With Bobby Singleton’s landslide election to the Alabama Senate Tuesday, his former seat in the state House of Representatives now sits vacant. Albert Turner Jr. said Wednesday he wants to be the man to fill that vacancy.

“We are very interested in running. In fact, the run has begun,” said Turner.

Speaking of Singleton, he added “We’re going to form a team between the state House and state Senate to give the people of District 72 the service they deserve, that they need. The people of this district have been looked over and underserved.”

Turner hails from Marion and currently serves on the Perry County Commission, but stated that his forthcoming campaign would not distract him from his obligations to the Commission. “I am not going to neglect my duties on the county level,” he said. “I will continue to work and work hard for the citizens of Perry County.”

He may have to keep that promise for longer than expected. Although deputy press secretary for Gov. Riley’s office John Matson said that the state would work “diligently” to fill the newly open seat, the necessary timetable for a special election means that the seat will not be filled before the 2005 legislative session concludes. This could allow the state to prolong the election process beyond the expected five months.

Not that that will dampen Turner’s enthusiasm for the position right now. “We’re going to use a holistic approach to get things done. With our team and our knowledge and experience in state government,” he said, referring in part to his time with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, “we’re going to find the funding the district needs. ARC [the Appalachian Regional Commission] has programs we can look into and get funding for projects like highway construction…there are grants from the Homeland Security department we can get to help protect our communities.”

Turner’s campaign will certainly receive a boost from name recognition. Turner’s father, Albert Turner Sr., was a prominent leader in the Civil Rights movement.

The exact date for candidates to officially declare has not yet been established, but Turner said he was ready to begin. “We are excited about the opportunity and looking forward to running,” he said.