Greenville attorney Walton Hickman has announced that he will be running for the Alabama House of Representatives in District 90 as a Democrat.

The district, which is currently represented by Charles Newton, R-Greenville, includes all or portions of Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Crenshaw and Montgomery Counties.

“Working as an attorney, I’ve had the privilege of both advocating for and representing the interests of the people of this district for nearly a decade, and I’ve witnessed first-hand how people here are affected by what is done or what’s not done in Montgomery,” Hickman said. “As a lifelong resident of this district I will make it my mission to focus on job creation and improving our public schools.

“I have the utmost respect for our current representative, but in Montgomery our representative needs to consistently support public education and offer real solutions for how we can bring jobs to the district. Economic development and public education go hand in hand. Without a viable workforce you can’t expect industry to want to relocate. Without a great public school system you cannot expect a strong, viable workforce.”

Hickman said he strongly supports increasing funding for dual enrollment and workforce development training, and that he will work with local business leaders, workforce development councils, and economic development associations to protect existing jobs and recruit new business and industry to the district.

On education, Hickman supports repealing the Accountability Act and reallocating the remainder of the funds into the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative.

“The State Legislature took $40 million out of our public schools to pay for tax credits to send children to private schools,” said Hickman. “All schools are important, but taking needed money from public education is not the answer. Instead, we need to take that money and put it in successful programs like the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative or Pre-K. These are programs that we know work and improve the quality of education in every school.”

Aside from his work at the Law Offices of Hartley & Hickman, Hickman also serves as an Assistant District Attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit, as well as assistant city attorney for the cities of Greenville, Evergreen and Georgiana and the Town of McKenzie, and as the municipal court prosecutor for the City of Georgiana.

He is a graduate of Greenville High School, the University of Alabama and Jones School of Law at Faulkner University.  He is a member or former member of the following: Board of Directors for the Butler County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the Greenville Kiwanis Club, the Greenville Area Jaycees, the Greenville High School Athletic Club, the Butler County Sheriff’s Rodeo, the Butler County Farmers’ Market and a member of the University of Alabama Alumni Association.

He and his wife, Sarah, have three children: Addie (7), Ward (6) and Anne Miller (3). They are members of St Thomas Episcopal Church in Greenville.