State Rep. Wes Kitchens (R-Arab) announced today that he will seek to fill the vacant State Senate District 9 seat that includes portions of Blount and Madison counties and all of Marshall County.

Kitchens’ announcement immediately followed news that Sen. Clay Scofield, who has represented District 9 since 2010, was stepping down as Senate Majority Leader and resigning his seat in the higher chamber. Gov. Kay Ivey is set to call for a special election for the vacancy in the coming days or weeks.

Kitchens, elected to the House in 2018 and reelected in 2022, represents his hometown of Arab.

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“I am excited for this opportunity to continue serving the people of north Alabama. I’ve worked hard in the Alabama Legislature to promote a conservative agenda. Working alongside my friend and colleague Senator Clay Scofield has been an honor, and I wish him the best,” Kitchens said in a statement on campaign letterhead.

“We have cut taxes on hard-working Alabama families, created jobs across north Alabama, and improved our state’s education system. I helped secure funding for a $30 million workforce development and training center in Marshall County and passed legislation to preserve and strengthen our state parks.”

Kitchens serves as vice chairman of the Alabama Republican House Caucus, co-chair of the Alabama Pre-K Commission, and chairman of the Marshall County Republican Party.

“I promised voters that if they elected me, I’d be their conservative voice in Montgomery,” Kitchens said. “Whether it’s fighting for low taxes or standing up to an overreaching federal government, I’m going to do what’s right for Alabama.”

Kitchens is the first candidate to jump into the race, still yet to be formalized by order of  Ivey. It’s expected that other Republican primary challengers will announce in the coming days and weeks.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270