Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Candidates to Speak on UA Campus

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tuscaloosa County probate judge candidates Hardy McCollum (incumbent) and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton will speak on campus as guests of The University of Alabama journalism department in October.

McCollum, seeking re-election to his seventh term of office, will appear at 3 p.m. Oct. 11 in room 213 Graves Hall. Sexton, serving his sixth term as sheriff, will speak at 3 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Ferguson Forum room (third floor) at the Ferguson Student Center.

Each appearance will last one hour and will feature remarks by the candidate followed by questions from the audience. The programs are open to the public.

McCollum and Sexton were invited by the department of journalism in an effort to ensure the UA community had background on this year’s most high-profile local race. The event will be covered by journalism students in instructor Don Brown’s Depth Writing class.

“We appreciate this opportunity to meet and hear these public officials present their priorities for our county, and to explain the far-reaching importance of the probate judge office,” said Dr. Jennifer Greer, chair of the journalism department. “Its authority touches virtually every aspect of life in Tuscaloosa County.”

McCollum has been probate judge continuously since first being elected in 1976. The office is a six-year term. Its main duties include being chairman of the County Commission, whose budget for this fiscal year is $84.8 million.

Sexton is serving his sixth term as Tuscaloosa County Sheriff and has been a law enforcement officer for 35 years. He took a leave of absence from January 2008 to September 2009 to serve in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This is his first candidacy for probate judge.

Seating is limited, so instructors wishing to bring large classes to the event should contact Brown at hannahhb@aol.com to ensure everyone can be accommodated.