¶ 2. Geography and Communities
- Spatial coordinates: District geographic bounding box spans west longitude -86.118894 to -85.398837 and south latitude 33.941423 to north latitude 34.526255 in northeastern Alabama.
- County jurisdiction overlaps: Intersects nearly all of Cherokee County and the southeastern and eastern rural portions of DeKalb County, verified via the US Census Bureau TIGER/Line Cartographic Files.
- Primary municipalities and places: Contains the municipal center of Centre (nearly entire mapped place), Crossville (nearly entire mapped place), Leesburg (nearly entire mapped place), Sand Rock (nearly entire mapped place), Cedar Bluff (nearly entire mapped place), Broomtown (nearly entire mapped place), Geraldine (nearly entire mapped place), Spring Garden (nearly entire mapped place), and Gaylesville (nearly entire mapped place).
- Partial boundary place overlaps: Intersects portions of Collinsville, Lakeview, and the northern fringe of Piedmont, mapped through US Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 Places.
- Topography and natural features: Encompasses the southern Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain plateau edges transitioning into the Coosa River Valley and the basin of Weiss Lake, managed by Alabama Power Shorelines.
- Transportation corridors: Anchored along east-west and north-south freight routes including US Highway 411 connecting Centre with Gadsden and Rome (Georgia), US Highway 278, Alabama State Route 68 traversing Sand Mountain, and Alabama State Route 9, cataloged by the Alabama Department of Transportation.
¶ 3. Population and Electorate
- Total population: 48,134 persons (margin of error ±1,156), reported in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates via the Census Reporter API Profile B01003.
- Household income: Median household income of $51,248 (margin of error ±$2,604) in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars, sourced from Census Reporter Table B19013.
- Poverty status: 9,384 individuals (margin of error ±1,155) living below the federal poverty line out of a poverty universe of 47,205 persons (margin of error ±1,166), representing a 19.9% poverty rate, documented via Census Reporter Table B17001.
- Demographic composition: Predominantly non-Hispanic white rural population with emergent agricultural and poultry workforce concentrations around Collinsville and Crossville on Sand Mountain.
- Voting-age population: Rural, high homeownership electorate with strong voter turnout historically concentrated along the Coosa River corridor and municipal centers.
¶ 4. Elections and Political Context
- Partisan alignment: District 39 leans heavily Republican in modern state and federal general elections, following broader political shifts across northeastern rural Alabama and the Sand Mountain rim.
- Historical legislative tenure: Long represented by Democrat Richard Lindsey of Centre from 1983 until 2018, marking one of the final rural Democratic legislative tenures in North Alabama before Republican realignment recorded in Alabama Legislature Archive Records.
- 2018 and 2022 general elections: Ginny Shaver secured the seat in November 2018 and won re-election in November 2022 as documented in official canvasses published by the Alabama Secretary of State Election Center.
- 2026 election cycle calendar: Primary election held May 19, 2026; primary runoff held June 16, 2026; general election scheduled for November 3, 2026, pursuant to the Alabama Secretary of State 2026 Election Schedule.
- 2026 certified nominees: Ginny Shaver certified as the Republican candidate on 2026-08-28 via the Alabama Secretary of State Republican Candidate Certification.
¶ 5. Economic and Civic Anchors
- Healthcare institutions: Anchored locally by Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, a critical rural access hospital providing emergency care, outpatient clinical services, and primary medical support across Cherokee County.
- Regional healthcare referral: Tertiary specialty care, trauma services, and major inpatient surgical treatments are provided outside the district footprint by DeKalb Regional Medical Center in Fort Payne and hospitals in Gadsden and Rome, Georgia.
- Higher education and vocational training: Home to the Gadsden State Community College Cherokee Campus in Centre, delivering workforce training, dual-enrollment coursework, and technical credentialing.
- Manufacturing and industrial employment: Automotive tier-supplier manufacturing is anchored by KTH Leesburg Products LLC in Leesburg, documented by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, supporting regional automotive assembly supply chains in Alabama and Georgia.
- Agriculture and agribusiness: Extensive poultry processing, broilers, cattle, and row-crop farming clustered on Sand Mountain around Crossville, Geraldine, and Collinsville, supported by regional producers and feed mills.
- Tourism and recreation: Centered on the 30,200-acre Weiss Lake impoundment, renowned as the Crappie Capital of the World, which drives hospitality, seasonal housing, boating, and sport fishing operations monitored via Alabama Power Shorelines and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.
- Environmental and utility infrastructure: Dominated by the Coosa River hydro system including the Weiss Dam hydroelectric facility, regulated under federal licensing and state environmental programs overseen by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
¶ 6. People and Organizations to Map
- Ginny Shaver: Current State Representative for District 39, resident of Leesburg, serving on house standing committees and active in rural education and family services policy.
- Cherokee County Commission and Municipal Councils: Governing entities in Centre, Leesburg, and Cedar Bluff overseeing local zoning, county roads, and public safety coordination.
- Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce: Regional business federation headquartered in Centre promoting commercial recruitment, small business support, and recreation tourism.
- Research Question 1: What relationship, if any, exists between shoreline regulation and water level management by Alabama Power at Weiss Lake and legislative initiatives regarding tourism and utility governance in Alabama House District 39?
- Research Question 2: What relationship, if any, exists between industrial incentives along the US Highway 411 and Alabama State Route 68 corridors and employment patterns at manufacturing facilities such as KTH Leesburg Products LLC?
- Research Question 3: What relationship, if any, exists between program offerings at the Gadsden State Community College Cherokee Campus and vocational workforce demands of agricultural and industrial employers across Cherokee and DeKalb counties?
¶ 7. Representation and Legislative Work
- Incumbent representative: Ginny Shaver (Republican), first elected in November 2018 and re-elected in November 2022.
- Committee assignments: Active in legislative committees including Children and Senior Advocacy, State Government, and Local Legislation, tracked through the Alabama Alison Legislative Management System.
- Policy focus areas: Legislative work centers on rural healthcare stabilization, adoption reform, public school funding, volunteer fire department appropriations, and infrastructure investments for rural roadways and utility services.
- Regional legislative delegations: Collaborates with legislators in the Cherokee, DeKalb, and Etowah county delegations regarding regional economic development along the Lookout Mountain and Coosa River corridors.