Most people's hometown at least has a traffic light or two, but Joe Lovvorn grew up in a town with only a stop sign. And instead of a Dollar General or a Walmart, Graham, Alabama, Lovvorn's hometown in Randolph County, boasted only two small country stores.
"In a small town a lot of the issues of the day are discussed in the small stores," Lovvorn said. "I would sit with parched peanuts on rainy days and hear the other farmers coming in, talking about their struggles. ... The rainy days in farming — that's when politics were talked about."
One of Lovvorn's grandfathers owned a saw mill, but he also served on the school board and as a small-town mayor. Lovvorn's dad served on the county commission. He said they instilled in him the values he holds dear today as he runs for the Republican nomination for House District 79.
"Small town values, understanding and the appreciation of sitting down at that kitchen table to tighten the belt on your budget to live within your means, I feel like we could apply some of that common sense to how we run our government on all levels," he said. "Live within your means, prioritize and be true to the people who are around you."
Lovvorn said the couple hundred people who lived in his small hometown always picked one another up by the bootstraps. His family owned one of the country stores in the town, but if something ever happened, they knew they could rely on the store across the street.
"We had a country store beside us that some of our family friends ran, and we always got along and worked well," he said. "Because if one of us faltered, all of us faltered. We got along so well with the neighboring store that if we were out of Reese's Cups at my grandma's store, I could take a snickers over there and swap it for a Reese's."
Lovvorn said he learned early that he should always try to give back to his community.
"They instilled in me that you work hard every day," he said. "You be true to your religion, true to your family and true to your neighbor. That's what they instilled in me. As a farmer, you may work in the fields all day but there's usually a meeting somewhere in the community that you're going to to try to make your church better, try to make your school better and try to make your county better."
Now, Lovvorn balances a day job at the Auburn Fire Division, where he works every third day as a battalion chief, with his work at Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate and the dedication he has for his franchise of Two Men and A Truck, a moving company located on Opelika Road.
Lovvorn said he is ready to sacrifice his time for the district, though, if he's elected.
"It's always been instilled in me that it's hard work, keep pushing," Lovvorn said. "I have amazing people through our company. ... I've surrounded myself with good people who help me daily, who have strong family values. ... I wouldn't be running for this if I didn't feel like I could whole-heartedly represent the people."
He's also taking a step back from his work in real estate, a business in which his wife Jennifer now works full time. Lovvorn and his wife both received degrees from Auburn, and they have two kids who attend Auburn City Schools.
He's the only candidate with a degree from Auburn.
"I had a lot of family who were Alabama fans," Lovvorn said. "But I have always been pulled toward Auburn. I think it may be my love for agriculture and agribusiness, knowing it's the land grant school. ... I have bled orange and blue for my whole life, even when I had family who didn't. I was a believer in Auburn, and I still am today."
Lovvorn will face off against real estate developer Jay Conner, attorney Brett Smith and small-business owner Sandy Toomer in the Republican Primary to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13. If no one clenches 50 percent in the election, there will be another primary runoff held in November.
If no runoff is necessary, the general election is scheduled for Nov. 29.
Lovvorn on the issues
A state-run lottery
Gov. Robert Bentley's special session plan to pass legislation needed to implement a state-run lottery failed, but Lovvorn said he believes the people should have the right to vote on a lottery.
"I believe that we have the support to where the vote should go to the people to approve the lottery," he said. "I believe our job as the Legislature would be to put together the right package for the people of Alabama."
Lovvorn said when he campaigns door-to-door, he sees support for the lottery. However, not support for Bentley's plan specifically. The governor's plan would have revenues from the lottery benefit the state's General Fund, which provides money for Medicaid, corrections and other essential state services.
Lovvorn said he would want "a large sum" of the lottery revenue to benefit the state's Education Trust Fund.
"People are wanting the lottery, but they're wanting an education lottery," Lovvorn said. "I feel we have to tie the nuts and bolts together a little more on where the money is going to go and how it's going to be regulated for the future. It's not a fix-all for the state's problems."
He was wary of trusting the lottery as a fix for the state's common budget shortfalls, though.
"I don't want us to put too much faith in a lottery that's going to save Alabama, like some people say," he said. "I do think it would provide some funding, but we've just got to make sure where that funding is going to be allocated because the income from it is going to fluctuate."
Medicaid and no new taxes
For the past several years, the state of Alabama has continually been faced with budget deficits between $80 and $200 million. This year, the state met in a special session to try to balance a short fall of about $87 million that would have affected the state's Medicaid agency.
Lovvorn said he would not support raising any new taxes to balance the shortfall.
"We need to continue to get our house in order," Lovvorn said. "We need to continue tightening our belt and find ways that we have any abuse of any systems or anyway. We need to continue to tighten it up."
Economic growth, he said, could help to improve the state's budget deficits.
"We need to continue to push for our economy to improve, because it's been proven time and time again that you don't improve revenue by taxing. You improve revenue by providing tools for people in business to prosper, and in turn, it puts more money back into the government and back into the economy."
Lovvorn said he would help create "good-paying" jobs to improve the economy.
"People know how to spend their money better than the government does," he said.
Lovvorn said he would volunteer for the House General Fund Committee.
"I want to see where we can find solutions," Lovvorn said. "I live my life in business where I'm pulled to problems to try to find solutions. That's why I'm running, to try to solve some of these issues and keep this area prosperous."
Education
Last year, the Legislature borrowed nearly $80 million from the state's Education Trust Fund to cover a 2015 budget shortfall that took two special sessions to balance. Lovvorn said he doesn't support taking from the Education Trust Fund to balance the General Fund.
"I think we need to stop robbing from the Education Trust Fund, because if we run into another recession and we've already borrowed money from those locations, then the state may not be in a position to pay those back," he said. "You then may see double the pull back in funding."
Lovvorn said if the state continues to take funding from universities, they will begin to suffer from the cuts.
"They're going to start to suffer," he said. "Then we're not putting out the high-level, high-trained people who are going to get into the economy and give back. It's a cycle we shouldn't get into."
He said he would support providing more funds to the University for research and development.
"We've got some amazing public-private partnerships going on," he said. "We've got some amazing things going on in research and development. And it helps the University. It helps the students by providing those opportunities."
Check out The Plainsman's comprehensive coverage of the House District 79 election
- Read a profile on House candidate Jay Conner
- Read a profile on House candidate Brett Smith
- Read a profile on House candidate Sandy Toomer
- Read a profile on House candidate Gage Fenwick
- Read a profile on House candidate Joe Lovvorn
- Candidates talk issues, trust in forum
- Lovvorn refunds $10,000 donation
- House candidate: 'We should concentrate on making our state better' not fighting the federal government
- Fourth Republican announces candidacy for House seat
- Third candidate announces plans to run for Auburn's House seat
- Two hopefuls announce plans to run for Hubbard's vacant seat
- Election announced to replace Hubbard
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