FIVE POINTS – Farmer Phil Slay on Tuesday announced that he will run as a Republican candidate for the House District 37 legislative seat being vacated by retiring State Rep. Richard Laird, I-Roanoake. The district includes portions of Chambers, Clay, and Randolph counties.

Slay said he will focus his campaign on issues that include creating jobs, making needed improvements in public education, and bringing a higher standard of ethics and common sense to Montgomery.

“Alabama has made great progress over the past four years, and it has been a good first step, but there is a lot of work yet to be done before our state is where it needs to be with regards to education, ethics, and economic development,” Slay said in a statement. “As a farmer, I know that a hard day’s work produces results, and I am ready to put in the hours and efforts it takes to do this job for my fellow citizens in District 37.”

Since 1988, Slay and his family have operated Slay Farm, where they specialize in raising and marketing cattle, sheep, and other livestock. In 1995, the Slays were selected as Alabama’s “Young Farm Family of the Year.”

For the past three years, the 48-year-old Slay has served as the Chambers County president of the Alabama Farmers Federation. He is active in the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and has served as a member of the Chambers County Soil and Water District Board for more than two decades.

In an effort to bridge the gap between rural and urban residents, Slay has also worked for several years with the Chambers County Farm-City Committee.

Slay also served as chief of the Five Points Volunteer Fire Department for 13 years.

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