Local businessman Wes Lambert is set to announce his Republican candidacy to succeed Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) in representing Alabama’s First Congressional District, joining State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) and Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl in the race.
Lambert will hold a kickoff campaign event at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday at the Dumbwaiter Restaurant in Fairhope, which is one of the businesses he owns.
A press release announced that Lambert’s campaign “will focus on issues important to Southwest Alabamians: the economy, family values, healthcare and letting people make decisions based on local needs.”
“We learn values from our families on how to make the right choices,” Lambert stated . “Families should make decisions about health care, their child’s education and how their hard earned dollars are spent. Great governments work from the ground up, not the top down.”
Lambert grew up in Mobile and is a graduate of UMS-Wright Preparatory School. He graduated with a degree in business from the University of South Alabama. He is a member of the Jubilee Baptist Church in Daphne.
“Alabamians deserve a government that makes the economy work for them, with abundant highly skilled and well-paying jobs,” he said. “The way to get there is to keep businesses free of needless and punishing governmental regulations. As a local business owner, I know the importance of hard work and being able to concentrate on your local business and not some bureaucratic rule or regulation.”
“The left has worked to impose too many rules, constraints and higher taxes, creating a burden that destroys our companies and hurts workers in southwest Alabama. I want to make sure that we lower taxes and make it so companies can worry about their workers and not Washington.” Lambert concluded.
He has already filed paperwork forming his campaign committee with the FEC.
Lambert’s announcement will come on the heels of Pringle’s much-anticipated announcement and in the wake of Carl announcing a significant start to his fundraising.
Carl campaign releases initial fundraising haul
Since he launched his campaign on February 27, Carl has raised over $385,000.
“I am humbled by the outpouring of support from all over this great district,” he said in a release. “Our campaign has received support from a wide variety of individuals – from small-business owners and community leaders to seniors, young families, and those looking for strong conservative leadership in Washington. They have seen my work on the County Commission to bring good-paying jobs to our area, fight excessive spending, and stand with President Trump to put America and our community back on track, and they know I will do the same in Congress.”
$365,000 of the total contribution amount will be able to be spent in the primary.
The Carl campaign added that 95 percent of the donations were from within the district.
“In just a little over a month our campaign is off to an incredibly strong start,” Carl added. “We are focused on building a grassroots effort that reaches all corners of the First District and our momentum is continuing to build. This campaign will be won by a true conservative, one who isn’t afraid to make tough decisions that grow our economy and fight for the policies of President Trump that are continuing to put Americans back to work. I look forward to the months ahead where we can tell our story to voters and build on the momentum we are creating.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
