(WHNT) — The field for the Alabama House District 10 special election is growing. Since the resignation of Republican David Cole last month, a number of candidates have announced their intent to run.
Former Alabama District 10 Rep. Cole resigned from his seat on August 31 after being charged and pleading guilty in an investigation brought by the Alabama Attorney General’s office. The Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter’s Office told News 19 they received Cole’s resignation letter just after 2 p.m.
Cole, a Republican, won 52% of the vote in the House District 10 race in November 2022.
The charge against Cole follows a lawsuit brought last year following the 2022 election. The suit filed by Libertarian candidate Elijah Boyd alleged Cole did not live in District 10 for a year before last November’s election as is required by state law.
The deadline for qualifying with major political parties will be Oct. 10. The deadline for independent candidates and/or minor parties is Dec. 12. A primary election for the seat will take place Dec. 12. A runoff, if necessary, will be Jan. 9, and the special general election will be March 26.
Marilyn Lands
Democrat Marilyn Lands announced her candidacy during a press conference on the Madison County Courthouse steps on September 12. She finished second in the 2022 District 10 race.
Lands is a licensed professional counselor who is currently working in a private practice and has degrees from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Alabama A&M University. Her previous professional roles include serving as the Director of Counseling Services at Wellstone Behavioral Health, Director of Marketing at the Port of Huntsville and as a Marketing Analyst at the Boeing Company.
“I grew up here, raised my family here, and go to church here. Today, I am proud to announce my campaign for District 10 because this is my home and you are my neighbors,” said Marilyn. “I will be your voice in Montgomery. I will find solutions to our common problems and work to build unity,” Lands said in the announcement.
To find out more about where Lands stands on certain issues, including economic wellbeing, education and healthcare, you can visit her website.
Teddy Powell
Madison City Councilman announced on Wednesday, September 4 that he would be seeking the Republican nomination for the District 10 seat. Powell is a longtime resident of Madison and has served as a councilman since he was elected to serve District 3 in 2016.
Powell is a budget analyst with the Department of Defense and previously worked for the banking industry in bond services and as a city employee for the Hueytown Revenue Department. He obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance degree from Birmingham Southern College and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
“The people of Madison deserve to have their voices heard in Montgomery by a person who
they know, respect, and trust. For the past six years, I’ve enjoyed focusing on economic
development here in Madison that brings jobs and opportunities, investing in our schools and
education systems, as well as working to enhance the quality and safety of our infrastructure
locally,” Powell stated, going on to say, “I’m running for House District 10 with the
encouragement of my family, many local friends and neighbors. I hope to focus on taking the
successes we’ve seen in Madison to Montgomery to increase the quality of life around Alabama
for everyone that lives in or visits our state.”
Elijah Boyd
On September 26, Libertarian Elijah Boyd announced he would be re-running for the District 10 seat. Boyd originally ran against Cole in 2022.
Boyd served in the U.S. Army as a combat veteran in Iraq. When he returned home, he used the GI Bill to complete his Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelors of Computer Science. He is both a foster and adoptive parent and says his compassion drives his desire to enter the political field.
He supports small government and feels that a reduction in government control allows people more freedom to exercise their beliefs; however, he does not consider Libertarians to be a part of a counter-culture party. He said his values as a candidate extend beyond antigovernmental sentiments.
“We do have a belief that political power and violence shouldn’t be used to progress social and political goals,” Boyd said.
Boyd said his loyalty lies with individual voters. He opposes enriching corporations at the cost of small business owners. “When it comes down to the actual policies that get passed, those don’t match the voter base,” Boyd said. “While you may identify with the red team or the blue team, I think it would be wise to check if the policies they’re passing matches your values as a voter.”
News 19 is your local election headquarters and will be following this special election to keep you up to date. To see the latest election coverage, click here.
