The Etowah County Commission race has officially begun with Mike Powell officially announcing his candidacy for District 1.
District 1 has been held by Joey Statum since 2010. Earlier in November, Statum announced his intentions to run for mayor of Southside in August 2025.
Powell is no stranger to the Etowah County Commission. He previously worked at the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office as Chief Administrative Officer until leaving in June 2023.
Since his departure from the sheriff’s office, Powell has been working at Gadsden State Community College on its campus police force, as well as working for Glencoe Police Department as needed. He is also a real estate agent for ERA King.
“I’ve always wanted to be a public servant,” Powell said. “I have always wanted to be involved and help the community.”
Powell said he has always had an interest in politics. In fact, he graduated from Jacksonville State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government.
“I’m the first person in my family to run for any sort of office,” Powell said. “I love dealing with the public and my time in law enforcement has let me meet so many people and help them. I want to continue that and build on that.”
Powell said the two most important things for his campaign and hopeful future position on the county commission is transparency and communication.
“My phone is always on,” Powell said. “I am easy to reach now, and I will continue to be that way if elected. I want people to know that I am here for them.”
As for his vision for Etowah County, Powell said it is simple — growth.
“There is so much potential for Etowah County,” he said. “With the Megasite and the way that all of our cities are growing, we have some great things going on. Growth is what this area needs. Growth in all avenues, but especially jobs. We need to bring in more business and industry to give our residents better job opportunities.”
Something else Powell believes is important for success in Etowah County is partnership.
“I want to ensure all our cities are working together,” Powell said. “That’s the only way we will continue to grow. We have to be on the same page.”
According to Powell, he and Statum have talked about the seat.
“I talked to Joey before really going too far in this journey,” Powell said. “He gave me his blessing and I promised to work hard for the people he has represented for the past 20 plus years.”
Powell lives in Southside with his wife, Lynn Powell. Lynn works at Gadsden State Community College. Their son, Austin, is a doctor in his first year of residency at a hospital in Huntington, West Virginia; their daughter, Abby, is set to graduate from Jacksonville State University with a Bachelor of Art degree in communication in December.
