Bobby Martin, a pastor and self-described working man from northwest Alabama, has entered the race for Alabama’s Senate District 6, saying he wants to bring attention to challenges facing rural communities and younger families in the region.
Martin, pastor of Cowboy Church of Franklin County, said his decision to run was driven in part by concerns about the future of the district and opportunities for younger residents.
“I’m watching my kids start to contemplate moving away, and I don’t want to have to travel hours just to see my grandkids when they show up,” Martin said. “If we don’t save our district, it’s just going to fade away into a retirement district and you’re not going to have anybody under the age of 30 living there.”
Senate District 6 covers parts of Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence and Limestone counties.
Martin said one of the biggest issues he hears about from residents is housing affordability. He said rising property values and rental prices have made it difficult for many families to remain in the area.
“Houses that five years ago you could have bought for $100,000 or $115,000 are now $300,000 or $350,000,” Martin said. “People from Huntsville and Birmingham and places like that are starting to buy up the property there and then rent it out for extorted amounts.”
Rental costs have also increased significantly, he said.
“Places that would rent out for five or $600 a month five years ago are now $1,500 to $2,000 a month,” Martin said. “People can’t survive on that with what they’re making in that area.”
Martin describes himself as “very conservative,” despite running as a Democrat in a state where Republicans dominate statewide politics. He said he believes voters in the district are open to new ideas.
“In my opinion, the Republicans have become complacent with what they’re doing,” Martin said. “They’re not interested in any change or anything that’s going to deviate from what they want to get done.”
Martin said he initially tried to raise concerns about issues facing his community before deciding to run for office.
“Politics wasn’t something that interested me in getting involved in,” he said. “I just wanted to see some things change because I’ve witnessed the people in my church and the people in my community suffering from the things that are going on.”
He said he believes smaller communities are often overlooked in statewide conversations.
“They’re more concerned about what’s going on in Huntsville or Birmingham or Montgomery or Mobile,” Martin said. “They’re concentrating on the big cities and everybody else gets left on the side.”
Martin will face incumbent Republican Sen. Larry Stutts in the Nov. 3 general election. Stutts, a physician from Tuscumbia, has represented the district since 2014 after he narrowly defeated long-serving State Sen. Roger Bedford.
Martin said his campaign will focus on issues affecting the district rather than attacking his opponent.
“We have a unique opportunity coming up this November,” Martin said. “We have an opportunity to vote for somebody who’s honest, somebody who has integrity and somebody who really cares about our district.”
