Photo/Erin Nelson Starnes Media
Walt Harris.
Ward 3’s Walt Harris announced he is running for City Council in Ward 3, Place 1 in the upcoming election.
Harris, 37, is a professional mixed martial artist and the stepfather of the late Aniah Blanchard, who was kidnapped and killed last year. This is his first run for municipal office.
“This is just another way to show my community of Homewood how much I love them and how grateful I am to have them in mine and my family’s lives,” Harris said in an Instagram post announcing his candidacy.
If elected, Harris said he will continue the effort to revitalize Green Springs Highway. He said he wants sidewalk connectivity to the Lakeshore Estates neighborhood and walkability to the Shades Creek Greenway trail.
He said he wants school resource officers in Ward 3 schools. He also said he wants to find alternative measures to educate law enforcement. “Defunding the police is not the answer,” he said.
He said he will make sure he gives citizens in his ward an open line of communication using email, text messaging and more. He also said he wants to create initiatives to unify Homewood.
Harris recently made headlines with his wife, Angela Harris, when they announced their new nonprofit, Aniah’s Heart, which aims to educate the community about personal safety habits. They announced the nonprofit June 22 — which would have been Blanchard’s 20th birthday — and had a bench dedicated in Blanchard’s name at Patriot Park.
He received his associate’s degree in physical education with a minor in business from Chipola College.
Visit his Facebook page for more information.
