Long poised to join State Board of Education after Place 7 Republican nomination win
ALABAMA (WHNT) – In Tuesday’s Primary, Allen Long received over 46,500 votes and won the Republican nomination for the State Board of Education’s Place 7 seat.
No Democrats qualified for the race, meaning Long is poised to join the State Board of Education in 2025 as Place 7’s representative. His opponents – Bachuss and Mann – received 16,207 and 9,465 votes respectively.
Results: Presidential nominations, number of statewide races on Primary Election ballot
Long’s win comes after one term incumbent Place 7 Board Member Belinda McRae, a Republican, chose not to run again.
Place 7 covers Lauderdale, Lawrence, Colbert, Franklin, Marion, Winston, Lamar, Fayette, Walker, and parts of Limestone, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson Counties.
Long has worked with numerous philanthropic causes and worked in several leadership roles in the Alabama Republican Party, though he has never run for or held political office.
He spent 12 years, from 1994-2006, on the Board of Trustees at the University of North Alabama. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Shoals Christian School.
He has practiced as an ear nose and throat doctor in the Shoals for over thirty years, both in private practice and while employed by other entities. He has hospital affiliations with North Alabama Medical Center, Shoals Hospital, Helen Keller Hospital, and DCH Regional Hospital.
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When speaking with News 19 prior to Tuesday’s election, Long discussed what he hopes to achieve as a state board member.
“I’ve grown frustrated watching Alabama schools consistently rank near the bottom of the nation, and watching the ‘woke’ leftist agenda invade our school curriculum. I will work to eliminate Common Core, expand AP (Advanced Placement) courses, and keep boys out of girls’ bathrooms and off the girls’ sports teams,” Long said.
He also said he wants to free up the time for teachers, “rather than saddling them with additional paperwork and reports.”
The major change Long wants to see in public education in Alabama – school choice.
“I trust parents to make the best choice as to where to educate their child. This may be the best thing we can do to help Alabama’s children and encourage competition amongst our schools,” Long says.
For more results and coverage from Tuesday’s Primary Election, click here.
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