Voters braved the cold outside and inside the library Thursday to hear local representatives tout their achievements and hopeful opponents call for change ahead of the March 3 primary.

Eight candidates in total appeared to discuss topics ranging from infrastructure to teacher morale in their bid to represent some or all of Limestone County in the political realm. For U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks and his opponent Chris Lewis, talk focused heavily on the national issues with local effects.

“We’ve got a lot of challenges in Washington, D.C.,” Brooks told voters, saying if they valued President Donald Trump’s insight, they were best suited in voting for him.

Brooks has been represented Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Limestone County, since 2011. He blamed Democrats and others for not making more headway in getting Obamacare repealed or securing U.S. borders in that time, but said he’s kept a steady voting record and his seniority as a five-term congressman will be a benefit if he’s elected to a sixth term.

His opponent disagrees.

“We have the same border problem we had a decade ago,” Lewis said. “We have the same border problem we are going to have in the future if we continue sending the same people to Congress who are unable or unwilling to work with others.”

Lewis said as a veteran, he has had to work with others since Day 1 of boot camp, no matter where they came from or what party they supported. He told voters he would work with other veterans in Congress to get things done.

However, the two did agree on bringing the U.S. Space Force to Huntsville — at least somewhat. Lewis was so supportive of the idea, he started speaking before a question was even asked.

“Space Force needs to be here,” he said. “… I understand the values, I understand the concerns, and I believe the resources are here.”

Meanwhile, Brooks said he was in favor of research and development for Space Force in Huntsville, but not headquarters. He said top brass would be where all other top military brass are: the Pentagon.

“You know where the Combat Command is going to be? Do we want it in Huntsville, Alabama? Do you want that to be a primary target when the missiles and nuclear weapons start to fly?” he asked.

In their closing comments, Lewis called for more veterans in politics instead of veteran politicians. He vowed to focus on North Alabama and defend the Constitution in Congress. Brooks called on voters to ignore what he or Lewis had to say in favor of positive reviews of Brooks from conservatives like Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity.

District 2

Also on the lineup Thursday were Danny Barksdale and Steve Turner, each vying for the title of Limestone County District 2 Commissioner. Turner is in his second term as commissioner, and he hopes to continue serving the community.

“At the end of the day, District 2 needs an energized leader, a dedicated community leader for everyone and a vision to continue putting the people of Limestone County first,” he said.

Barksdale told voters he’s aiming to be the consistent, conservative voice the commission needs. He said as it stands, there’s too much corruption, and he’s concerned about the direction in which Limestone County is headed.

When asked what their top projects would be if elected, Barksdale said his would be getting more money in the district. He compared Limestone County to Lauderdale County, claiming Lauderdale budgets $4.1 million for roads versus Limestone County’s $800,000, but Turner disputed those figures.

“We have a total of $1.49 million in District 2 operating money alone,” Turner said, adding his top projects are revamping the intersection of U.S. 72 and Mooresville Road and resurfacing Newby and Sanderson roads.

Barksdale also called for putting the check register online and live-streaming commission work sessions. Turner said he was part of the decision to live stream commission meetings and he was open to putting the check register online.

In the meantime, he said, “Come to District 2. I’ll be glad to show you the books.”

When asked about a comprehensive plan for land use, possibly including zoning ordinances, Barksdale said he was all for the planning but needed to research further before committing one way or the other on zoning. Turner explained that in Limestone, as long as you don’t want build something hazardous to the neighborhood, property owners pretty much had free reign.

He used a field across from his house as an example, saying, “If I don’t want Walmart there, I need to buy the property so I can do with it what I want to.”

In his 30-second response, Barksdale noted a rock quarry is hazardous to the neighborhood, too, and said commissioners did nothing to protect residents from the one in eastern Limestone County. When asked about bringing new people to Limestone County, the candidates agreed there wasn’t much they had to do, as people were already moving here in droves for work.

Barksdale said when going door to door, every other residence was someone new to the area. He voiced concern that local people wouldn’t be given the first shot at jobs in the area.

Turner replied everyone, local or not, has the right to apply and said qualifications should be the deciding factor.

Other races

Four candidates, each seeking to be a member of the Limestone County Board of Education, also spoke during the forum Thursday. Coverage of these candidates will be in the Tuesday edition of The News Courier.