Staff Report
Guntersville – Will Ainsworth, who operates the nationally-recognized Dream Ranch hunting and fishing lodge in Guntersville, on Monday announced that he will be a Republican candidate for the House District 27 seat during the 2014 election cycle.
Incumbent State Rep. Wes Long (R – Guntersville) recently announced that he will not seek reelection to the post.
Ainsworth said he has an interest in improving public education in Alabama and bringing a new ethical climate to Montgomery, but economic and job creation issues would become his initial focus if elected.
“As a legislator, I will pledge to work with Gov. Robert Bentley and his team to recruit much needed jobs and industry to the Marshall County area,” Ainsworth said. “It’s no secret that our area is still suffering the effects of the economic downturn, and I believe that I have the energy, vision, and drive necessary to help bring some long overdue relief.”
He also noted his desire to help protect the fundamental rights of Alabamians from continuing attacks by Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats.
“Since Obama has taken office, our gun rights, our religious freedoms, and even the fundamental right to life have been under constant assault,” Ainsworth said. “I understand that the state legislature is the last line of defense against these attacks and can create roadblocks that prevent Obamacare and other liberal policies from taking root here.”
Prior to founding Dream Ranch, one of the most recognized and respected hunting destinations in the United States, Ainsworth was employed as the full-time youth director at Albertville’s Grace Fellowship Church. In addition to the ranch, he also operates a commercial cattle farm.
He and his brother, Austin, founded the Tennessee Valley Hunting and Fishing Expo, which has grown into one of the largest trade shows of its kind in the southeast with more than 30,000 attendees annually.
Raised in Boaz, he graduated from Auburn University in 2004 with a degree in marketing.
Ainsworth and his wife, Kendall, have twin sons and a daughter. They attend Grace Fellowship.
