By By Adam Prestridge
"Big Ben" Lodmell made a quick stop in Atmore Saturday evening as part of a meet and greet held at Royal Oaks Bed &Breakfast.
Lodmell is a candidate for U.S. Congress, First Congressional District, which Jo Bonner currently holds. Royal Oaks owner Foster Kizer said he decided to invite Lodmell, 36, for an informal meet and greet in order for local residents to get familiar with his platform.
"I just wanted to introduce him to people of the community," Kizer said. "It was not a fundraiser, we did not ask anyone for money. It was just a meet and greet."
Lodmell is a lifelong Democrat raised in Alabama and schooled in Huntsville. He currently resides in Mobile and attends the Baptist church with his wife and children.
Lodmell earned his bachelor's degree in economics international relations from Connecticut College and his master's degree in national security studies from Fletcher School at Tufts University.
According to Kizer, who supports Lodmell, the candidate's recent visit was important, so people recognize him when he starts campaigning door-to-door.
"He will be going around campaigning in the entire district, not just Mobile and Baldwin counties," Kizer said. "His goal is to get out to meet as many people as he can, the people that are out in the country and rural areas. Not just Mobile, Daphne and Fairhope. He wants to get out and meet the people and find out what issues are effecting them, not just on a national level, but personally."
During the meet and greet, Lodmell said his campaign will be "old fashion" in the sense that he plans to go door-to-door earning people's votes.
As for the event, Kizer said it went well.
"There was a good cross section of people," he said. "I wished it had been more. It's still early on in the game, but still the main objective is to get people familiar with his name, his face and his positions. As it gets closer to election time, people won't be saying, 'who is this person?'"
For more information on Lodmell visit his Web site at www.benlodmellforcongress.com