By Brandon Moseley
On Saturday, December 11, 2021, the Mid-Alabama Republican Club (MARC) elected new officers going into the 2022 election cycle.
The nominating committee recommended for:
President John Lyda
Vice President Ken McFeeters
Secretary Derick Chen
Treasurer Al Wood
Chaplain Marshall Hollis
Promotion/Social Media Janey Whitney
Past President Steve Ammons
Liaison for the House State Rep. Jim Carns
Liaison for the Senate State Sen. Jabo Waggoner
Liaison for the County Commission Jimmy Stevens
Liaison for the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee Paul DeMarco
Liaison for the Shelby County Republican Executive Committee Joan Reynolds
Delegates at large: Sally Bryant, Joe Domnanovich, and Mike Morgan
The nominating committee recommendations passed unanimously, and the incoming officers will take their positions in the coming year.
Alabama State Supreme Court Candidate Greg Cooke said, "I am boring and predictable, and that is exactly what you want in an appellate judge."
Brad Tompkins is running for Alabama House of Representatives District 15.
"This is my first endeavor into politics," Tompkins said. "I am a pretty typical conservative."
Susan Dubose is running for Alabama House of Representatives District 45. Dubose said that she would keep campaigning to May.
Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons (R) said, "If you like your commissioners, we would like to be back."
County Commissioner Joey Stevens added, "We need your prayers, we need your thoughts, and as always, we need your votes."
Ammons, who is also the outgoing President of MARC, asked for members to consider becoming sustaining members.
The cost of being a sustaining member is a contribution of:
Bronze $100 through $199
Silver $200 through $299
Gold $300 through $399
Platinum $400 through $499
Diamond $500
Ammons played a video clip of a speech by President Ronald W. Reagan.
"Man is not free if government is not limited," Reagan said in the speech. "Liberty contracts as government expands."
Stevens said of Ammons, "He has brought Smucker's to Jefferson County, a $1.1 billion investment, the largest that we have had, and there is more economic development to come."
Ammons said that Jefferson County is a final three finalist for a project that is "even bigger than Smucker's."
"He has taken (former Commissioner) David Carrington's place and enhanced what David was starting," Stevens said.
"The average wage at Smucker's is $25 an hour," Ammons said. "It will be the largest baking oven in the world when it is built."
Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) was the Club's feature speaker for the month.
Palmer spoke on the growing threat of China, Democrats' climate policies, the national debt, taking back control of Congress in 2022, and more.
Palmer paid tribute to former MARC President Joe Fuller, who passed away in October.
"When Joe Fuller died, I was shocked," Palmer said. "Joe Fuller and I became really good friends. He did not support me when I first ran. That's OK. A lot of people did not know me really well."
"I got to know Joe," Palmer continued. "He was always so encouraging. I would get text messages regular from Joe encouraging me."
Palmer then presented Fuller's daughter with a flag he had flown over the U.S. Capitol in Fuller's honor.
"Joe really loved this club and he was really a good Republican," Fuller's daughter said.
The Mid-Alabama Republican Club meets in the Vestavia Public Library at 9:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month.
The Republican primary is May 24, 2022.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
