Pledging his support for Calhoun County's economic growth, the safety of its residents, and constitutional reform, former Westinghouse executive Preston Gray on Thursday formally announced his candidacy for Alabama's District 12 Senate seat.
"I really want to help northeast Alabama grow, and grow safely," Gray said as he stood on the steps of the Calhoun County Courthouse. "This is a great, great new district with tremendous potential."
Gray was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the primary. He will face Republican incumbent Sen. Del Marsh of Anniston in the November general election. Marsh also had no primary opposition.
District 12 includes all of Calhoun County and, after recent redistricting, it now also includes the easternmost section of St. Clair County.
With family members and probate judges Wallace Wyatt of St. Clair County and Arthur Murray of Calhoun County looking on, Gray outlined the major points of his campaign.
If elected, Gray said, he will keep a watchful eye on the county's chemical weapons incineration project to make sure those in charge of the program do their jobs correctly.
"I'll hold their feet to the fire," Gray said. He said he doesn't see his former role with Westinghouse as posing any conflict with his future role if he is elected state senator.
Transportation on Interstate 20, and on the county's bridges, needs to be made safer, Gray said. And, he said, fire and police departments need more investment and support.
"We need a response time that supports the safety of citizens," he said. Police officers sometimes arrive too late at traffic accidents, he said.
Gray said he supports more teacher training and teacher retention efforts, and praised those already in place at Jacksonville State University.
"We need to empower our teachers with better supplies, and we need to retain our teachers," he said, ending with a campaign slogan: "Safety First. Train and Retain."
On the issue of home rule - re transfer of more power over local matters from the legislature to county governments - Gray said legislative action is needed to bring the change about.
"The first issue is a 100-year-old state constitution," he said. "The Legislature needs to establish a one-page plan to reform the constitution."
Gray did not clarify what actions he would take to help Alabama counties get more money and leadership.
"You need a Legislature that is more responsive than the one currently there," he said. "Whether or not that means different agencies will change how they operate, that depends."
It depends, Gray said, on whether there is a "change (in) the formula for distribution." He said it was too early in his campaign for him to make any concrete proposals. "I will be formulating a plan, talking to people over the next four months."
Gray has unofficially been running for the District 12 seat since April 1, when he retired from Westinghouse (now a subsidiary of Washington Demilitarization Company), the company responsible for Anniston's incinerator project.
Gray has no prior experience in public office.
His connection with Anniston began in 1992, when the Army sought bids on the incinerator project. He came to Anniston in 1996, after Westinghouse was awarded the contract.
As an Anniston resident, he said, he became involved with the community. Through Westinghouse, Gray said, he established an outreach fund that spent more than $3,000 of the company's profits on schools, teachers and youth agencies.
Gray is former board member of the Boys and Girls Club and Forward Calhoun County, a Chamber of Commerce group that promotes area business development.
Gray is a member of the board of Stringfellow Hospital, the Anniston Rotary Club, and the Jacksonville Lions Clubs.
"I think his experience in the corporate and business world will be good for the economic development that is so important in this area," said Calhoun County Probate Judge Arthur Murray.
Wallace Wyatt, probate judge for St. Clair County was at the courthouse to support Gray's candidacy. "We think (he) can follow us out there and do a great job," he said.
Name: Preston Gray, Democrat
Age: 58
Marital status: Janet Gray, wife; two children
Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering and physics, Lehigh University, 1965; Master's degree in physics, Carnegie Mellon University, 1968; Master's in Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh, 1972.
Political experience: None
Occupation: Retired engineer and business executive
