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Morgan County businessman to challenge Republican state Rep. Tim Wadsworth

Morgan County businessman Tom Fredricks announced on social media Wednesday his intention to challenge Wadsworth.

State Rep. Tim Wadsworth will have a primary challenge in House District 14. 

Morgan County businessman Tom Fredricks announced on social media Wednesday his intention to challenge Wadsworth, who has held the seat since 2014. 

“After much encouragement from friends, neighbors, and even customers in the district and on the lake, I have opted to bring my brand of conservative, liberty oriented politics to the 14th district!” Fredricks wrote in a Facebook post. 

Fredricks also referenced “RINOs,” or Republicans In Name Only, and said he would be representing the “true Republicans” who have been living in Winston County for decades. 

Fredricks is no stranger to the political process. He ran unsuccessfully for House seats twice before, both times in District 4, which is located primarily in Morgan County. He also served recently as the treasurer of the Morgan County Republican Party. 

Fredricks lost in both 2017 and 2018 to current Rep. Parker Moore. 

Fredricks and his business, Fredricks Outdoor, have sponsored or hosted a number of Republican events, including a January rally with Congressman Mo Brooks. Fredricks also has sued the state of Alabama over the implementation of the gas tax. The lawsuit was dismissed. 

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However, if Fredricks plans an anti-establishment theme for his campaign, Wadsworth would seem a strange target. Wadsworth has consistently gone against the ALGOP establishment during his time in Montgomery, so much so that the Business Council of Alabama donated to his opponent during the 2018 primaries. 

In an interview with APR, Wadsworth said at the time that he drew the BCA’s ire because he opposed the gas tax plan and because he supported a bill requiring health insurance carriers to cover certain autism treatments. In both cases, Wadsworth’s votes were extremely popular with far-right Republicans. 

Attempts to reach Wadsworth on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.

Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. You can email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.

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