Douglas Mayor Corey Hill (left) and farmer Christina Woerner Mcinnis will face each other in the June 16 Republican primary runoff for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. (Photos by Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector; Graphic by Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector)
Republican voters will choose between two farmers to be the nominee for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.
Corey Hill and Christina Woerner Mcinnis will face each other in the June 16 runoff. According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, Hill received 150,598 (35.20%) votes to Mcinnis’ 149,179 (34.86%) votes in unofficial returns. The winner will face Democratic nominee Ron Sparks, a former agriculture and industries commissioner, in the November election.
A message seeking comment was left with Mcinnis Wednesday. According to her website, Mcinnis, who if elected would be the state’s first woman elected to the role, wants to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to include rotisserie chicken.
Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, filed a bill last year to allow SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chickens with their benefits, but the bill did not make it to committee.
Alabama House bill aims to let SNAP recipients buy hot rotisserie chicken
Hill said in an interview Thursday afternoon that he has the advantage in the race because of his job as a farmer.
“One thing I think that gets me the edge is because we farm full time in Marshall County, we grow the food you eat, we make our living in production agriculture,” he said. “I think as a society we want our farmers to be successful, because we’ve got to have them in business, and I can bring to the table that experience and relationships with farmers, so when decisions have to be made about if it’s good for them, it will help them or hurt them, I’ve got that experience.”
Hill also wants to get a handle on data centers and solar farms in the state so farmers and producers keep their land.
“We cannot lose our prime farmland to data centers or solar farms, or even subdivisions, to some regard,” he said. “And the Ag Commissioner has absolutely no role in data centers, solar farms. We don’t regulate it, can’t inspect them, nothing to do with that, unless the laws change, but we’ve got to find a way to incentivize people to keep their land in production, or if they sell it, to sell it to a farmer to be in production.”
Meet the Candidates
Corey Hill
Age: 56
Residence: Douglas
Occupation: Farmer
Education: A.S. Business, Snead State Community College
Party: Republican
Previous political experience: Mayor of Douglas (2012-present)
Campaign fundraising: Raised $530,200 and spent $527,800 as of Thursday evening.
Efforts to reach Christina Woerner Mcinnis were unsuccessful.
From Alabama Reflector Post Url: Visit
Author: Andrea Tinker