Thursday the St. Clair County Republican Party held a candidate’s forum at the Market City Grill in Pell City. Three of the four candidates competing for the open State House District 30 seat were present. HD30 is one of the most competitive Republican primary races in the state,
“My big concern is small town Alabama and rural Alabama,” said Rusty Jessup, Riverside mayor “We need to fund Medicaid or do something because our rural hospitals are closing. My wife is a teacher. I would like to get our schools back on the front burner.”
“We need to find some money or move some money to get our infrastructure running correctly,” Jessup said.
Jessup is the Chairman of the St. Clair County Mayors Association, serves on the Executive Committee of the Alabama League of Municipalities, and is a board member of the St. Clair County Healthcare Authority.
Manufacture Alabama has endorsed Jessup.
Craig Lipscomb is an architect and lives on a small farm in Etowah County. “I am married to my lovely wife Angela and we have two children.”
Lipscomb said that we need, “Economic growth to keep our kids in this area as opposed to going to Birmingham and Huntsville.”
Lipscomb is a graduate of Coosa Christian High School. He spent two years at Gadsden State Community College before transferring to Auburn University where he got a Bachelors of Architecture. Lipscomb worked for a firm in Gadsden for over ten years. He a little over a decade. He opened his own architecture firm and has been in business for the past seven years.
Craig Lipscomb has been endorsed by the Business Council of Alabama.
Robert McKay is the former Mayor of Ashville.
“I spent twelve years as a city councilman and fifteen years as the Mayor of Ashville,” McKay said. “I will be a full-time legislator. Some people you see at election time that’s it. You will see me all over the district and eating breakfast as Jacks.”
McKay was the longtime manager of the Ashville American Legion.
Ryan Preston is also running for the HD30 seat.
The incumbent, Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, is vacating the HD30 seat, in order to run for State Senate District 10. The SD10 incumbent, Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, is not seeking another term.
HD10 is composed of parts of St. Clair and Etowah Counties.
Lance Bell is the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.