Could voting to file the second-largest municipal bankruptcy in history be a springboard for political success? David Carrington, a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama, believes it could be.

As a member of the Jefferson County Commission, Carrington was one of those who voted in 2011 to declare bankruptcy after allegations of bid-rigging and gross financial negligence became national news. (Detroit’s $18 billion bankruptcy filing took the No. 1 spot in 2013.)

Carrington is quick to point out the commission’s darkest days occurred prior to him winning election to the seat in November 2010. As a former commission president, he takes credit for helping clean up the mess, which required entering into Chapter 9 bankruptcy to restructure $3.2 billion in debt related to improvements to Jefferson County’s water and sewer system.

“Some people tell me I should run away from Jefferson County’s (past problems). If I want to win, Jefferson County is the reason why I should win,” Carrington said Wednesday during a sit-down interview with The News Courier. “I was president of the largest municipal government in the state and the mess is now cleaned up.”

Carrington announced his candidacy on Monday and was on a tour of Tennessee Valley media outlets. He plans to traverse the state in an effort to canvass votes and spread his message of what he calls the “four U’s.”

• Unifying the state with trustworthy leadership;

• Upgrading education in and out;

• Unlocking jobs in and up; and

• Untangling the mess in Montgomery.

“That really articulates our vision going forward,” he said.

Medicaid and prisons

Carrington was asked about what may be the state’s two primary funding issues moving forward — Medicaid and the prison system.

For both issues, Carrington said the answer was simple — education. He explained there are about 500,000 working-age Alabamians who do not have a high school degree.

“When I talk to a company, they say they’re looking for workers who have a high-school degree, can pass a drug test and will show up for work,” he said.

He explained that if more Alabamians are educated, their chances at a better quality of life increase and thereby reduce crime rates and reliance on social services like Medicaid.

Business philosophy

When asked what he would do to help North Alabama’s winning streak of industrial development continue, Carrington said what’s happening here is happening in other parts of the state, too.

As a commissioner, Carrington said he’s been on economic development recruiting trips and understands the value of entities working together to land a project.

And while his background is in private business, he doesn’t believe government can necessarily be run like a business. He explained those principles can be applied to budgeting and personnel, but not much else.

Difficult decisions

Prior to being elected to the commission, the 69-year-old Carrington served on the Vestavia Hills City Council. He also serves as president of RacingUSA.com, a provider of officially licensed NASCAR merchandise. Before that, he was vice president of merchandising at Parisian (later bought by Belk) and served as president of WDC Systems Inc.

When asked how a Republican with his background would connect with less affluent Democrats, Carrington pointed to his most difficult political decision — shuttering the flailing Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, an indigent care hospital in Birmingham. The facility now operates as a clinic only.

Carrington said the facility was losing $10 million to $15 million per year. The commission voted along party lines to close the facility — three Republicans in favor and two Democrats against.

“We just had to look at the math. We were in bankruptcy and they were averaging 37 patients per night and we didn’t have the money to invest in capital equipment,” he said, adding the hospital still using analog X-ray machines. “It didn’t make it easier when you were looking at the citizens (who used the hospital) who were elderly, poor and primarily Democrats.”

He said one of his most vocal critics, an African-American Democrat, later told him she was getting better care for her cancer after having to go elsewhere for treatment.

“She said, ‘You were right, but I just didn’t trust you,’” he said.

For more on Carrington’s platform, visit DavidCarrington4Us.com.