Candidate bios for Tuesday’s primary

Staff report
Published: June 2, 2008

Lee County Commission
District 3
Republican

Gary Long
Age: 52
Residence: Smiths Station
Occupation: Custom home builder
Education: Degree in building science from Auburn University.
Quote: “My experience in construction and land development is a plus. I feel like the flexibility of owning my own business gives me the flexibility to be available on a short notice. One reason I wanted to get involved is I want to see this area grow in a positive way. Plus, the roads have to be able to handle the amount of growth, and sewage is a big issue here if I can get the city (Smiths Station) behind it.”

Raymond Grier
Age: 52
Residence: Smiths Station
Occupation: Sergeant with Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Education: Associate’s degree in criminal justice from Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
Quote: “I have a lot of experience in the military (ret. U.S. Army) and 12 years as a deputy sheriff. The big complaints I hear are the roads in my district. We have such a heavy volume of traffic, the roads are in bad shape. We have businesses that want to build here, but we have no sewers. And three, we need to improve our ambulance protection. When our ambulance is on another call, we do not have coverage.”

Lee County Board of Education
District 1
Milford Burkhalter
Age: 62
Residence: Smiths Station
Occupation: Self-employed
Education: Smiths Station High School graduate; three and a half years of college at Livingston.
Quote: “My priority is quality education. That’s what I want to bring ... quality education. (As for the school board), one man cannot run the show. It will take all of us working
together.”

Mark Tomlin
Age: 40
Residence: Smiths Station
Occupation: Engineer with Xerox
Education: A quarter away from an associate’s degree in electronic engineering.
Quote: “We’ve had some turmoil in our upper administration in the last year or two, but we’ve turned that around. This community has given me so much. I want to give back. My heart and soul is with Smiths Station and Lee County. I want to give kids an opportunity to compete in the job market.”

Lee County Constable
Beat 6
David George
Age: 63
Residence: Auburn
Occupation: Director of parking and transit; teaches gun safety class with Lee County Sheriffs Office.

Anthony D. Wright
Age: 33
Residence: Auburn
Occupation: Employed by the city of Opelika; owns Wright Financial and Cash Express Penny Loan.

U.S. Senate
Democratic

Vivan D. Figures
Residence: Mobile
About: Currently serves as a State Senator representing the 33rd District, where she has served since 1997; former member, Mobile City Council; former manager of The New Times newspaper.
Education: University of New Haven, Conn.; Jones School of Law (Montgomery).
Web site: http://figures2008.com

Johnny Swanson III
Residence: Birmingham
About: Attorney; ran for the U.S. Senate as a candidate of the
Independent Democrats of Alabama in 2002. The state denied Swanson ballot access for failure to
comply with two requirements of state law.
Education: SA, paralegal arts and science, Paralegal Institute; diploma, private security protection, Brock International Security; diploma , Law Enforcement, Military Police School, Army; BA, political science, The Citadel
Web site: http://www.swanson4senate.com

Mark ‘No NCAA’ Townsend
Residence: Haleyville
About: Truck driver who has challenged the NCAA on its rulings and created what can be considered by some as a humorous Web site. Quoting Townsend: “Football is a game of strategy, and so is defeating Jeff Sessions and NCAA.  Sometimes you fake the ball to the left and run to the right.”
Education: Not listed
Web site: http://www.sessionsisasissy.com

U.S. Senate
Republican

Jeff Sessions
Residence: Mobile
About: Served in U.S. Senate since 1997, where he serves on a number of committees, including Armed Forces, Judiciary, Energy and Natural Resources, and Budget. Previously served as Alabama Attorney General. Former captain in the U.S. Army reserve.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Huntingdon College and earned law degree at the University of Alabama.
Web site: http://www.jeffsessions.com

Earl Mack Gavin
Residence: Smiths Station
About: Retired U.S. postal worker; member of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Smiths Station; formerly a tax auditor trainee for the IRS; Ret. U.S. Navy where he served as a petty officer.
Education: Bachelors degree from Auburn University
Web site: none

