Bus tour arrives in Eufaula

By Anastasia Harbuck

Published: September 29, 2008

The Hometown Connection bus tour rolled into Eufaula Monday morning.

The tour included Republican candidates Greg Shaw, Bill Thompson, Beth Kellum, Mary Windom and Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh. They plan to visit 67 Alabama counties in 3 ½ weeks.

They’re off to a good start. The tour has already visited 20 counties, stopping by Alabama towns of all sizes.

Shaw, who is running for the Alabama Supreme Court, delights in the tour, saying this is what campaigning is all about.

“This allows us to bring our campaign into the community,” says Shaw. “This is the part of campaigning I love. I love getting out and shaking hands.”

Shaw is currently serving his second term as judge on court of criminal appeals and has 24 years of experience in Alabama courts.

“I think with that kind of experience, I have a lot to offer the court,” he says.

For Beth Kellum, running for Court of Criminal Appeals Post 1, the tour brings back warm memories of her childhood in Vance.

“Public service is in my blood,” says Kellum. “I remember being a little girl, handing out push cards and saying, ‘Vote for my daddy!’ The beauty of our democracy is that one vote in Eufaula or Clayton or Clio counts as much as one in Birmingham.”

Kellum has served for the past 11 years as a staff attorney for the court of criminal appeals.

Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh is running for the president of the Alabama Public Service Commission. Cavanaugh has served as senior advisor to Gov. Bob Riley and chair of the Republican Party.

“By working closely with Gov. Riley, I learned the importance of attracting jobs to Alabama,” says Cavanaugh.

She also understands the importance of keeping bills reasonable for working families.

“With utilities, you don’t have a choice,” she says, adding that government leaders must be considerate of bills families must pay.

Mary Windom, running for Court of Criminal Appeals, Post 2, says, “I’ve always been around public service.”

Her mother worked for the tax assessor’s office in Baldwin County, her father delivered mail in Windom’s hometown of Bay Minette and Windom’s husband, Steve, served as lieutenant governor.
Now Windom says it’s her turn to “step up to the plate.” She currently serves as deputy attorney general.

Windom thoroughly enjoys the tour.

“I’m from a small town and I live in a small town,” she says. “This is an excellent opportunity to meet people.”

Bill Thompson, who was not available to comment, is running for Court of Civil Appeals, Post 1. Thompson currently serves as the presiding judge for the Court of Civil Appeals in which he has served for 12 years.