Tuesday, former two-term State Sen. Bill Holtzclaw announced his candidacy to seek the Republican nomination for the Alabama Senate, District 2.
Holtzclaw was first elected to the Senate in 2010, where he served the North Alabama district until he opted to forgo reelection in 2018. The launch of his candidacy sets the stage for a GOP primary election challenge against current officeholder State Sen. Tom Butler (R-Madison).
In a release announcing his candidacy, the former lawmaker took issue with what he deemed to be a lack of communication between the current officeholder and the constituency.
“During my eight years in the Senate, I made it a priority to share what was transpiring in the Alabama Legislature so that every interested citizen of District 2 had the ability to know what was happening and understand how it would impact them,” asserted Holtzclaw. “This level of communication has been missing for the last four years.”
The candidate added, “The Alabama Legislature is currently in session. Just last week the Legislature appropriated $772 million of federal funding in a special session, yet we have heard nothing on how this funding benefits our district. Additionally, I am running to be the state senator for District 2 based on pro-business initiatives passed while serving in the state senate.”
Holtzclaw’s campaign advised that during his service as a senator, he supported numerous pro-business initiatives which it stated had led to economic growth for the region. Specifically noted was his sponsorship of the Brewery Modernization Act, which repealed prohibitive restrictions that enabled breweries to sell on-premises.
His campaign pointed to the creation of Huntsville’s Campus 805, the city’s brewery and entertainment district, as being a direct result of Holtzclaw’s legislation.
Holtzclaw noted his past military service and expressed his desire to return to the seat he formerly held.
He concluded, “I was transferred to this area in 1999 with my family while serving as a US Marine. I retired in 2003 after 20 years of service to my country and our family chose to make this area our forever home. Since then I have served my community and helped shape the growth in Madison and Limestone counties. We need strong leadership back in Montgomery representing Senate District 2. I’d appreciate your vote and I look forward to getting back to work for you.”
Senate District 2 includes portions of Madison and Limestone Counties. The primary election will occur on May 24, 2022.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
