Democratic State Representative Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, on Saturday kicked off his campaign for lieutenant governor to a room full of supporters.
Ensler had previously announced he would not seek reelection to his seat in the House to pursue opportunities out of state, but decided instead to run for the state’s second-highest office after former U.S. Senator Doug Jones announced his intentions to run for governor on the Democratic ticket.
Former colleagues, students and a rabbi all took the stage Saturday to share their personal experiences with Ensler and why he is the right man for the job. They all emphasized his spirit of service.
Ensler later told those gathered that he is running to serve all Alabamians, while criticizing the current leadership.
“They enjoy the title but don’t do a damn thing to serve the people,” Ensler said to cheers. “Or they choose to only serve some people.”
He also criticized the willingness of the Republican Party to “spew ignorance and lies and vitriol” to promote its agenda.
The speech also came with a familiar platform for Democratic candidates: expanding Medicaid, establishing a state lottery and fully eliminating the grocery tax.
“These are just some of the many solutions that we could and should focus on,” Ensler said. “If you want solutions that move Alabama forward, I ask you to join me on this endeavor.”
Before joining the House, Ensler served as an educator in Montgomery Public Schools and helped to establish a program to send students to Washington D.C. to expand their horizons. He later earned his law degree in hopes to fight for citizens’ rights.
As a state representative in the bullish Republican supermajority, Ensler shepherded through legislation that would ban Glock switches that turn handguns into machine guns. He also won funding for a conflict resolution course in schools that seeks to prevent gun violence by teaching young men how to resolve disagreements without resorting to violence.
