By By Kerry Whipple Bean
publisher
State Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, said he has not yet made a decision whether to run for the District 22 seat left open by the death of state Sen. Pat Lindsey.
Baker said many people in the region and state have urged him to consider a campaign.
The deadline to qualify for the race is Tuesday, Feb. 17.
If he chooses to run, Baker will join a growing Republican field for the seat, which was held for 26 years by Lindsey, a Democrat. Brewton’s Danny Joyner, former state Rep. Greg Albritton of Evergreen and Judy Belk of Citronelle have also qualified to run in the Republican primary. State Rep. Marc Keahey of Grove Hill is the only Democrat in the race.
Baker said he believes a Republican can win the seat.
Baker is in his first term as a state representative.
He said running a campaign while also participating in the ongoing legislative session would be challenging. “It would require extra energy on the part of any candidate running while also serving in the Legislature,” he said.
As a sitting representative, Keahey is in the same position.
Belk, a businesswoman involved in developing assisted living facilities in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, announced her candidacy for the seat last week.
Party primaries will be held Tuesday, April 14, with runoffs, if necessary, scheduled for Tuesday, June 2. If there are no primary runoffs, the general election will be June 2.
If there are primary runoffs, the general election will move to June 21.