RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Municipal elections will be held across Alabama on Aug. 26.
Voters in North Alabama will be asked to decide on mayoral races, city council races, and, in some communities, school board races.
In order to provide voters with detailed information about the candidates running for mayor in 12 North Alabama cities, News 19 sent out a number of candidate questionnaires starting in mid-July.
Some answers will also be edited for length, grammar or spelling reasons, but otherwise the content will be published as submitted. Viewer feedback is always welcome.
In Russellville, incumbent David Reed Grissom is facing challenger Lupe Martinez in the race for Mayor. Both Grissom and Martinez provided answers to the questions below:
1. Please provide a short biography
Grissom: David Reed Grissom was born August 20, 1972, to Judy Keeton Grissom and the late Robert Reed (Bob) Grissom. He is a lifelong Russellville resident. He attended the Russellville City Schools and graduated from Russellville High School in 1990. He attended Northwest Shoals Community College, Phil Campbell, from 1990-1991, and then transferred to the University of North Alabama, Florence, where he received a B.S. degree in Marketing and graduated magna cum laude in 1994.
He is married to Melissa Fuller Grissom, who is a 1990 RHS graduate and an art teacher at Russellville High School. They have one daughter, Kate Reed Grissom, who graduated from Russellville High School in 2023, is 20 years old, and will be a Junior at the University of North Alabama this fall.
David is President of Alabama Gun & Pawn, Inc. in Russellville (since 1997); Alabama Title & Pawn of Haleyville, Inc. (since 1998); Alabama Title Pawn, Inc. in Moulton (since 1999); Alabama Title Pawn of Red Bay, Inc. (1999-2016); Alabama Super Pawn, Inc. in Sheffield (since 2000); He was Vice-President of Diamond House, Inc., in Russellville from 1990-2000 and was Manager of Grissom Car Wash in Russellville from 1988-1990.
David currently serves as Mayor of the City of Russellville (since 2012). He was elected as a member of the Russellville City Council District #5 and served from 2008 – 2012. He served as a member of the Community Spirit Bank Board of Directors (2007-2016), Community Spirit Bank Advisory Board (2000-2016), and was a member of the Audit Committee of Community Spirit Bank. He is a lifetime member of Russellville Lodge #371, a member of Scottish Rite 32nd Degree Valley of Birmingham, a member of Cahaba Shrine, Huntsville, and a member of the Franklin County Shrine Club, Russellville. David and his family are members of Mountain View Baptist Church.
Martinez: I was born in Garden Grove, California, and moved to Russellville, Alabama, in 1998 and was raised here the majority of my life. I’m 30 years old and the oldest of the family with three sisters, Jennifer, Cindy, and Daisy, and my brother named Manuel, who is autistic and I care so much for. God also blessed our family with my beautiful niece named Aurora Lee Brown. We’re a close family and love to spend as much time as we can together. I come from a small business family and naturally developed a strong work ethic because of it, with a sense of maturity instilled in me at a young age. I worked as a retail manager for several years before working at CB&S Bank, placing me in a position to take initiatives and develop life learning skills. I studied at Northwest Shoals Community College and majored in political science at the University of North Alabama.
2. What led you to run for Mayor?
Grissom: I served one term on the Russellville City Council from 2008-2012. I wanted to be more involved and wanted to try and bring more TEAMWORK into our city government. First and foremost, the Mayor and Council Members must work together as a TEAM for the people and our city. This spirit of teamwork must be incorporated into every department and by every employee of the city. From the Mayor to the department heads to the part-time employees, we must all keep in mind that we work for the people of Russellville.
Martinez: Our country is seeing an increasing number of young people taking initiative and engaging in local, state, and national politics because we worry about our futures and seek to shape a better one for our children to inherit. The city of Russellville has potential that we haven’t tapped into yet, and I firmly believe new and younger leadership with an entirely different perspective on politics can alter the trajectory for our city. Fiscal responsibility, community, being business-friendly, and our shared belief in God, reflects who we are as a unified populace and are a step forward in the right direction to tackle issues that are unique to our city. We can utilize what we currently have as a city and expand on those resources to see results that are practical, as opposed to outcomes that may seem unlikely until we see gradual growth. I’m running because I know possessing a healthy mix of leadership with an understanding of today’s political environment is key to success for any level of public service. Local politics impacts us directly, and we have a real chance of seeing a shift of pace for growth in our community.
3. What will be your top priority if you are elected?
Grissom: My top priority will be to continue to work as a TEAM for our City. Together Everyone Accomplishes More! Good-paying jobs will continue to be a top priority. Since being elected Mayor in 2012, I have seen the addition of over 1,400 new jobs with over $56 million in capital investments in the city. I will continue to work with new and existing businesses to keep and create even more jobs.
Martinez: Growth is always a top priority and can be achieved in several ways, like a surge in businesses or community engagement that can spark local initiatives and identify local talent to help promote our city to bigger markets. We have a real chance at elevating Russellville over time, and I’m looking forward to the challenge and working as much as possible to make that happen if elected.
4. What are the main challenges currently facing the city? How do you plan to address those issues?
Grissom: Continuing to improve our city’s infrastructure is an ongoing challenge that we will continue to face. We are currently involved in a $4 million city-wide paving and Infrastructure Improvement Program to make the quality of life better for our people.
Martinez: Some of the more difficult challenges we have seen are the additions of new businesses into our city. We support our small businesses and would be ecstatic to expand our market with a few chain businesses as well. Highlighting our potential and providing analyzed data to incentivize investment inside our city is a goal that won’t be achieved overnight, but can gradually become reality with the right approach. We also have a unique problem with stray animals. I want to tackle that issue with something I call the PAWS Initiative (Protecting Animals With Smiles). This approach will be comprised of community-based and municipal strategies like awareness campaigns, volunteering, collaboration with experienced local groups, city ordinances, and implementing steps to prevent further strays.
5. Do you have a personal hero? Who is it and why?
Grissom: My dad, Bob Grissom, is my personal hero because he was the best.
Martinez: My parents will always be my heroes, and I will always be grateful for the life they provided me. They taught me everything I know and helped shape me into the man I am today. I come from a small business family and developed a strong work ethic that I have applied to every task placed in front of me. They also taught me to put my faith in Christ in every situation I find myself in. When things get difficult, I push through regardless how dark my day may be because the light of Christ will shine strong forever and my trust in Him lifts me off my knees and moves me forward.
6. Tell us something about you that might surprise people.
Grissom: I really enjoy spending time outdoors working and hunting on the farm, which belonged to my fourth great-grandparents, plus fishing, & boating on Little Bear Lake!
Martinez: I’m a huge fan of music! I enjoy bands like The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Motley Crue, Blue Oyster Cult, KISS, and AC/DC, just to name a few. I also enjoy my country-esque playlist comprised of Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Whiskey Myers, Ryan Bingham and others. Lady May by Tyler Childers will always have a special place in my heart.
7. Why should people vote for you? What makes you stand out from the other candidates in the race?
Grissom: Experienced leadership you can trust with results you can count on since 2012. It has been an honor to serve as Mayor of my hometown since 2012. I really appreciate the trust the people of Russellville have placed in me. If re-elected, I plan to continue leading our city in a positive direction each day! I believe the relationships made through the years with our state and federal leaders will continue to pay dividends moving forward for our city with grant opportunities. Working with our existing industries to keep and increase jobs will always be a top priority. Working with our school system to give our children the best possible education opportunities will always be a top priority. Maintaining and improving our infrastructure will always be a top priority. Providing the best possible work situation and equipment for our police, fire, and street departments will continue to be a top priority. Continuing to improve our downtown district will also be a top priority
Martinez: There is a growing sentiment in today’s political environment that enjoys seeing non-politicians run for office. I’m not a career politician and I’m my own man. I’ll tackle today’s issues with renewed energy and make up for my lack of experience with a hard work ethic that was instilled in me at a young age. I built my own base of supporters with a genuine approach to voters and an active grassroots campaign and social media presence. Young conservatives across the country have been doing great work utilizing what they know to usher in a new era of politics driven by unmatched vigor that I will gladly bring to the mayor’s office if elected.
News 19 will be posting more candidate Q&As for mayoral races across the Tennessee Valley in the coming days.
The post Q&A with candidates in Russellville Mayoral Race appeared first on WHNT.
