HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — After serving with distinction in the U.S. Army, retired Captain Clayton Hinchman is running for Congress in Alabama’s Fifth District as a Republican. Hinchman will compete for the seat currently held by U.S. Senate candidate Mo Brooks, who can run for reelection if his bid for the upper chamber fails.
Hinchman lost his leg to an improvised explosive (IED) attack on a night mission to kill or capture Al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. The 2008 attack also severely damaged his hearing, which has been mostly restored with hearing aids. For his sacrifices, he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal.
After his time in the military, Hinchman founded USi, an expert technology and engineering solutions provider in Huntsville. The company has since been acquired by Ignite, and Hinchman serves as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.
His educational background includes an undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a Masters degree from Georgetown University, and a continuing executive education certificate from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. He is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs Small Business Program at Babson College.
At a campaign launch event last month, Hinchman emphasized that his service background more than prepares him for what he might face in D.C.
“I know what a battlefield is like, and the battlefield in D.C. does not intimidate me,” he said. “For too long, our politicians have put platitudes over principles, and partisanship over people. They have forgotten what it means to serve.”
Some of Hinchman’s campaign priorities include reforming the corporate tax code, increasing the funding for air and missile defense systems, reforming Veterans Affairs, and promoting cyber programs for K-12 schools.
The general election for Alabama’s 5th Congressional district will be held on November 6, 2018. Party primaries will take place on June 5, 2018, with a possible runoff on July 17.
