State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur), announced Monday her endorsement of Patrick Johnson to succeed her in the Decatur-area Alabama House District 8.

After announcing her retirement from the House last year, Collins, who has represented the districtsince the 2010 Republican wave has quite the record to follow.

She was involved in major legislative achievements across education, reading and math in the state’s k-12 system, the pro-life movement that solidified Alabama as a stronghold for protecting the unborn, and well over a decade of driving school choice reform to make Alabama a national leader in educational freedom.

On Monday, Collins cited Johnson’s business experience and deeply-held conservative principles.

“Patrick Johnson has the deep Morgan County roots, the commonsense conservative philosophy, and the firsthand business experience necessary to represent our fast-growing area in Montgomery,” Collins said.

“Serving our community for the past 16 years has been an honor, and I know Patrick is the right choice to continue fighting for Morgan County in the committee rooms and chambers of the Alabama State House.”

Johnson has owned an insurance company in Decatur for more than 17 years.

He previously served as chairman of the Decatur-Morgan Chamber of Commerce board of directors and president of the Decatur Kiwanis Club.

“Throughout her service in Montgomery, Terri Collins has made a lasting positive impact in the lives of every public school student, every Alabama family, and every resident of our state, and we are all better off thanks to the work she has done,” Johnson said.

“I am proud and humbled that she trusts me to pick up her baton and continue the effort to bring meaningful conservative change to Alabama and make an already great state even better.”

Collins currently chairs the House Education Policy Committee and sponsored the Human Life Protection Act.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News and 256 Today.