Alabama Senator April Weaver 14

April Weaver handily defeated her Democratic opponent in the General Election for Senate District 14 on July 13 by taking 80.2% of the total votes cast in the special election. Under the Governor’s Proclamation this special election was held to fill the unexpired term of Senator Cam Ward who vacated the position to take another appointment in the Ivey administration.

She will take office immediately after being sworn in at 10 a.m. on Wednesday July 14 at American Village. She will be the only Republican woman in the Alabama State Senate.

The next Alabama Senate election year is 2022.

Being sworn in at American Village July 14

“I am honored that the people of District 14 have placed their trust in me to be their voice of representation in the Senate,” Weaver said in a statement.  “I pledge to put their interests at the forefront of my work each day while also fighting for and preserving our conservative rights and freedoms. As a lifelong resident of this district, I know the people and the communities, and I will work my hardest to enhance their quality of life and see that our district is positioned to flourish.”

“As the only Republican woman serving in the Alabama Senate, I am excited to be in a position to continue to fight for our conservative values.  I look forward to working with my new Senate Republican colleagues to accomplish these goals,” Weaver continued.  “Thank you to the people of District 14 for electing me to serve as your senator.  I vow to work hard on your behalf and make certain that your voices are heard in the state legislature.”

Weaver has previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives for 10 years, five of them as the chair of the House Health Committee. Weaver also formerly served as the chairman of the Shelby County House Delegation from October 2016 through May 2020. Weaver is a trained nurse and has spent over 20 years working in hospital administration. Weaver left her seat in the Alabama House of Representatives to accept a post in the Trump administration as a Regional Director for Health and Human Services where she served during the COVID crisis months.

The special election had no other candidates on the ballot in Bibb and Chilton counties and the voter turnout was low as often happens with special elections. In Shelby County there was also another race for House District 73 on the ballot but the turnout in Shelby was also low. The total voter turnout for the 3 county district was 7.95% of the registered voters for the area.

Bibb County voter turnout was low but Bibb did better than the overall average, turning out more than 11% of registered voters. Chilton County turned out a little more than 7% of their registered voters and Shelby County turned out 7.5%.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl congratulated Weaver on her victory.

“On behalf of the Alabama Republican Party, I am excited to welcome April Weaver back to the Alabama Legislature following her service in the Trump administration,” Wahl said. “Senator-elect Weaver brings a wealth of legislative experience to the State Senate, having previously served in the Alabama House. Additionally, her extensive background in healthcare – including her position in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – will be valuable to not only her district, but to our state overall as we continue to emerge from the COVID pandemic.”

Former Senator Cam Ward is now the Director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole. He had this to say about Senator Weaver and the election: “When I was in the Senate I had the honor of working with April as a legislative partner representing Bibb County. She was a solid Representative for Bibb County. Her experience will make her an outstanding senator for Bibb County and the community is going to be proud of her leadership.”

President Pro Tem Greg Reed, R-Jasper, and Majority Leader Clay Scofield, R-Guntersville, congratulated Weaver on winning Tuesday night.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work alongside Senator April Weaver, and I congratulate her on her election.  Senator Weaver has laid out her common sense, conservative vision to the voters of District 14, who have put their trust in her to represent them in the Senate,” Reed said.  “I look forward to enjoying the skills she will bring to our body as we work to improve the lives of Alabamians.”

“The Senate Republican Caucus has been in serious need of a strong female force, and Senator April Weaver is exactly the woman to fill that role.  Our Caucus will benefit tremendously by having a leader who can represent the voices of the countless female Republicans across our state,” said Scofield.  “I applaud Senator Weaver on her successful campaign and tremendous achievement, and I look forward to the fresh perspective she will bring to the table as a Republican woman in the Senate.”

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey

Governor Kay Ivey sent her personal best wishes with this statement:  “I congratulate April Weaver on her big win last night and look forward to working with her as she serves the people of Shelby County and the state of Alabama.” – Governor Kay Ivey