Senate District 28 already figured to be one of the most highly contested races in the state next year with four Democratic candidates already on the campaign trail. Enter a fifth candidate.
Veteran Booker T. Washington educator and former Auburn city councilman Samuel L. Harris tossed his name into the race to replace current Sen. Myron Penn, who has chosen not to seek re-election.
Harris is campaigning against former Tuskegee mayor and legislator Johnny Ford, Macon County Commissioner Drew Thompson, State Rep. Locy Baker of Abbeville and State Rep. Billy Beasley of Clayton.
Harris, who has taught for 23 years, previously served in Auburn on the city’s Housing Authority Commission and Planning Commission. He served 27 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and retired as sergeant first class.
In a statement, Harris said, “It is my goal to maintain and bring more jobs to the area, improve schools, be accessible to my constituents and tackle the issues that are important to the people of District 28.”
Candidates flock to Lee County
A pair of political heavyweights visited Lee County last week as Democratic candidate for governor U.S. Congressman Artur Davis and Republican candidate for governor Bradley Byrne made stops here.
Davis spoke to Lee County Democrats last Wednesday night at the group’s monthly meeting at the Auburn University Club. Davis, who is campaigning against state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, is burning the candle at both ends. The Birmingham politician who represents Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District is working double time to represent the district in Washington and give an all-out effort running for governor.
Davis may desire a political stunt double in the future so he can be in two places at once.
Byrne had breakfast and lunch meetings Friday morning in Auburn, but took a trip to Smiths Station between meals to visit Republicans there. Byrne, the former state junior college chancellor, was a special guest at the groundbreaking ceremonies Friday morning at Smiths Station High School.
Club schedules
The Lee County Democratic Club meets the third Wednesday of each month at the Auburn University Club. Future guest speakers include Dr. Renee McEldowney (Sept. 16), a health care policy expert and associated professor in the political science department at Auburn University, and Third U.S. Congressional District candidate Josh Segall (Oct. 21). Segall is campaigning against Mike Rogers, the Republican incumbent. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. with the program to follow.
The Lee County Republican Club meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. Meeting times are 6 p.m. with executive committee meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
Scheduled future guests are Alabama Republican Party Chairman and District 79 Rep. Mike Hubbard on Sept. 22; State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Kay Ivey on Oct. 27; and Byrne on Nov. 24.
New columnists
The Opelika-Auburn News welcomes three new columnists to the editorial page in the near future. They include local public speaker and multi-talented artist Doc Waller, conservative national political columnist Thomas Sowell and liberal national political columnist Mark Shields.
Sowell is an economist and is senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Shields is a veteran on the Washington political scene, working for years with The Washington Post and serving as a regular contributor for CNN.
Colette Robicheaux, a junior at Auburn High School, made her debut on our pages last week. Robicheaux will discuss teen and student-related topics.
We are continuing to change the columnist lineup on our editorial page in an effort to serve to a wider range of readers.
Joe McAdory is editorial page editor for the Opelika-Auburn News. He can be reached at 737-2549 or jmcadory@oanow.com
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