Twinkle Cavanugh originally wanted to run for governor of Alabama, but with recent state history in mind, she knows that the lieutenant governor position can be just as important. 

Cavanaugh, who is currently the president of the Alabama Public Service Commission, spoke to a crowd of Cullman residents about her campaign at a meet-and-greet at Top of the Town on Thursday. 

Cavanaugh said she began her campaign with the governor’s seat in mind, but decided to remove herself from that race and run for lieutenant governor after Gov. Kay Ivey decided to run for a full term.

Cavanaugh said she met with Ivey and discussed her plans, and praised the job that Ivey has done since taking over after Gov. Robert Bentley’s resignation. 

“She’s made some good appointments and some really strong decisions in moving our state forward,” she said. 

Cavanaugh pointed to Ivey’s appointment to the governor’s seat as a good reason to have a capable person waiting in the wings. She said the lieutenant governor should be like a backup on a sports team who is ready to play, if needed. 

“It’s a little bit like a second-string quarterback,” she said. “We need to have a strong lieutenant governor who can hit the ground running, if necessary, on day one.” 

If elected, she said she would work with Ivey to continue working towards improving education across the state.  

“I believe we need strong schools for our children so they can be what they want to be when they grow up,” she said. 

In coming years, there will be a shortage of trained workers, so Alabama schools will need to focus on training children to prepare them to join the workforce, Cavanaugh said. 

“We’ve got to start out young, but we’ve also got to finish strong,” she said. 

Cavanaugh said Alabama is lagging behind in economic development, primarily due a void in leadership at the state level, but things are beginning to turn around and she will work to continue that growth across the state. 

“We’re back in business,” she said. “I think we’ll succeed the states around us. It’s just a matter of time.”

Cavanaugh credited her small-town Alabama upbringing for the values that she lives by, and said she will bring those values to the lieutenant governor position if elected. 

“I don’t come from any fancy stock,” she said. “I’m just a good Alabama girl that wants to serve.”

Tyler Hanes can be reached at 256-734-2131 ext. 138.