Staff photo.
Residents in Alabama’s State Senate Districts 15 and 16 will head to the polls May 19 to choose between two candidates in each race, with seats currently held by incumbents Dan Roberts and J.T. ‘Jabo’ Waggoner both up for grabs.
Residents in Alabama’s State Senate Districts 15 and 16 will head to the polls May 19 to choose between two candidates in each race, with seats currently held by incumbents Dan Roberts and J.T. ‘Jabo’ Waggoner both up for grabs.
As residents get ready to head to the polls May 19 for the Alabama primary election, they can see background information on the candidates who are running in their district. There are two candidates running in Districts 15 and 16 for the Alabama State Senate seats.
Alabama State Senate District 15
Scott Ortis began his professional career teaching in public schools before earning his pharmacy degree and later his MBA and Master of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After his time as a pharmacist, he founded Solutions Infusion Therapy in 2003. A father of five, Ortis also established Sid Strong Foundation to support pediatric cancer research following the death of his son, Sid.
Dan Roberts was elected to the Alabama State Senate District 15 in the 2018 general election and is seeking his third term. He currently chairs the contract review committee and the Shelby County local legislation committee. He previously founded a real estate sales and development firm in Birmingham. After earning a degree in building construction from Auburn University, Roberts worked for Blount International in Alabama, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. He also earned a Master of Science in real estate development and urban affairs from Georgia State University.
Alabama State Senate District 16
A former Alabama football player, Nate Carlson is the co-founder and COO of Real and Rosemary and Caveat Coffee. He serves as entrepreneur-in-residence at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and volunteers with the 1st & Ten Club of Alabama and the Saban Legacy Fund, where he coaches current and former University of Alabama football players. Carlson also works with students at University Charter School in Livingston. He earned his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, where he also served as class president. He was a part of two national championship teams at the University of Alabama in 2009 and 2011.
Born in Birmingham, J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner is currently serving his eighth term in the Senate for District 16. He previously served in the House of Representatives from 1966 to 1983. He also served as Senate Majority Leader from 2010 to 2014 and has the longest record of service of any legislator in the history of Alabama. Waggoner has served on the boards for the executive committee of Birmingham Business Alliance, Faulkner University Board of Trustees, Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Waggoner is the recipient of the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award and Alabama State Council of the Arts Council Legacy Award.
