Dave Thomas (politician)
Dave Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Springville, Alabama | |
| Assumed office November 2, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | William "Butch" Isley |
| Member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 49th district | |
| In office 1994–2002 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Petelos |
| Succeeded by | Cam Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 12, 1965 St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Bonnie Thomas |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Montevallo (BBA) |
Dave Thomas (born May 12, 1965) is an American politician and businessman. He is the current mayor of Springville, Alabama, elected in 2020. A former state legislator, he served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002, representing the 49th district, which includes parts of St. Clair County.[1] He was also the Republican Party's nominee for Alabama Secretary of State in 2002 but lost to Nancy Worley. He was a candidate for the Republican primary in the 2022 Alabama gubernatorial election.
Early life and education
[edit]Born on May 12, 1965,[2] in St. Petersburg, Florida,[3] Thomas graduated from the University of Montevallo[4] with a BBA.[2] He began residing in Springville, Alabama, in 1991, where he was the president of the town's parent-teacher organization.[4][5]
Political career
[edit]Due to his experience with the Springville parent-teacher organization, Thomas initially considered a campaign for the Alabama Board of Education, but he was convinced by his friend Jack Williams to run for the state legislature instead.[3] Thomas was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1994.[1] He served two terms until 2002.[4] During Thomas' re-election campaign in 1998, absentee ballots at the St. Clair County Courthouse were tampered with, which necessitated a recount. Thomas won re-election by a thin margin of around one percent. He later stated that this incident led him to run for Alabama Secretary of State in 2002.[6]
In 2002, Thomas ran for the Republican Party's nomination for the Alabama Secretary of State election. Thomas was engaged in a fierce primary battle against Troy King and Dean Young, the latter of whom he went to a run-off with and won against. Thomas received the endorsement of The Tuscaloosa News during the primary.[7] As the nominee, Thomas supported voter ID efforts in the state, attempting to quell voter irregularity.[6] Thomas raised and spent $90,000 without using television commercials[8] but was defeated in the general election by Nancy Worley.[9][4]
After his defeat, Thomas founded and served as president of Alabama's Premier Service Company (APSCO), a commercial pressure washing business.[2][8] His other business ventures include TB & Associates Inc., of which APSCO is a subsidiary, as well as a for-profit primitive campground known as the Little Canoe Creek Campground.[3] He returned to politics in 2020, when he ran for mayor of Springville, Alabama. He defeated incumbent mayor William "Butch" Isley in a landslide.[10] Thomas later described his victory in the election as "hand[ing] Butch Isley his head on a platter".[4] He stated that he hoped to attract small business entrepreneurship to the town, and turn it into "the Mountain Brook of St. Clair County".[5][11]
During his tenure as mayor, Thomas appointed Lieutenant Wayne Walton as Springville's chief of police.[12] Thomas walked out of a city council meeting on March 1, 2021, self-declaring an adjournment after a disagreement with city council members over them requesting separate legal representation from the mayor. Thomas apologized at the next meeting, stating "I kind of lost sight of what I had tried to teach my children growing up; if you lose your head you lose the argument".[13] On October 18, 2021, the city leadership approved a new contract with EcoSouth for garbage services, replacing Waste Management, as well as an $11 million budget.[14]
In January 2022, Thomas announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for governor in the 2022 election. Thomas gained attention for his support of marijuana legalization, uncommon for the Republican Party.[8] Thomas admitted that he personally smokes marijuana in interviews that month, stating that he was an example of achieving success while a marijuana user. Thomas also expressed support for school choice and described himself as a free market economist.[4][15][16] After Thomas' admission of marijuana use, the Springville city council said it had received numerous calls regarding his comments. At the same meeting on January 25, 2022, the city council issued a proclamation expressing support for law enforcement, though not mentioning Thomas by name.[17]
In the May 24 primary, Thomas finished in seventh place out of nine candidates on the ballot in the gubernatorial race. He received 0.5% of the vote.[18]
Personal life
