Hulsey, Tompkins battle for House District 15

Two Republicans are seeking to fill the Alabama House District 15 seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Allen Farley.

Leigh Hulsey, a Helena councilwoman and CrossFit business owner, and Brad Tompkins, a Bessemer resident who owns and runs a factory automation business in Birmingham and Fab Fruit business in Hoover, are the two Republican candidates.

The winner of the May 24 Republican primary will face Democrat Richard Ruoco in the Nov. 8 general election. House District 15 includes parts of Bessemer, western Hoover, much of Helena and communities such as McCalla and Tannehill.

Both Hulsey and Tompkins say they are running as conservatives.

Hulsey describes herself as a champion of conservative causes who believes in preventing government overreach and protecting the unborn, the right of people to have guns and states’ rights.

“The citizens of District 15 deserve a God-fearing, qualified, conservative, pro-jobs leader fighting for them,” Hulsey said. “I really truly believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets and freedom. Those are what makes this country great.”

Hulsey, who lost a bid for Alabama House District 73 last year before legislative district lines were redrawn, said she doesn’t bring a personal agenda to the table but instead wants to be a representative of the people of District 15 and take care of their concerns.

She believes people in her district see roads as important and will work to secure funding for road projects in the district. She also sees education as a priority and wants to make sure schools are well funded, she said.

She sees herself as an advocate for children with special needs and believes quality-of-life issues, such as the development of walking trails, bike trails and blueway trails, is important.

Hulsey also said she would favor repealing the gasoline tax increase that was approved by the Legislature three years ago.

“It’s often hard to unring a bell,” she said. She knows gas taxes are used to pay for road and infrastructure projects that benefit the public, but at the end of the day, the extra taxes are putting families in a really bad spot, especially those on a fixed income, she said.

When asked what makes her the better candidate in this race, Hulsey said she has a proven track record of being a public servant with her service on the Helena City Council. She has been a good steward of taxpayers’ dollars and a record of protecting residents from decisions that would have negatively impacted their quality of life, she said.

Tompkins said he believes in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty and traditional American values. He described himself as “pro-life, pro-First Amendment and pro-business.”

“Capitalism and private enterprise create the greatest opportunity and the highest standard of living for all,” he said. “Free markets produce more economic growth, more jobs and higher standards of living than those systems burdened by excessive government regulation.”

Tompkins, who also serves with the Bessemer Industrial Development Board, said his business background has given him a good understanding of how the economy really works. He has experience in a variety of industries, including homebuilding, manufacturing and the restaurant industry, he said.

ON THE ISSUES

• Leigh Hulsey believes in preventing government overreach and protecting the unborn, the right of people to have guns and states’ rights.
• Brad Tompkins believes in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty and traditional American values.

He wants to use his experience in the private sector to help with things such as workforce development and recruiting new jobs to the area, he said. Education is the engine of the local economy, and if you can create and maintain a well-educated workforce, that attracts good businesses to keep the economy productive, he said.

During his tenure with the Bessemer Industrial Development Board, the city has had good success luring new businesses such as Amazon, Carvana, FedEx and a new Lowe’s warehouse. The city also owns a good bit of commercial property and brought in and helped develop businesses with tax abatements and mentoring, he said.

Tompkins touts being an “outsider” in politics as a strength.

“I’m a business guy, not a career politician,” he said. “I think that resonates with people. They like the idea of a business guy going to Montgomery and having new faces. … They know I can get it done and make the hard choices that need to be made sometimes.”

He’s ready to go to Montgomery and make a difference on Day 1, he said.