawyer, by profession, faced no opponent in the June GOP primary. public life from the Mobile, , area, is I’m simply doing why my mother told me to He’s a longtime presence in the public arena, serving on the state school board and in do when I left home over 30 years ago. She told me to ‘never forget where you came from,’” the state Senate, and later as chancellor of the state’s two-year college system. he said in remarks on a recent Sunday at Yorktown Missionary Baptist Church in Mobile. Byrne won a rugged special election for the 1st District House seat in 2013, then claimed He’s makes a point to focus on improving the Affordable Care Act, and expresses a firm a first full term in the 2014 regular election. comittment to public schools, environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility and per- As a congressman, he’s gained notoriety, even from CBS News, for his prolific town hall sonal honor. events in the southwest Alabama region. “Byrne does more town halls than nearly any- Kennedy maintains that the political system is wrongly beholden to high-rollers who one in Congress: 87 of them since he began representing Alabama’s 1st District in 2013,” can write big checks. “Does anyone actually think that Washington is working right now? CBS News chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes told viewers in August, as The whole system is dysfunctional,” he told a meeting of Bay Area Young Democrats in Byrne prepared to embark on another 11 town halls in four days. September. “If somebody had to make one guess as to what the problem with the dysfunc- tion is, the root cause of dysfunction, what would you guess? Money! That’s the problem.”

Local contested races

Baldwin County Main issues: Clarke plans to continue efforts (R) Baldwin County Commission, District 2 to close the gender pay gap, strengthen public State Senate, District 32 Age: 78 schools, raise teacher pay, and advocate for Occupation: Insurance broker, state represen- Amber Smith (D) capital improvements at Bishop State Commu- Jason Fisher (D) tative Age: 30 nity College. Age: 46 Political experience: Elected twice to the Bald- Occupation: Public relations specialist Occupation: Founder and CEO of Jason Fisher win County Commission, elected to Alabama Political experience: None Stephen McNair (R) Consulting Group House of Representatives, District 94, in 2002, Main issues: Smith says she is dedicated to Age: 36 Political experience: None 2006, 2010 and 2014. smart growth practices for Baldwin County. Occupation: Owner of McNair Historic Preser- Main issues: Fisher believes his experiences Main issues: A longtime state representative, She says her No. 1 goal is cleaning up area vation dealing with the healthcare system from the Faust supports investment in infrastructure, waterways and Mobile Bay and helping foster Political experience: None patient perspective put him in position to foster insurance reform and a continued focus on environmentally conscious communities. Main issues: McNair’s platform includes a needed reforms, and he promises to encourage education. focus on infrastructure, especially easing the job and wage growth in Baldwin County. Joe Davis (R) burden on the I-10 corridor. Also, he describes State Representative, District 96 Age: 70 public education as the “silver bullet” to solving Chris Elliott (R) Occupation: City councilman, retired banker, economic and social problems that impact Age: 38 Maurice Horsey (D) college provost and business manager Mobile Occupation: President and owner of The Elliott Age: n/a* Political experience: Appointed to the Daphne Companies Inc., which operates ServiceMaster Occupation: Retired teacher and coach, and City Council, District 7, in 2013 State Representative, District 99 Restore franchises; vice president with his former director with the YMCA Main issues: Davis says he will focus on con- family-owned construction firm and real estate Political experience: None tinued economic development and job growth Sam Jones (D) development company. Main issues: Horsey says his top priorities in Baldwin County, along with improvements Age: 71 Political experience: Elected to Baldwin are investment in public schools, as well as job to infrastructure and traffic management and Occupation: Director of programs and commu- County Commission, District 2, in 2014. growth and infrastructure. stormwater runoff. nity outreach for Ball HealthCare Services Main issues: Elliott is running on a platform of Political experience: Served four terms as coalition-building to help him fight for needed Matt Simpson (R) Baldwin County Commission, District 3 Mobile County commissioner and two terms as state appropriations for Baldwin County. Age: 38 Mobile mayor Occupation: Assistant Baldwin County district Heather Brown (D) Main issues: Jones supports justice reform, State Representative, District 64 attorney Age: 43 infrastructure investment and small business Political experience: None Occupation: Freelance writer development for minorities. Amber Selman-Lynn (D) Main issues: Simpson said his No. 1 priority is Political experience: None Age: 37 improving roads and bridges, and points to his Main issues: Brown says infrastructure is Charles Talbert (R) Occupation: Stay-at-home mom with a back- experience as a prosecutor in fueling his focus her No. 1 priority, pledging to improve roads, Age: 32 ground in mental health and a career concen- on public safety and mental health. bridges and sewer systems. She is also a Occupation: Minster, vegetable farmer trating on child and adolescent services and proponent of better long-term planning and of Political experience: None integrated health care. Matt Shelby (Libertarian) Medicaid expansion. Main issues: Talbert says he supports the Political experience: None Age: 35 legalization of medicinal and recreational mari- Main issues: Selman-Lynn says that she will Occupation: Attorney Billie Jo Underwood (R) juana, and will place a priority on roads, bridges strive to raise the standard of education in the Political experience: None Age: 51 and other infrastructure. state, while improving