Yellowhammer recently interviewed Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate, Mary Scott Hunter, as we’ve done with other candidates in recent weeks. Below are our questions and her answers:
YH: Can you share a little about your background and what you think has prepared you to be Lieutenant Governor?
MSH: “I’m a big believer in preparation. My 15 years as a JAG Officer in the Air Force, my law practice, and my business experience have all been a wonderful training ground for this endeavor. The Air Force core values are integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. I’ve adopted those values as my own, and I hope Alabamians can see that in everything I do.
YH: What is your vision for the state of Alabama?
MSH: ““I want Alabama to be wildly successful, and I believe Alabamians want that too. As Lieutenant Governor, I will do the work of holding our state to a higher standard. Our elected officials should be focused and credible—leaders Alabamians can be proud of. We should be more strategic and very intentional and focused on our goals and objectives.
YH: What are some of those goals and objectives?
MSH: “For the last several months I’ve been talking with Alabamians about how we can harness the American Dream for more people in our state. And for the last six years as a member of the State Board of Education, I have worked every day to do that. A great education is the cornerstone of a successful life, and I am proud of what the board has accomplished.
YH: What do you deem to be some of Alabama’s greatest challenges?
MSH: “There are so many ways our state is succeeding, but there are other areas where we are struggling. For instance, we have jobs that we need to fill, and businesses are growing all over the state. We also have “brain drain” with some of our best and brightest young people moving elsewhere to find work.
YH: Besides convincing bright young talent to stay in Alabama, what do you think is the key to the vision you spoke of a few moments ago?
MSH: “A strong economy leads to higher individual household earnings and net worth, which leads to many of the good outcomes we care about like home ownership, entrepreneurs, lower divorce rates, and reduced prison populations. Ultimately what’s good for families is good for Alabama. Also, being successful requires holding ourselves to a much higher ethical standard. There’s no doubt that embarrassing political headlines like we’ve seen recently make us less competitive for out of state employers looking at expansion opportunities. It bothers me so much to see truly undisciplined behavior in elected officials. No one is above the law – no one.”
You can learn more about Mrs. Hunter’s campaign at www.maryscotthunter.com
