TUSCUMBIA, Ala. — Met with applause and cheers with his wife Anna by his side Tuesday morning at the historic birthplace of Helen Keller, Tuscumbia Mayor Kerry Underwood announced his run for the Alabama House of Representatives for District 3.

“I want to say it is no small thing you do to choose to be a part of what we’re building here in northwest Alabama, and I will work hard to make you proud of that choice,” Underwood said.

District 3 includes Colbert, Lawrence, and a portion of Lauderdale counties. Underwood is running as a Republican. He said his decision to run was an idea that began about five years ago, before he had even decided to run for mayor.

He said after a successful first term, now is the time. “It’s strictly because I’ve enjoyed my job so much in Tuscumbia and I want all of Tuscumbia just to hear me say how much I have appreciated them giving me this opportunity to serve them, he explained. “They were the first ones that said, ‘yeah, we’ll give this guy a shot,’ and because I’ve enjoyed that relationship so much, I want to continue that to a larger footprint of people.”

Underwood said three focus areas for his campaign are recruiting good and better-paying jobs, education, and teamwork.

He said there is a plan in place for his current role should he be elected, “The council at that point will choose who their mayor will be. It will be among the council members and they’ll make that choice, and the council will also appoint someone to fill that position whichever district that is that gets the mayor’s job.”

Even if he’s not elected, Underwood said then and now, he’s still working as the mayor of Tuscumbia and will continue to serve in that capacity, with vigor.

The primaries for that race will be in May of 2022 with the general election next November.