Public Service Commission
President

Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh
Residence: Montgomery
About: Former chairperson of the Alabama Republican Party; was member of Gov. Bob Riley’s cabinet; also served as state director of Citizens for a Sound Economy.
Education: Graduate of Auburn University
Web site: http://www.twinkle4psc.com

Matt Chancey
Residence: Chelsea
About: Chancey is a communications and marketing specialist; Spent time in Washington D.C. to fight for public policy, including parental rights legislation and Second Amendment rights. Strongly opposes annual real estate appraisals, according to his Web site.
Education: Not listed
Web site: http://www.mattchancey.com

Jack Hornady
Residence: Montgomery
About: Former employee of Public Service commission, but has been retired for 19 years. However, Hornady has continued to attend PSC meetings. Ran unsuccessfully for the PSC Place 2 spot in 2006.
Education: Not listed
Web site: Not listed.

Court of Criminal Appeals
Republican
Place 1

Peggy Givham
Residence: Montgomery
About: Served as district judge in Montgomery County from 1994 to 2007; previously worked in a private law practice.
Education: Bachelor’s from University of Alabama; juris doctor from Jones School of Law
Web site: Not listed.

Beth Kellum
Residence: Montgomery
About: Was senior staff attorney for the Alabama Supreme Court from 1999 until 2001, then returned to the Court of Criminal Appeals as the senior staff attorney for Judge Kelli Wise.
Education: Undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama.
Web site: http://www.bethkellum.com

Lucie McLemore
Residence: Montgomery
About: Montgomery County District Judge from 2000 until 2007.
Education: English degree, Huntingdon College; Jones School of Law.
Web site: http://www.luciemclemore.org

Teresa Bearden Petelos
Residence: Hoover
About: Elected to Jefferson County Circuit Court in 1994, re-elected in 2000 and 2006.
Education: Graduate of UAB and the Birmingham School of Law.
Web site: http://www.petelos.com

Place 2
Duncan Crow
Residence: Montgomery
About: Served as district judge in Montgomery County from 1994 to 2007; previously worked in a private law practice.
Education: Bachelor’s from University of Alabama; juris doctor from Jones School of Law
Web site: Not listed.

Chris Mixon
Residence: Birmingham
About: Worked for three years as a clerk for Alabama Supreme Court justices.
Education: National Merit Scholar at Auburn University; graduated in 1997 from Emory Law School in Atlanta.
Web site: Not listed.

Mary Windom
Residence: Alexander City
About: Currently serves as a deputy attorney general.  She has also worked as an Assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Alabama.
Education: Graduate of South Alabama; Jones School of Law.
Web site: http://www.votewindom.com

Democratic
Place 1
Steve Dodd
Residence: Montgomery
About: Worked as Executive Secretary, Alabama Housing Finance Authority (1986); Assistant Legal Advisor, Office of the Governor (1983-1985); law clerk, U. S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Alabama (1981); law clerk, Federal Emergency Management Agency (1980).
Education: University of Alabama School of Law.
Web site: www.doddforcourt.com

Clyde Jones
Residence: Birmingham
About: Served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Tenth Judicial Circuit and an Assistant District Attorney in the Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Knoxville College. Earned doctorate at Cumberland School of Law.
Web site: Not listed

Place2
Jeff Duffey
Residence: Montgomery
About: Originally from Langdale; currently an administrative law judge for the Alabama Department of Transportation.
Education: Graduate of Auburn University with a degree in political science/law enforcement. Law degree from the Thomas Goode Jones Law School.
Web site: Not listed.

Jon Hyden
Residence: Selma
About: Served as assistant attorney general in the Capital Litigation Division since 2001.
Education: Undergraduate at Alabama, earned B.S. degree in commerce and business administration. Attended Alabama School of Law.
Web site: Not listed.

Aimee Cobb Smith
Residence: Montgomery
About: Worked as a criminal appellate attorney for 10 years.
Education: Not listed.
Web site: Not listed.