[edit]Thomas has been married to his wife Bonnie Thomas since he was 17, and he first became a father at 18.[3] The couple have two children and four grandchildren.[19] He is an attendee of the First Baptist Church in Springville.[1] He is also an enthusiast of skydiving and bagpipe playing. Thomas has performed at weddings and funerals, wearing a kilt as he plays the bagpipes.[16]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kay Ivey (incumbent) | 356,347 | 54.46% | |
| Republican | Lynda Blanchard | 125,915 | 19.24% | |
| Republican | Tim James | 105,936 | 16.19% | |
| Republican | Lew Burdette | 42,803 | 6.54% | |
| Republican | Dean Odle | 11,720 | 1.79% | |
| Republican | Donald Trent Jones | 3,906 | 0.58% | |
| Republican | Dave Thomas | 2,879 | 0.44% | |
| Republican | Stacy Lee George | 2,539 | 0.39% | |
| Republican | Dean Young | 2,344 | 0.36% | |
| Total votes | 654,290 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Dave Thomas | 883 | 66.9% | |
| Nonpartisan | William "Butch" Isley (incumbent) | 437 | 33.1% | |
| Total votes | 1,320 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nancy Worley | 632,852 | 49.0% | |
| Republican | Dave Thomas | 630,863 | 48.9% | |
| Libertarian | Mark Bodenhausen | 25,386 | 2.0% | |
| Write-in | 1,179 | 0.1% | ||
| Total votes | 1,290,280 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Thomas (incumbent) | 7,473 | 50.5% | |
| Democratic | Blair | 7,321 | 49.4% | |
| Write-in | 17 | 0.1% | ||
| Total votes | 14,811 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Thomas | 6,614 | 52.9% | |
| Democratic | H. Holliday | 5,872 | 47.0% | |
| Write-in | 7 | 0.1% | ||
| Total votes | 12,493 | 100.0% | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Legislature '99 - Alabama House of Representatives Districts 35-52". The Montgomery Advertiser. March 21, 1999. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Dave Thomas". Bama Politics. August 20, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Blakely, Will (March 24, 2022). "'I'm not beholden to the special interest': Gubernatorial candidate Dave Thomas". Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Thomas, Erica (January 5, 2022). "Springville, Ala. mayor running for governor: 'I am a free-market economist...and I smoke pot'". 1819 News. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c Thomas, Erica (August 26, 2022). "Buckle up, buttercup: Mayor-elect of Springville ready to 'take the bull by the horns'". The Trussville Tribune. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Bryan, Dave (August 12, 2002). "Candidates disagree on Voter ID". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "Worley, Thomas for secretary of state". The Tuscaloosa News. June 20, 2002. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c Shirley, Harold (January 21, 2022). "A pro-marijuana mayor running for governor". Cedars In Auburn. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Moseley, Brandon (March 9, 2015). "Worley and Knight Reflect on Selma March". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Mitchell, Taylor (August 27, 2020). "Davis Thomas denies William 'Butch' Isley Jr. 4th term as Springville mayor". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Howell, Josie (September 8, 2020). "Springville mayor-elect wants to preserve city's small-town feel". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Howell, Josie; Mitchell, Taylor (November 3, 2020). "Springville Mayor Dave Thomas appoints new chief of police". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Howell, Josie (March 9, 2021). "Mayor walks out on council mid-meeting, later apologizes". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Howell, Josie (October 20, 2021). "Springville council approves new garbage service, $11 million budget". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Howell, Josie (January 5, 2022). "Springville mayor talks tax reform, marijuana, state lottery in run for governor". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Garrison, Greg (January 21, 2022). "Pro-marijuana mayor runs for governor". AL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Caver, Hannah (January 25, 2022). "Springville Council responds to Mayor's marijuana stance with proclamation in support of law enforcement". Trussville Tribune. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Governor: Alabama Primary Results (R)". CNN. May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Mitchell, Taylor (August 17, 2020). "Springville will feature packed ballot on municipal election day (with photos)". St. Clair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "Unofficial Primary Results". Alabama Secretary of State. May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "Certification of Results - November 5, 2002 - General Election" (PDF). Alabama Secretary of State. November 20, 2002. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "1998 - Election Results Archive - Alabama Legislature". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "1994 - Election Results Archive - Alabama Legislature". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved March 14, 2022.