Read about Mary Wynne Kling's opponent, Joe Lovvorn, here.
Mary Wynne Kling has a rule in her family. If you complain about something, you must propose a solution.
"I am very good at complaining, and one day my husband may have used my very own rule against me," Kling said and laughed.
Kling, the outreach and development coordinator for the Lee County Humane Society, is running against incumbent Republican State Rep. Joe Lovvorn, for House District 79. The district includes most of Auburn.
She helped found Alabama Together, a non-partisan group of concerned voters in Lee County.
"I am running because I want for my kids what everyone wants for their kids," Kling said. "I want my kids to grow up well-educated, happy, healthy and safe."
Kling said Alabama has a long way to go to ensure students the education, jobs and healthcare they need to stay in the state.
Education is a high priority for her moving forward, as Alabama's education system is ranked 47th in the nation.
She said evidence-based policy making is "her thing," and she has seen the importance of early childhood education. Kling is a strong supporter of the education lottery.
"My girls will be headed to college before I know it, and I am well aware of how much tuition costs at Auburn," Kling said. "In the last 10 years, college tuition has increased by 50 percent. That absolutely horrifies me."
In that vain, the education lottery is a major pushing point for Kling. Alabama will soon be the only state in the Southeast without a lottery. Mississippi earlier this year passed a bill authorizing a lottery.
She said it is not unusual to see a parking lot of Alabama license plates at the Georgia Welcome Center during a big jackpot.
"Those are Alabamians supporting Georgia students," Kling said.
In addition to tackling skyrocketing tuition prices and the education lottery, Kling said she wants to push workforce trade programs in schools to promote industry in the state and through the state education system.
Part of the plan for the lottery, Kling said, is providing two-year scholarships to students who see a shorter education track for themselves in a trade-based field.
Kling is a first-time candidate that has made an obvious point to distant herself from political action committee, or PAC, donations. In large white writing on her website homepage is "Mary Wynne is supported by people not PACs."
As of Nov. 4, Kling had raised just over $24,000 — in comparison to Lovvorn's contributions of over $322,000, according to the campaign finance reports.
She said her campaign had to be very careful with money moving forward with the decision to steer away from PAC donations.
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