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Atmore, Escambia (AL) Candidates Square Off In Forum (With Gallery)
August 3, 2012
Candidates for political office in Atmore and Escambia County, Ala., took their message to the people Thursday night during a candidate forum.
Candidates speaking included the three men vying for the job of Atmore’s mayor.
Bernard Bishop said it’s time for Atmore to “get off the porch, roll up out sleeve and get to work.”
“Atmore is sitting on the threshold of a revolution,” Bishop said. “We need to prepare the ground of Atmore for a harvest.”
Lloyd Albritton said he was the candidate of change. “Atmore needs to pick up it’s own trash,” Albritton said. “We desperately need change in this town.”
The third mayoral candidate, Jim Staff, said “Let’s move Atmore forward”.
“We can only go forward for PCI and Atmore,” he mentioned.
The Leadership Atmore Alumni Association, a non-partisan group, sponsored the forum.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Candidates Set For Atmore City Elections
After a total of more than two decades in office, incumbent Atmore Mayor Howard Shell won’t seek re-election. He was first elected to the Atmore City Council 1984 before being appointed mayor after the death of then-Mayor Patricia McKenzie. After winning the mayor’s race twice, he remained in office until being beaten in 1996 by Rodney Owens, an Atmore chiropractor. He returned to office in 2000 and is serving his third term since returning to office.
The Leadership Atmore Alumni Association, a non-partisan group, sponsored the forum.
Qualified candidates for Atmore city offices are as follows:
- Mayor — Lloyd Albritton, Bernard Bishop, Jim Staff
- District 1 – Webb Nall (incumbent), Chad Thrower
- District 2 – Cornell Torrence (incumbent), Thomas S. “Teddy” McNeal
- District 3 – Chris Walker (incumbent)
- District 4 – Larry Houck, Phil Johnson, Susan Smith
- District 5 – Gregg Akins, Michael Arnold, Sandra Gray, Chris Harrison
Other Escambia County races of interest in the Atmore area include:
- Judge of Probate — Emilie Mims (R, incumbent), Robert Douglas Agerton (D).
- School Board District 2 – Danny Benjamin (D, incumbent)
- School Board District 3 – Jack Donald Crutchfield (D, incumbent) , Mike Edwards (R).
- School Board District 7 – Charles H. (Chuck) Brooks (D, incumbent), Coleman Wallace Sr. (R).
- Commission District 2 – John Raymond Wiggins (D, incumbent)
- Commission District 4 – Brandon Smith (R, incumbent), James H. Hall Jr. (D).
- Circuit Court — Bert Rice (D, incumbent )
- Circuit Clerk — John Robert Fountain (D), Becki Breckenridge (R)
Picture top: Atmore mayoral candidates Bernard Bishop, Jim Staff and Lloyd Albritton share a laugh during a political forum Thursday night in Atmore. Pictured inset: Probate judge candidate Emilie Mims (incumbent) and Douglas Agerton. Photos by Jodi Peacock for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
4 Responses to “Atmore, Escambia (AL) Candidates Square Off In Forum (With Gallery)”
Of all the incumbents, the only one that I think has IMPROVED anything in this county is Judge Mims. I say all except her need to be replaced. If the citizens in Esc. Co. are not happy with the replacements in four years, REPLACE THEM, TOO! Eventually a REPRESENTATIVE will be elected and the POLITICIANS will be gone! Like President Reagan asked in his 1979 campaign “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” If you answer “no,” then, obviously, the wrong people are in office.
vote out incumbents.
Time to clean house Atmore…the ones that say they are looking out for Escambia county Alabama’s future by their past performance are shaking in their boots…voters let the ineffectual, closed minded and greedy politicians experience first hand what unemployment is like…
Atmore can continue to be stymied by the stagnate policies of the old regime or they an choose to go in a different direction. Which path will the people choose?