Former Books-A-Million CEO Lew Burdette announced his intentions to run against fellow Republican Kay Ivey for Alabama governor.
Burdette, who now runs the King’s Home program for abused women and youth, announced his intentions to run on Tuesday, pointing to the state’s struggling education and healthcare system.
“It just breaks my heart that when I left the University of Alabama 40 years ago that we were at the bottom in education, healthcare, and prisons, and here we are 40 years later, and not one statistic is any better,” Burdette told AL.com when asked why he was running. “We don’t have 40 more years to waste.”
FOURTH RETIREE IN FLORIDA CHARGED WITH CASTING MULTIPLE BALLOTS IN 2020 ELECTION
Burdette, 62, spent 13 years at Books-A-Million, serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He left the company in 1998. In 2002, he took over King’s Home. This religious nonprofit organization provides “Christ-centered homes and services in which compassion and competence combine to meet the needs of women, children, and families.”
Burdette stated that he would step back from leading King’s Home while running for governor.
The former business executive will be entering a well-saturated gubernatorial race. The Republican race for governor currently includes Ivey, former U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard, businessman Tim James, pastor Dean Odle, and correctional officer Stacy Lee George. There are also two Democratic candidates running for office, Chad “Chig” Martin and Yolanda Flowers.
Burdette has attempted to differentiate himself from his competition by declaring himself a “political outsider” with no connections to special interests, reports AL.com.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Burdette also stated that he is unvaccinated.
“[Vaccines are] a personal choice, and for me, it’s a freedom issue, that all Americans should be able to make that decision for themselves, and I’m not against vaccines. There’s not any of us that didn’t grow up as kids and be vaccinated,” Burdette told the Alabama Political Reporter. When asked about how to handle the pandemic, Burdette told the Reporter that “personal responsibility” is the key to fighting the virus.
Alabama’s primary is scheduled for May 24.
