This year’s Republican primary for state Senate District 15 pits incumbent Dan Roberts against challenger Brian Christine, a urologist with Urology Centers of Alabama in Homewood.
The winner will take the seat because there is no one from another party seeking it.
Photo courtesy of Brian Christine.
Dr. Brian Christine is running as a Republican for state Senate District 15.
Brian Christine
Christine, a Mountain Brook resident, said he feels a close connection between people in the district, and their state senator, Roberts, is missing. Because he has worked to develop relationships with his patients over the years, he’ll work to make those same connections with the district’s constituents, he said.
“Some people don’t know who the legislator is,” Christine said.
Roberts declined to comment on Christine’s claim that he is not connected with his constituents.
Christine said he has started making connections by meeting with community groups and clubs.
While he and Roberts are both conservative, he wants to bring more of a “fighting spirit” to Montgomery, he said. Far from being unreasonable or unpleasant, he said having a fighting spirit means fighting for what’s right.
Christine said he takes pride in being a political outsider but said he wants to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats as well.
“I have my moral compass … lines in the sand,” Christine said. “But there is always room to have respectful disagreement.”
On the topic of term limits, Christine said there is a “real problem” with legislators serving for decades. The tendency for people is to be corrupted by money and power, he said. While there need to be term limits, he said it’s also important to allow legislators to be in Montgomery long enough to be effective.
Christine also noted that Roberts has been funded through political action committees and said it’s a problem when that much is being spent by interest groups in Montgomery. Roberts has received money from PACs such as the Forestry PAC, Mainstream PAC (a pro-business and industry PAC), Wholesale PAC and PACs representing pharmacies, poultry, retailers and construction companies. Christine has put $100,000 of his own money in the race and, as of press time, received no other contributions.
Roberts said he was proud to be supported by the industries donating to his campaign.
“I am proud to be supported by the farmers, business leaders and Medical Association of Alabama,” Roberts said. “I have been working hard the last four years to provide conservative solutions to improve the business environment of our state. Their support shows that we are making positive change for District 15.”
Christine said he is fiscally responsible, focused on smaller, limited government and having “active engagement” of citizens. He said he wants to “pull the reins tighter” on government spending and believes the GOP has lost its fighting spirit and commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Education is a “huge problem,” Christine said. “There’s no reason Alabama should not be leading the country in so many different ways.”
With the resources and brain power in the state, Christine said Alabama should be leading the nation.
“The fact that we have the black eye of being 52nd in education is a tragedy,” Christine said.
Christine is a supporter of school choice, what he called “parent choice.” Parents should be able to send their kids where they want, he said.
As a surgeon, health care is very important, Christine said. He would oppose a single-payer system and push for affordable and accessible health care. It should be like shopping for a car, he said.
Christine said he favors allowing Alabama voters to have their say on an education lottery, but is not a fan of wholesale gambling. However, if the funding goes to the right places, it could be helpful, he said.
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Sen. Dan Roberts discusses topics during the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in August 2019.
Dan Roberts
Roberts, who also lives in Mountain Brook, touted a recent bill he sponsored that was signed into law by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and that will keep Alabamians from paying state taxes on the federal child tax credit, the dependent care credit and the earned income tax credit that were increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tax issues have been the focus of Roberts’ tenure in the state Senate, he said, including one of the first bills signed by Ivey that changed the way the state taxes businesses, helping them be more competitive. He continues to serve on Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth’s workforce development committee, which is studying how to improve the workforce.
His term began in 2018, following a career in real estate development, private equity and international trade.
Roberts said he wants to help provide jobs and opportunities for high school graduates, and noted recent announcements like the Smuckers plant locating in Jefferson County. The company will bring 300 or more jobs to the area as part of a $1.2 billion investment. He also mentioned the plant in Selma that creates N95 masks.
“How do we pull together as a state to meet the needs, not only of our state, but of our country and then the world?” Roberts said.
Roberts said he is working across party lines to improve the state.
His goal, should he be re-elected, is to continue to move the state forward on its strengths. The most important issue facing the state is education, he said.
“You look at testing scores, and we’re so far down,” Roberts said. “If we don’t fix this, we are so badly hurt.”
Roberts also supports parental choice and says there is “merit” in that idea.
“Parents have the ultimate say on their child’s education,” Roberts said. “We have to do something different.”
Roberts said the problem with an education lottery is the question of where the money goes.
Roberts said he sees the benefits of term limits but said it takes two terms for the average legislator to get up to speed and know how to do things. Taking out bright people too quickly could be a problem because it’s important to have legislators who understand the system, he said.
Roberts said he has met with all of the mayors in his district and said it has been a “tremendous amount of time” getting to know people, working between 70 and 80 hours a week.
During his time in office, he said he has met some phenomenal people in the district. He said it had been a tremendous honor to serve the people of District 15, and he hopes to continue to do so.
Election Dates
► Primary election: May 24, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
► General election: Nov. 8, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
