Alabama House District 73 special primary election shaping up

The special election in Alabama House District 73 is shaping up to be a competitive one, with the March 30 primary date quickly approaching.

The safely Republican seat was vacated by former Rep. Matt Fridy’s (R-Montevallo) election to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. HD-73 represents portions of Shelby County. Governor Kay Ivey set the house district’s special election to align with the special election she previously set for Senate District 14, which encompasses parts of Shelby, Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson and Hale Counties.

The HD-73 GOP primary field is comprised of Joseph Daley, George Henry, Leigh Hulsey, Kenneth Paschal and Kerri Pate.

Paschal served 21 years in the Army before retiring in 2006. A past commander of the American Legion and a member of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, he was recently unanimously selected to join the Shelby County Republican Executive Committee. His campaign received a significant boost this week with respective endorsements by Pelham Mayor Gary Waters and City Council President Maurice Mercer.

“Kenneth will be a great representative for Shelby County. He is a man of character and integrity. Kenneth is a straight shooter and he’s always stood up for what he believes,” stated Waters. “Together, we would like to announce our endorsement of Kenneth Paschal for State Representative.”

“I’ve known Kenneth for 10 years. I’ve seen firsthand how much he cares for our communities and his commitment to service. Kenneth is someone we can trust. I hope the people of Shelby County will join me and support Kenneth with their vote,” added Mercer.

“I’m very excited to have the support and endorsement of Mayor Waters and Council President Maurice Mercer. I’m a conservative Republican. I also believe that leaders have to be able to bring people together to get things done. I think that today’s endorsement shows that I will represent all the people of District 73,” commented Paschal.

“I’ve never run for office before. I’m a career veteran, not a career politician,” he continued. “In the Army, I had to complete the mission. Today, we have too many politicians that can’t seem to get things done or stand up for what they believe. I’m running for God and country. I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. My oath did not end when I retired from the Army. That’s why I’m running for District 73.”

Two candidates in the field, Hulsey and Daley, are from Helena. Hulsey is city council president pro tem and Daley is a real estate agent. Hulsey is also the owner of CrossFit Alabaster.

“I will use my conservative, pro-business values to bring about real change to our state and District 73,” she said in a statement.

Henry is a businessman who lives in Montevallo, and Pate is a city council member in Alabaster.

“I want to take my experience in local government and my conservative values to the statehouse in Montgomery,” Pate said in a statement. “Shelby County has been a wonderful home for me and my family, and I think I can make it even better.”

She identified as key priorities working with state leaders to keep Alabama’s taxes low and incentivize job creation to further solidify our state’s pro-business reputation. Pate also considers Montevallo to be her second home, as she coordinates volunteers and works in sales at the American Village.

“My experiences working at the American Village have only strengthened my support for our military, veterans, and the integrity of our Constitution,” she remarked. “I’ll make sure they have a strong voice in Montgomery.”

The special primary runoff, if necessary, is slated for April 27 in HD-73

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn