In April this year, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks announced he was running for Governor of Alabama. In a recent meeting with the St. Clair News-Aegis, Sparks said, “I have a vision for Alabama and I want to be governor for all the people of our state.”

Sparks who has served two terms as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries and can no longer serve in that position because of term-limits said, “I would be happy to serve again as commissioner but my time is up. I believe that the best way for me to serve now, is as governor.”

Sparks was elected to the office of Alabama’s Agriculture and Industry Commissioner in 2002. In that contest, he bested his Republican opponent by a 51-46 margin. In 2006, he was one of Alabama’s top vote getters, enjoying a 59-41 victory while winning 62 of the state’s 67 counties.

“I have a proven record and that matters to the people of Alabama,” says Sparks. “ I have brought together democrats and republicans for the good of our state.”

Sparks is known as a populist democrat who has built a broad coalition of supporters including, the liberal Alabama Education Association, and the conservative Alabama Farmers Federation.

Sparks points to his successful record of securing new trade markets for the state and improving Alabama’s school lunch system from a grade of F to a B-plus as two of his accomplishments. Many would agree that Sparks has transformed the Department of Agriculture and Industries from a sleepy department to a cutting-edge advocacy for farmers, school children and food safety.

Education is a central focus of Sparks’ message. “We have to improve education in Alabama. It is the only way we can compete in the global economy,” says Sparks.

Sparks is quick to point out the lessons he learned growing up in rural Alabama.

“I understand rural America, I grew up in a small town. I know what’s on people’s minds and it is the economy,” he says.

He recalls that only a few years ago his hometown of Ft. Payne employed over six thousand people in sock manufacturing, today there are only about fifteen hundred people making socks in the area. “This is a result of CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement),” says Sparks. “These are the types of unfair trade agreements that have cost Alabamians jobs, and the very type of agreements I have fought against.”

Sparks relishes in his role as a populist fighter as he enumerates the many battles he has waged as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. “I have been aggressive in livestock safety and protection. I have been aggressive in food safety and I have been aggressive in opening fair markets for Alabama goods,” says Sparks.

Sparks says that Alabama’s children are going to be competing on a world stage for jobs and that their education is key to their future.

“We must teach our children the skills to compete in a world economy. They need to learn technology, critical thinking and all the things that will make them competitive,” he says.

He also expresses a great concern for those who are not getting an education under the current system. “I am not being critical of the current system but it is a fact that many of our students are failing through the cracks,” says Sparks. “We see it everyday, children without a high school education are going from the schoolhouse to the courthouse, to the jail house.” He says that part of his education plan is to offer vocational training to those who cannot or do not plan on attending college.

“I feel very strongly that we must educate our children, take care of our seniors and weather the [financial] storm,” say Sparks.

He is also concerned that we provide for the continued growth of businesses operating in Alabama. “We spend millions of dollars to bring businesses into Alabama but we also need to have programs that encourage growth in the already existing businesses,” he says.

He feels that one place he can make an immediate impact on the people of Alabama is by a change in property assessment. Sparks says upon taking office as governor he will sign an executive order changing property assessments from once a year to every four years. “People are hurting and this would provide fair and immediate relief,” says Sparks.

When asked about the current ruling on gambling in Ashville, Sparks said, “I want to be truthful with the people, we already have gambling in Alabama.” Sparks said he thinks that all the gambling operations need to be put under one governing law, regulated and tax in accordance with that law. “Currently, there is no state control over these places,” says Sparks.

Sparks continuously expressed his rural roots, the need for educational opportunities for all Alabama children and his success as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries as the reasons he should be governor.

The biggest obstacles in Sparks’ future are the democratic gubernatorial primary and a man named Artru Davis.