health care and lowering Main issues: Shelby’s platform calls for Occupation: Certified public accountant the poverty level. reforms on several fronts, such as state gam- Political experience: Has served on the State Representative, District 104 bling laws, term limits, civil forfeiture laws, and Summerdale and Baldwin County planning (R) marijuana and drug laws. commissions. Arlene Cunningham Easley (D) Age: 72 Main issues: Underwood says she is a pro- Age: 55 Occupation: Retired school teacher, state Baldwin County Board of Education, ponent of smart and sustainable growth in Occupation: Accountant, college adjunct representative District 1 Baldwin County. She says she will protect the professor Political experience: Elected to Alabama county’s natural resources and manage the Political experience: None House of Representatives, District 64, in 2006, Heather Karras (D) impacts of growth upon roads, schools and Main issues: Easley calls for more transpar- 2010 and 2014. Age: 36 public safety. ency in government, better workforce training Main issues: Shiver plans on keeping his focus Occupation: Stay-at-home mom and an expansion of Medicaid in Alabama. on education and prisons, as well as infra- Political experience: None Mobile County She’ll also pursue new resources for public structure, such as the highways and bridges of Main issues: Karras calls for further educa- schools. Baldwin County and the state as a whole. tional investment in north Baldwin County, and State Senator, District 35 wants greater security in Baldwin schools and (R) State Representative, District 66 more public engagement. Tom Holmes (D) Age: n/a* Age: 73 Occupation: State representative, owns Mobile Susan E. Smith (D) Mike Johnson (R) Occupation: Retired chief of science and Bay Transportation and Yellow Cab of Mobile/ Age: 71 Age: 62 technology in the Alabama Department of Eco- Baldwin Occupation: Retired public school supervisor Occupation: Retired pharmacist nomic and Community Affairs, former executive Political experience: Elected to the Alabama and nurse; city councilwoman Political experience: None director of Mobile Arc House of Representatives, District 104, in 2014. Political experience: Serving her second Main issues: Johnson says he will fight to Political experience: None Main issues: Wilcox says she’ll press for term on the Atmore City Council, represent- make sure that schools are safe. He also urges Main issues: Holmes calls for improved bridges improved infrastructure, stronger ethics laws ing District 4. Was selected as a replacement increased transparency in the county to pre- and roads, and for expanding the statewide and a permanent attrition policy in hiring within candidate in the 2014 race for state Senate pare for future growth. broadband internet network. He also supports the state government. District 22. wide-reaching education reform. Main issues: Smith says education reform is Baldwin County Board of Education, Judicial Circuit, Place 6 her No. 1 focus. She wants to increase teacher District 2 David Sessions (R) pay, and bolster K-4 and dual-enrollment pro- Age: n/a* Karlos Finley (D) grams statewide. Clyde Jones (D) Occupation: State representative, president Age: n/a* Age: 52 of Grand Bay Water Works and Producers Gin Occupation: Attorney, city of Mobile Municipal (R) Occupation: Training specialist at FMC Agricul- Company Court judge Age: 62 ture Solutions, retired U.S. Army first sergeant Political experience: Elected to the Alabama Political experience: Named to a Municipal Occupation: Former high school teacher and Political experience: None House of Representatives, District 105, in 2011, Court judgeship by the City Council in 2015; coach, and director of a mortgage and finance Main issues: Jones says he will seek a major and re-elected in 2014 candidate for state House of Representatives business. renovation of Daphne High School. Main issues: Sessions says he will press to in 2013 Political experience: Elected to Alabama improve the state and local economies, and to Main issues: Finley is running on his record as House of Representatives, District 66, in 2006, Andrea Lindsey (R) pursue infrastructure improvements, especially a former assistant district attorney and judge. 2010 and 2014. Age: 61 as they pertain to transportation. He’s also proud of his leadership roles in com- Main issues: Baker says he plans on continuing Occupation: Retired schoolteacher munity and civic endeavors, and of his family’s his work to improve infrastructure, workforce Political experience: None State Representative, District 96 deep roots in Mobile. development, economic development and Main issues: Lindsey is focused on improving education. school safety, increasing student services, Information about the candidates in this Brandy Hambright (R) tackling attendance problems and addressing two-county district can be found in the Baldwin Age: 46 State Representative, District 94 issues involving the county’s rapid growth. County list on this page. Occupation: Attorney Political experience: None Danielle Mashburn-Myrick (D) Michael Reeves (Libertarian) State Representative, District 97 Main issues: Hambright is running on her Age: 34 Age: n/a* many years of courtroom experience and Occupation: Attorney Occupation: Works in the IT and finance (D) community involvement. She says that funding Political experience: None departments for a locally owned and operated Age: 61 issues plague the courts, making it difficult for Main issues: An Eastern Shore native, national property adjuster. Occupation: State representative, freelance the judicial system to consider alternatives to Mashburn-Myrick says she wants to preserve Political experience: None journalist incarceration. the state’s natural resources, invest in infra- Main issues: Reeves says that, if elected, he will Political experience: Elected to the Alabama structure and educate the current, and future, do everything in his power to “reclaim and retain House of Representatives, District 97, via spe- workforce. local control of our curriculum and our funding.” cial election in 2013, and re-elected in 2014.