Upcoming forums to feature candidates in superintendent, circuit judge races

Benjamin Bullard, The Cullman Times, Ala.
Updated ·2 min read

Feb. 8—With less than a month left to make their final appeals to local voters, Cullman County candidates campaigning in contested GOP primary races will take two opportunities to do just that at an upcoming pair of separate, free-to-attend events — each open to the public, regardless of a voter's party affiliation.

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, candidates in both the Cullman County Schools superintendent race, as well as the race to replace outgoing Circuit Judge Martha Williams on the Place 2 bench of Alabama's 32nd Judicial Circuit, will field moderated questions at a candidate forum jointly hosted by the Cullman County Republican Women and the county Republican Party.

The forum will be held at 6 p.m. at the Cullman Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2214 (located at 112 Veterans Drive SW in Cullman), with a pre-event dinner available at 5:30 p.m. for those who wish to arrive early.

Each of the evening's featured races fields two candidates, with the winners who emerge from next month's March 5 party primary assured of advancing through the General Election in November with no Democratic Party candidate to oppose them.

The superintendent's forum will feature incumbent Dr. Shane Barnette and challenger Morris Williams; while the circuit judge's forum will feature Emily Niezer Johnston and Melvin Hasting — each local attorneys who previously vied for the same circuit judge's seat that Williams won in 2012.

On Saturday, March 2 — just three days before primary voters head to the polls — the Cullman County GOP will afford at least six scheduled candidates the chance to address the public directly during the local party's monthly breakfast event. Also set to take place at Cullman's VFW Post 2214, breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30 a.m, with the meeting's start set for 8 a.m.

Candidates at the March 2 breakfast won't face questions from a moderator; rather, they'll each be allotted up to five minutes to address the audience.

Speaking on March 2 will be GOP Congressional candidate Justin Holcomb (R-Oneonta), who is challenging longtime incumbent Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) for the District 4 seat serving Cullman and other north Alabama counties in the U.S. House of Representatives. Local attorney Stephen Parker (R-Cullman), who is challenging incumbent Chad Hanson (R-Trussville) for a seat on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, also will also speak, alongside the two pairs of candidates in the circuit judge and county school superintendent's races.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.