By Chip Brownlee
Alabama Political Reporter
State Rep. Isaac Whorton, R-Valley, won’t seek re-election to Alabama’s House District 38 this year, he announced Tuesday. Instead, Whorton has chosen to run for a circuit judge seat that was recently vacated in the 5th Judicial Circuit.
Whorton, a freshman legislator who represented portions of Chambers and Lee counties, was first elected to the House in 2014 and is a private practice attorney in Valley
“I have consistently fought against fiscally irresponsible proposals, numerous proposed tax increases, and the corruption in Montgomery,” Whorton said Tuesday. “Now, it is time for me to move on to a different chapter of my life.”
Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Tom Young recently retired, leaving an open seat on the court, which has a large, high-profile jurisdiction including Chambers, Tallapoosa, Randolph and Macon counties. Young made many rulings involving Macon County’s VictoryLand casino but was removed from the case in 2013 after Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange argued Young was prejudiced for VictoryLand and against the state.
From the circuit’s northern tip in Randolph County to its southern tip in Macon County, the 5th Circuit stretches more than 100 miles.
“I have the opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream and to hopefully serve the area that I grew up in and live in as an elected judge,” Whorton said. “I will fulfill my commitment to my constituents and finish the term I was elected to in the state Legislature, while running for the position of Circuit Judge in 2018.”
Whorton last year sponsored a bill that would have ended the requirement for owners to have a permit to carry a concealed handgun. The bill passed in the Senate but died in the House during the final days of the session.
An Auburn University and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law graduate, Whorton lives in Valley with his wife, Macy, and their three children, Avery, Eli and Kayla. Before being elected in 2014, Whorton had promised to serve no more than two 4-year terms.
“I am deeply honored to have been given your trust and allowed to serve in the state Legislature,” Whorton said. “Over the next several months, I have to earn your trust and support as I run for Circuit Judge.”
The Republican Primary for the circuit judge seat will be June 5.
