Educator Phadra Carson Foster is running to be the next senator for District 25.
Foster, a Democrat, will face off against incumbent State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) in November.
Foster told 1819 News in a recent interview that she first got involved in politics through her local Parent Teacher Association.
“I come to politics from a traditional mom’s role. I started off with organizing a PTA and being involved in advocacy and over the years as I’ve learned more and more in politics, I’ve just decided that Alabama is at a point where our economy is changing and we’re not necessarily in the industrial age anymore, we’re in the information age,” Foster said. “Our leadership needs to be preparing us for the future. That means we have to be looking at jobs that are consistent with what’s going on right now. We need to make sure that our economic growth is responsible and then of course I want to make sure that we have safe and healthy communities where all families can thrive. I’m really running on the platform that I want to be a leader that families can trust.”
Although the district is considered by many to be safely Republican, Foster said she hopes to run a campaign that improves voter turnout.
“It’s kind of a stretch to call the districts one way or another as long as a majority of citizens aren’t voting. I think people in general are looking for a change, something that motivates them to get out,” Foster said. “I really want to run a campaign that encourages people to get out and vote so we can see what the district really is, Republican or Democrat.”
Foster said mental health, health care and ethics are issues she hopes to focus on in the State Senate if elected in November.
“As a mom of two young people that moved away, I understand the importance of having jobs that encourage young people to stay here in Alabama. I want to make sure that that is something that we’re looking for: good jobs, sustainable jobs,” Foster said. “Accountability, ethics, and integrity in government is very important to me because I see too much favoritism and business as usual. My mom used to say, ‘People are always giving contracts to their drunk brother-in-laws’ and I think we need to shift away from that kind of politics.”
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