Nichols announces candidacy for 7th Congressional District seat

Moundville resident Beatrice “Bea” Nichols has announced her candidacy for the Alabama 7th Congressional District seat.

A Republican, Nichols said she looks forward to the coming campaign and meeting with voters and businesses across the district to hear their concerns and share her vision for the most economically depressed district of the state.

“For 10 years, the voters of this district have had no real choice for this office,” she said, “and despite the best efforts of the incumbent, we are still dealing with the same problems in our economy, our schools and homes.”

An educator and mother of three said she knows the problems families face trying to raise their children, pay their bills, seek medical care and prepare for the future. 

“We cannot continue doing the same things and expect different outcomes.  It is time to focus on the people of this district, people who are hurting, people who are neglected, people who have no voice, people who are discouraged and people who are tired of hoping for change and year after year seeing nothing but more poverty, more crime, more broken promises, and more disappointment,” she said. 

As part of her vision for the 7th District, Nichols said her plan includes a new approach to K-12 education, a bold new vision for higher education and a plan to bring real relief to small businesses in the district that stretches from rural areas like Forkland to inner city areas in Birmingham.

“First of all, we cannot push children through high school as if they are just a statistic or a number,” she said. “We need to make sure our children are learning the fundamentals in lower grades, preparing them for success, then when they get to high school, we must help them develop a career goal and follow them through college, so they know what steps it takes to be successful.”

Whether it is a four-year college program, a community college degree, an apprenticeship or a trade, young adults in the district need guidance to help them reach their potential, she said.  Nichols also believes children should no longer be trapped in inner city schools as a number or a statistic where a diploma is often just a dead-end street. 

“A high school diploma is not the goal,” she states, “but an educated, resourceful, inspired, goal-orientated individual is the goal, and we are selling our children short if we expect anything less.” 

Nichols asserts that “we must walk beside our children and students in this district so they can ultimately see and achieve the goals they so desperately want for their future.”

 She added, “The children in this district have dreams, goals, ambitions, and they can and will do great things with our help. I feel our children are frustrated because they struggle with where they belong and what they should do.  We must show them their worth and walk beside them as they understand their purpose.

“I also believe that is why we have such a high crime rate in this district – our children feel hopeless and helpless, our families feel ill-equipped to do what is needed to help, and we have relied far too long on empty promises and meaningless words.” 

Her second goal is to see the creation of a new state university, the Alabama Conservation College, located on the site of the former Judson College. The school would give students across Alabama and the country the opportunity to learn about forestry, fisheries, wildlife, livestock and other natural resource management.

“There are wonderful opportunities, if we have someone with the bold vision to fight for this district”, said Nichols.

She said her family works for and knows small business owners who are dealing with excessive regulation that is restricting opportunity and development throughout the district.

“I agree with efforts to waive the unemployment taxes that are doubling on many small businesses with a portion of the American Recovery Plan proceeds. There are also many other regulations that serve no real purpose other than for some unelected bureaucrat in Washington, D.C., to micromanage farmers and businesses on every street and gravel road in the country, she said.

“It’s time we had a Congresswoman that will fight for us, not just for people in some big cities far away.  Our rural communities have been ignored for far too long.  I want to be a voice for all people of the 7th district.”

She continued, “My native American heritage has taught me that we can’t set (sic) back and expect someone else to do things for us. We can and should pray for Divine intervention as our Founding Fathers did, but we must also get involved and work for our families, our communities and our district.

“I ran because I believe we need new leadership that is committed to this district. We need leadership that will not forget the people they serve just to please a certain allegiance or group of people, be it Democrat or Republican.  We need leadership which begins with a commitment to the people; a leadership for this district must concentrate all efforts on all people, period.”        

The Republican primary is May 28, but Nichols should face no primary opposition.