Wardell to campaign for state Senate

FLORENCE - A Florence woman who recently helped north Alabamians attend the Taxpayers March in Washington, D.C., has entered the District 1 state Senate race.

Denel Wardell said she will seek the Republican Party nomination in June.

The District 1 Senate seat will be vacated in 2010 with the retirement of Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals, who is dean of the state Senate.

Wardell, 42, is the first Republican to announce plans to seek the office. Democrats Tammy Irons, a state House member, and Ryan Clayton say they are also running.

Wardell has been active in politics for about 20 years, working on other campaigns and participating in political events. She was most recently active in the Taxpayer March in September.

"I have been telling people we need to stop reacting and start acting," Wardell said. "I decided it was time I stopped just telling people that and actually started doing it.

"It seems no matter how many people we pull together, how many signs we carry, or how loud we are, the politicians still don't see us as the ones in charge. So, I decided the only way to change that is to jump on the front lines and serve the people from inside the political machine. I am going to Montgomery, not as a politician, but as a representative of the people, so their voice can be heard."

Wardell, who is self-employed, said the biggest issues facing the state are education and strengthening Alabama's sovereignty.

She said she recently attended a meeting where she was told that many schools don't have the books they need to teach students.

"I don't want taxes raised; we just need to rearrange the budget so the money we have goes to help the children first and then to everything else," Wardell said.

Wardell said she doesn't have professional experience as a politician or a degree in law or politics, but she has "faith in God to guide my steps" along with a desire to serve the community. She said she will not foster a politics-as-usual mentality.

For more information, visit the Web site denelforthepeople2010.com.