Thomas Christopher "Chris" Elliott is an American politician and state senator in the Alabama Senate in Senate District 32. ^[1]

Early life and education

Elliott was born and raised in Mobile and Baldwin County. After graduating from St. Paul's Episcopal School Elliot received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in Virginia, majoring in political science and urban policy. ^[2]

After completing his undergraduate studies, Elliot worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Emergency Management field and for Virginia Power focusing on Nuclear Security and Emergency Preparedness. Later, he returned to Baldwin County in order to raise his family and become a small business owner.^{[ citation needed]}

Elliott has been active in Republican party politics for over two decades, and has worked for numerous statewide and local political campaigns in Alabama. Elliot served on the executive committee of the Baldwin County Republican Party, formerly as Vice Chairman for District 2, served on the Steering Committee of the Baldwin County Republican Party, the executive committee of the Alabama Republican Party, is a member and past Chairman of the Baldwin County Young Republicans, and is an associate member of both the Eastern Shore and South Baldwin Republican Women. ^[3]

Political career

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Elliot is a member of the Alabama Senate where he serves as Chairman of the County and Municipal Government Committee and Vice-Chairman of the State Governmental Affairs Committee, he also serves as a member of the Aerospace and Defense Caucus, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.^{[ citation needed]}

He formerly served as the Chairman of the Baldwin County Commission and the Chairman of the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization, as well as on various national, statewide and countywide boards and committees. While Commissioner, Elliot also served on the Board of Directors of Baldwin County United Way.^{[ citation needed]}

In 2015, he was recognized as one of the Mobile Area's Top 40 Under 40 Young Leaders by Mobile Bay Monthly Magazine ^[4] and, in 2018, he was recognized in the Yellowhammer Power and Influence 50, Who's Next, ^[5] an annual list of the 50 most powerful and influential players in Alabama politics. He is a graduate of the Alabama Leadership Initiative and a member of the 30th Class of Leadership Alabama. ^[6] In 2020, Elliot was recognized as an Emerging Legislative Leader by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business ^[7] and was named the Alabama Forestry Association's "Legislator of the Year" in 2021 ^[8]

Key issues and legislation

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• Infrastructure Funding - Elliott serves on the Senate Transportation Committee, which allocates state transportation funding dollars, and was appointed by the Lt. Governor to serve on the Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) and serves as the Chairman of the JTC's State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) subcommittee. The STIP . ^[9]
• School Funding & Debt Structure - Elliott secured more funding for schools and has successfully shepherded legislation ^[10] that ensures fast growing school districts receive more funding sooner, approximately $12 million annually, from Alabama's education budget ^[11] and that those dollars are spent efficiently by passing legislation ^[12] that protects those dollars without needing to encumber them with debt, a savings of $162 million over 30 years. ^[13]
• I-10 Toll Bridge - Elliott has long supported the improvement of the I-10 corridor over Mobile Bay but opposed the original toll scheme proposed by Governor Kay Ivey to pay for the project. ^[14] He was instrumental in the efforts to thwart the Governor's toll plan which drew the Governor's ire. ^[15] After being declared “dead” by Governor Ivey, Senator Elliott worked to find a reasonable solution that preserves existing free routes, limits tolls and prevents foreign ownership of Alabama’s infrastructure. ^[16]
• Elliott introduced a bill to strip $5 million in funding from the Alabama Department of Archives and History because it held a single one-hour lecture on LGBTQ history. The bill did not pass. ^[17]

References

External links

• Political profile at Bama Politics
• Vote Smart - Chris Elliot profile
• http://electchriselliott.com/