Lee Busby | |
---|---|
Member of the Tuscaloosa City Council from the 4th district | |
Assumed office October 15, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Matt Calderone |
Personal details | |
Born | 1956–1957 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Children | 4 |
Education | University of Alabama |
Lee Busby (born 1956 or 1957)[1] is an American retired military officer, politician, businessman and sculptor. He has served on the city council of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 2019. He was previously a write-in candidate for the 2017 special election for U.S. Senate in Alabama.
Military career
Busby was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[2] He graduated from the University of Alabama and served in the United States Marine Corps.[3] He served in Iraq and was vice chief of staff to General John F. Kelly, among other posts.[1] In 2007, Busby was awarded the Legion of Merit in recognition of his work as deputy chief of staff for the Marine Corps Forces Europe, in Europe and Africa.[4]
Busby retired in 2013 with the grade of colonel.[3] As a defense contractor, he trained soldiers in Afghanistan.[1]
Political career
U.S. Senate write-in candidacy
On November 27, 2017, Busby announced a write-in candidacy for the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama, fifteen days prior to Election Day. Busby lost the election to Democrat Doug Jones. Busby and several other write-in candidates together received a total of 1.7% of votes.[5]
Tuscaloosa city council
In October 2019, Busby was elected to the 4th district's seat on the city council of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[2] He successfully ran for re-election unopposed in 2021. Busby described four areas of focus in his political career: "fiscal responsibility, safety [and] security, historical preservation and economic growth through new businesses."[6] In May 2021, Busby made a public call for ideas to resolve safety issues in Tuscaloosa's entertainment districts.[7] As of 2021, he serves as the chairman of the Finance Committee of Tuscaloosa.[8]
Political positions
Busby is a registered Republican[9] and described his political leanings as centrist. He opposes legal abortion under most circumstances, supports Republican tax proposals and repealing Obamacare, and voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 elections.[1]
Personal life
Busby is divorced and has four children.[1] Before pursuing politics and after his retirement from the military, Busby took on a career in sculpting. He specializes in clay portraits of American soldiers killed in war.[3][10][11] In 2021, Busby and Mark Davis co-founded the Alabama Fallen Warriors Project, a nonprofit organization with the aim of raising money to sculpt busts of every American military service member killed in active duty since the September 11 attacks.[12]
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Doug Jones | 673,896 | 50.0% | |
Republican | Roy Moore | 651,972 | 48.3% | |
Write-In | Write-ins (includes Busby) | 22,852 | 1.7% | |
Total votes | 1,348,720 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
References
- ^ a b c d e Scherer, Michael (November 27, 2017). "Retired Marine colonel to launch Senate write-in campaign in Alabama". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ a b Schepis, Grace (October 8, 2019). "Lee Busby wins District 4 special election". The Crimson White. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c "This Retired Marine Colonel Is An Incredible Sculptor". Southern Living. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ "Military News". The Tuscaloosa News. March 4, 2007. ProQuest 379234009.
- ^ "Canvass of Results for the Special General Election held on December 12, 2017" (PDF). Special Elections Official Results. Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- ^ Lueker, Noah (February 1, 2021). "District 4 Incumbent Councilman Lee Busby Runs Unopposed". Tuscaloosa Thread. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ Morton, Jason (May 3, 2021). "Bar owners, City Hall talk crime, safety for Tuscaloosa entertainment districts". The Tuscaloosa News. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ Phillips, Ryan (July 30, 2021). "City Of Tuscaloosa Announces Third CFO Change Since June". Patch.com. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ Persons, Sally (November 28, 2017). "Lee Busby, retired Marine, says he never supported Roy Moore, sees path to write-in victory". The Washington Times. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ "Marine seeks to honor fallen veteran with sculpture on college campus". Fox News. October 30, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ Enoch, Ed (November 7, 2017). "Alabama unveiling bust of alumnus killed in Afghanistan". Associated Press. ProQuest 1961295353.
- ^ Caver, Hannah (December 2, 2021). "Trussville Rotary Daybreak hears from Fallen Warrior Project". Trussville Tribune. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ "2017 Official General Election Results without Write-In Appendix - 2017-12-28.pdf" (PDF). Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Who got the most write-in votes in Alabama's Senate race? Nick Saban makes top 7". 2017-12-20.