Name & Occupation: Katie Boyd Britt; U.S. Senator for Alabama
Previous jobs held: President & CEO, Business Council of Alabama; Chief of Staff, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby; Attorney, Butler Snow LLP; Special Assistant to the President, University of Alabama; Press Secretary, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby; Deputy Press Secretary, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby
You’ve been in the Senate for just over six months. What has surprised you most about the job? Having first walked into the Hart Senate Office Building as an intern 20 years ago, it is an incredible honor to now walk these halls as a Senator and have my name on the door. I still have to pinch myself some days – however I’m quickly humbled when I’m still stopped and asked for my staff ID from time to time.
As the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate, what is one piece of advice for young women across the country considering running for office? We need you to get off the sidelines and into the arena, whether it’s the U.S. Senate or your local schoolboard. Don’t be afraid to make that leap of faith and put yourself out there. When I first got into the Republican primary, I was polling at 2% and my opponent was at 65%. But through hard work and determination, we were able to build an amazing campaign and eventually win 66 of 67 counties in that primary. We won by going old school, visiting every single county, going out to meet farmers and small business owners, taking our message to the people.
What is one problem facing Alabamians that you are working to resolve in the Senate? I ran for the Senate because I wanted to preserve the American Dream for my children and for generations to come. The fact that I’m a product of public schools in Coffee County, Alabama, and now vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate is proof that in this country, it’s not your zip code that matters, but your integrity, your character, your work ethic, and the way you treat people. I’m fighting every day to grow 21st century opportunities for hardworking Americans and defend Alabamians’ values, interests, and liberties.
Finally, what must the GOP do in the Senate to reclaim its majority? The Republican Party is the party of parents and families. When we take our message to the American people, we have to focus on solutions to the crises that every family is facing around their kitchen table right now. The disastrous Biden Administration has made our country weaker and the world more dangerous at every turn. We know they don’t have the right answers. It’s time to put hardworking Americans back in the driver’s seat.
--###--
The Ripon Forum is published six times a year by The Ripon Society, a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER
