The State Senate meets only a few dozen feet above the House of Representatives at the Alabama Statehouse. Yet, Rep. Mike Jones (R-Andalusia) announced Thursday that he is committed to nearly a year of campaigning to ride the elevator two extra floors when he goes to work in Montgomery.

Jones became the first candidate to replace the retiring Sen. Jimmy Holley (R-Elba) in Senate District 31. Holley is bringing his honorable and storied career in the Alabama Legislature to a close next year.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 2010, Jones currently serves as chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee.

In a statement from his campaign, he offered praise to Holley and the work his has done for his district.

“Senator Holley has done an outstanding job in service to our state and his legacy will be remembered for generations to come.” Jones said. “I believe that my experience in the Alabama legislature has prepared me to serve this district well. I am committed to protecting our Constitutional rights, the integrity of our elections and the Christian conservative values that are so important to me and to the people who live and work in this district.”

Jones is a practicing attorney in Covington County where he serves as municipal court judge for the city of Andalusia. He served as chairman of the House Impeachment Committee that investigated former Governor Robert Bentley and on the Alabama Sentencing Commission and the Criminal Justice Oversight and Implementation Council.

The Southeast Alabama senate district includes Coffee, Covington, Pike and Dale Counties. The primary election will be held on May 24, 2022.

Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia