CONTRIBUTED BY
THE LEW BURDETTE CAMPAIGN
Lew Burdette (R-ROANOKE) has defied big odds before. At age 15, he was abducted, then stabbed, shot, pitched in an abandoned well and left for dead. His survival was miraculous. Now his plight again is great. He is running for governor, first time out of the box. He’s never sought political office.
Lewin22 is becoming a byword with those who have attended one of his charismatic, warm hearted messages.
In 1974, doctors gave him a 5 to 10% chance. He walked out of the hospital two weeks later, went on to earn a finance degree and ultimately became chief operating officer at Books-A-Million. He took it from being a bookstore in Florence to a national chain, which at his departure was earning $250 million annually.
During his 13 years there, he helped with the creation of nearly 3,000 jobs. Having given his soul to God, he now runs the non-profit King’s Home in Birmingham that shelters abused and neglected women and children in Jefferson and Shelby counties.
“There are several reasons I’m running for governor of this great state of ours,” Burdette said. “The main one is that I’m sick of seeing corruption seep through its every pore. Corruption taints every facet of our political system. I, and those who elect me to lead them, are going to put a damper on it.”
As if being a political newcomer weren’t enough, Burdette is doing something unheard of in political circles. He is capping donations to his campaign while other gubernatorial candidates are bringing in millions.
Burdette definitely felt a call to throw his hat in Alabama’s largest political ring, but he said heaven forbid that he be considered one who uses his faith as a stepping stone.
“And thank God,” he said, “that I’m not a politician.”