Senate District 14

Jerry McDonald

Party: Democrat

Residence: Helena

Political races run: First run for public office.

Civic experience: Played in band at Southcrest Baptist Church; volunteered for litter pickup in Montevallo; helped with Boy Scout Troop in Helena in late 1990s; coached youth baseball in Hoover Parks and Recreation league in mid-1990s.

Main issues you would like to address if elected to office: “I would like to see Medicaid expanded. We have 300,000 Alabamians who cannot afford health insurance because the state refused that federal money. This is causing tremendous problems for our rural hospitals, which are closing up.” People in these areas can’t afford primary care and end up in the emergency rooms, which drives up costs.

Wants a state lottery to fund public education. Invest more in education to give Alabamians more skills, which he said would attract industry and raise incomes in the state.