“It is time to stop Obama’s spending spree and tighten Washington’s belt,” Blackwell said Wednesday evening.
Blackwell’s extensive resume includes stints as the Chief Financial Officer for two Alabama universities and the budget director for a third university. He was recruited by the Mayor of Huntsville and served as the city’s Chief Financial Officer. Together with two of his sons, Blackwell also built Inkana Properties, which develops and operates high tech health care facilities across Alabama.
“I’ve balanced budgets for universities and a major city,” he said. “Every family has to cut spending when there is not enough income. We need to balance the federal budget just as we do in Alabama every year.”
Blackwell is currently an announced candidate for state senate, which could have potentially given him the opportunity to serve alongside his son, current State Senator Slade Blackwell, R-Mountain Brook, in the legislature. However, Blackwell said he received a lot of encouragement to turn his focus to Washington after Bachus announced his retirement.
“It’s time for all elected conservative leaders to stand up to Obama’s irresponsible spending and uncontrolled expansion of government,” Blackwell said. “The Democrats’ century-long control of the State Senate ended three years ago, and now the most serious problems we face are in Washington. In the days ahead I will seriously consider working with fellow conservatives to hold President Obama accountable for his overreaching social policies fueled by tax increases that are holding our economic growth hostage.”
If Blackwell does ultimately run for Congress, he will no doubt be one of the favorites to win. He has the kind of private sector resume that Republican primary voters like, and he’s never run for elected office — an advantage that can’t be overestimated in the current “throw the bums out” atmosphere. His financial advantage over other candidates would also likely be substantial. Sources close to Blackwell’s emerging campaign say he is willing to pump seven figures of his own money into the campaign if need be.
The AL-06 field is still in the early stages of working itself out, but Blackwell’s announcement is the first major shakeup since so many of the current state elected officials decided early on not to run.
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