Alabama House District 11 candidates fielded questions during a forum presented by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, May 1.

During the event, the moderators stated that the questions were presented to the three candidates prior to the forum and would primarily focus on the chamber’s core values of being a “pro-community, pro-business” organization. However, each candidate was presented with several more generic, opening questions to discuss their inspiration for entering the race and the policies they would focus on most intensely if victorious.

Republican candidate Heath Allbright, who described himself as a “Christian-conservative business man” cited his tenure on the Cullman County Board of Education and experience owning and operating Brighton Forestry Services as his top credentials for holding the office.

“I’ve never held an address other than Holly Pond, USA, which is directly in the middle of District 11. Being here my whole life and seeing the trajectory of the district over my whole lifetime, I know what the people of our district want because I’ve been here and I still live here today,” Allbright said.

Allbright also said he would fight against what he described as the “dissolution of our families through the solicitation of our children,” as well as loosening regulations and lowering taxes for businesses.

Retired Army Colonel Don Fallin said his 30-year tenure best described both his qualifications and his inspiration for seeking office.

“What I learned in the military is that success is based on teamwork, integrity, transparency, potential and performance,” Fallin said. “My experience in leadership comes from serving our country and being tested under fire in combat.”

Fallin said one of his top priorities if elected would be to target wasteful spending and ensuring public funds are spent responsibly. He also said he would like to “be a voice for veterans,” specifically in relation to the need for mental healthcare access.

Alexandria Braswell, the race’s only Democratic candidate, said her experiences as a pharmacy worker and sign language interpreter had drawn her to seek ways to create a more accessible and open community for all District 11 residents.

“The reason why I decided to run this campaign was that sitting back and doing nothing was no longer an option,” Braswell said. “Politics have turned into a battle against the people, not for the people. Voters from all walks of life are experiencing isolation and discrimination, but my message is only this … you’re not alone.”

Braswell said she would focus on investing in the state’s public education and rural healthcare systems. She said collaborations with healthcare centers could expand their coverage footprint into more rural areas.

“We can also take advantage of schools that offer rural healthcare grants and scholarships. We can contact those colleges and students and pull them into our community to further benefit the healthcare field here,” Braswell said.

All of the candidates were in agreement that small, locally owned businesses should be treated fairly and offered similar economic incentives as larger entities, although each added specific ideas to foster niche industries. Fallin said that he would fight to protect local farmers against special interest groups in Montgomery. Braswell suggested investing in local hobby/gaming stores to cultivate a sense of community as well as “eco-tourism” for underutilized areas such as the Locust Fork River. Allbright suggested lowering certain taxes business owners face, such as income taxes, business privilege taxes and personal business property taxes.

The Republican candidate will be decided by a primary election scheduled for Tuesday, May 13. Braswell will face the winner of that race in the special general election on Tuesday, August 26.

Patrick Camp may be reached by email at patrick.camp@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 238.