- Legislative chamber: Part of the 105-member Alabama House of Representatives.
- District identifier: AL-HD-035 (SLDL key: sldl:01:35; catalog path: explore/places/al/lower/35).
- Incumbent officeholder: Represented by Representative Steve Hurst (record extract vintage 2026-09-30).
- Official map plan: Drawn under the redistricting plan enacted during the Alabama Legislature 2021 Special Session.
- Primary counties: Multi-county footprint encompassing all of Clay County, eastern and central portions of Talladega County, and the southern edge of Calhoun County.
- Boundary bounding box: West longitude -86.17437, south latitude 33.09026, east longitude -85.641129, north latitude 33.656936.
¶ 2. Geography and Communities
- Cartographic delineation: District boundaries are mapped by the US Census Bureau TIGER/Line Boundary Shapefiles, covering rugged upland topography between the Ridge-and-Valley province and the Piedmont plateau.
- County overlaps: The district includes all of Clay County and partial geographic sections of Talladega County and Calhoun County.
- Wholly or substantially contained places: The incorporated municipalities of Ashland (Clay County seat) and Lineville, as well as the unincorporated communities of Munford, Delta, Hollins, and Millerville, are almost entirely within the district boundary pursuant to Census TIGER Boundary Files.
- Partial municipal overlaps: The district boundary partially intersects the municipal limits of Talladega, Oxford, Anniston, Lincoln, Waldo, and Hobson City, as mapped in Alabama Redistricting GIS Layers.
- Natural landmarks and public lands: Encompasses Cheaha State Park, home to Mount Cheaha, Alabama's highest natural elevation point, located in Delta along the Clay-Cleburne border, surrounded by extensive acreage in the Talladega National Forest.
- Transportation network: Traversed north-to-south by Alabama State Route 9 and Alabama State Route 21, and east-to-west by Alabama State Route 48 and Alabama State Route 77, linking the interior timberlands to Interstate 20 along the northern perimeter.
¶ 3. Population and Electorate
- Total population: 48,584 persons (margin of error ±1,122), documented by the US Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
- Median household income: $61,356 (margin of error ±$4,261), measured in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
- Poverty universe: 47,490 residents for whom poverty status is determined.
- Individuals below poverty: 7,663 individuals (margin of error ±1,122), representing an estimated poverty rate of 16.1% across the district.
- Demographic composition: Rural population base characterized by multi-generational manufacturing and agricultural households, alongside residential communities connected to regional public education and state service centers.
¶ 4. Elections and Political Context (dated historical records)
- Election administration: Certified voter files and official contest certifications are managed through the Alabama Secretary of State Elections Division.
- Historical representation: Representative Steve Hurst has served continuous legislative terms since 1998, originally winning election as a Democrat before realigning with the Republican Party.
- General election nominees (2026): The certified candidates for the November 3, 2026 general election are Republican nominee Steve Hurst, certified via the Amended 2026 Republican Party Certification, and Independent candidate Joseph Cleveland, certified via the State Certification of Independent Candidate.
- Electoral calendar: Official candidate certification took place in August 2026, leading to the November 3, 2026 general election; official precinct-level historical vote counts are retained by the Clay and Talladega county probate courts.
¶ 5. Economic and Civic Anchors
- Major manufacturing anchor: Wellborn Cabinet, Inc., headquartered in Ashland, is an American-made custom and semi-custom cabinetry manufacturer operating extensive production facilities that serve as the principal industrial employer in Clay County.
- Local healthcare delivery: Clay County Hospital, operated by the Clay County Healthcare Authority at 83825 Highway 9 in Ashland, provides an acute care facility, a 24-hour emergency department, a nursing home, and hospice services directly inside the district footprint.
- Regional acute healthcare anchor: Citizens Baptist Medical Center, located at 604 Stone Avenue in Talladega under the Brookwood Baptist Health network, provides regional acute inpatient, surgical, and emergency healthcare serving residents across Talladega and Clay counties.
- Specialized state educational institutions: The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB), based in Talladega, operates comprehensive statewide educational and rehabilitation facilities, including the Alabama School for the Deaf, Alabama School for the Blind, and Helen Keller School of Alabama, anchoring public-sector employment in the region.
- Higher education institutions: Talladega College, an accredited historically Black liberal arts institution founded in 1867 in Talladega, maintains regional educational and cultural programming; workforce and technical degree pathways are provided regionally by Central Alabama Community College, which operates multiple campuses across Talladega and Coosa counties including facilities in Childersburg.
- K-12 public education systems: Public primary and secondary education inside the district is managed by the Clay County Board of Education (headquartered in Ashland, operating Central High School in Lineville) and Talladega County Schools (headquartered in Talladega, operating community schools such as Munford High School).
- State park and recreation infrastructure: Cheaha State Park, managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in Delta, anchors ecotourism, outdoor recreation, and lodging atop Cheaha Mountain within the Talladega National Forest.
¶ 6. People and Organizations to Map
- Representative Steve Hurst: Long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives representing District 35.
- Joseph Cleveland: Certified independent candidate seeking election to House District 35 in 2026.
- Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.: Key private manufacturing enterprise based in Ashland with substantial influence over local employment.
- Clay County Healthcare Authority / Clay County Hospital: Primary community medical center delivering direct clinical, nursing, and emergency care in Ashland.
- Brookwood Baptist Health / Citizens Baptist Medical Center: Regional hospital providing advanced clinical specialties and emergency care in Talladega.
- Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB): Landmark state institution in Talladega providing specialized instruction, vocational training, and regional services.
- Talladega College: Historic private HBCU providing undergraduate degrees and community outreach programs in Talladega.
- Central Alabama Community College (CACC): Regional public community college driving career-technical workforce preparation across the service area.
- Cheaha State Park: Key state-owned natural resource and recreation anchor in Delta.
- Research question 1: What relationship, if any, exists between manufacturing workforce demands at Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. in Ashland and technical training program investments offered through Central Alabama Community College and the Clay County School District?
- Research question 2: What relationship, if any, exists between patient service delivery at Clay County Hospital in Ashland and specialized emergency referrals directed to Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega?
- Research question 3: What relationship, if any, exists between state educational appropriations allocated to the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind and municipal infrastructure planning across intersecting Calhoun and Talladega county jurisdictions?
¶ 7. Representation and Legislative Work
- Legislative office details: Representative Steve Hurst maintains an official legislative office at Suite 413-B, Alabama State House, 11 S. Union Street, Montgomery, AL 36130, alongside district constituent services centered in Munford, as tracked by CIV.IQ Legislative Services.
- Standing committee assignments: Serves as Vice Chair of the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee, member of the House County and Municipal Government Committee, and member of the House Boards, Agencies and Commissions Committee, documented in CIV.IQ Committee Tracking.
- Policy focus: Legislative portfolio emphasizes rural economic support, timber industry tax treatments, local county commission authorities, state park facility maintenance, and specialized appropriations for regional educational and public-sector institutions.