Meet the candidates: Alabama State Senate District 16

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The Alabama state primaries will be held May 19. For a rundown of all the races impacting Homewood residents, read our full story on the elections. 

Here is a closer look at the candidates for Alabama State Senate District 16.

Nate Carlson

Nate Carlson is an entrepreneur, former University of Alabama football player and business leader running for Alabama State Senate District 16. A Birmingham-area small business owner and Alabama native, Carlson has emphasized support for law enforcement, reducing taxes and costs for families, expanding workforce development and modernizing education and technical training opportunities. He has also described himself as pro-life, pro-family and a supporter of Second Amendment rights.

Carlson is the co-founder and chief operating officer of Real and Rosemary and Caveat Coffee, two Birmingham metro businesses. He also serves as entrepreneur-in-residence at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, where he works with students and professionals launching businesses and entrepreneurial ventures.

His background also includes mentorship and nonprofit work through the 1st & Ten Club of Alabama and the Saban Legacy Fund, organizations that help current and former University of Alabama football players prepare for careers and life after athletics. Carlson also works with students at University Charter School in Livingston to encourage entrepreneurship and small-business development.

Before attending Alabama, Carlson received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. He later joined the Crimson Tide football program under coach Nick Saban and was part of Alabama’s 2009 and 2011 national championship teams. After earning his undergraduate degree from Alabama, Carlson received his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, where he was elected class president by his classmates.

Carlson and his wife, Jennifer, live in Homewood with their three children.

J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner

J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner is the longest-serving legislator in Alabama history and is currently serving his eighth term representing Senate District 16. Before joining the Senate, Waggoner served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1966 to 1983. He also served as Senate minority leader from 2002 to 2010 and Senate majority leader from 2010 to 2014.

Born in Birmingham on Jan. 8, 1937, Waggoner earned a bachelor’s degree from Birmingham-Southern College and a law degree from Birmingham School of Law. He and his wife, Marilyn, have four children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A Republican and member of the Homewood Church of Christ, Waggoner has long been involved in civic, business and community organizations throughout the Birmingham area. His board service has included the Birmingham Business Alliance executive committee, Faulkner University Board of Trustees, Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of several local chambers of commerce, Civitan International, the Masons and Shriners organizations and the Monday Morning Quarterback Club.

Waggoner has received numerous awards and recognitions during his decades in public service, including the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and the Alabama State Council on the Arts Legacy Award in 2013. He was inducted into the Birmingham-Southern College Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the school’s Distinguished Alumni award in 2013.

In the Senate, Waggoner serves on several committees, including Banking and Insurance, Finance and Taxation Education, Rules, Joint Transportation and Legislative Committee on Public Accounts. He also serves as chair of the Rules Committee and the Jefferson County Legislation Committee and as vice chair of the Confirmations Committee.