CULLMAN — Local businessman Steve Cummings has announced he will seek the Republican nomination for Cullman County circuit clerk in the March 13 primary election.

Cummings, a supporter of traditional Republican moral and fiscal conservatism, said his disposition and his experience managing his family’s business —Cummings Sporting Goods in Cullman — equip him well to take the top job in an office that requires equal skills in handling finances and in greeting the public.

“Having spent the past 35 years working at Cummings Sporting Goods, you could say I know how to deal with people — working with the public is something I've always loved, but it's not for everybody,” said Cummings. “Some people would pull their hair out after just one year of retail, but that's not how I lost mine — heredity is probably to blame; both my grandads were bald.”

Cummings said he believes keeping a sense of humor is a vital tool in working with employees and with those who need their services. It’s a trait he said runs in his family; one he feels can help build trust and ease tensions while doing serious work.

“Hopefully, I got a mix of [my grandfathers’] integrity and character,” he said. “J.O. (James) Cummings, who passed away in 2009, was a great salesman and was always the funniest guy in the room. He taught me how to use humor to cut the tension of any situation. And J.T. (John) Farmer, who passed away in 2001, worked two full-time jobs — he was a full-time Baptist preacher, while still holding down a regular job. He instilled in me that we are here on earth to make a positive difference in the lives of people around us.”

Public trust is a function of genuinely representing who you are, and having the fortitude to stand by your convictions no matter the consequences, Cummings said.

“We like to elect people we have rapport with, but unfortunately most politicians try to be all things to all people,” he said. “It's the equivalent of wearing an Alabama shirt one day, and an Auburn shirt the next  — nobody likes that guy. That's why most people dislike and distrust politicians — because they can't take a stand on anything.

“I know a few things about taking a stand on an issue,” he added. “My first political campaign was in 2010, when I was the chairman of the Committee to Keep Cullman Special — also known as the ‘Dry Vote’ guy. I took plenty of heat for my stand, but I believe I represented thousands of people in our community well. Just mentioning the wet-dry vote, some would say, is political suicide. But I believe half the population would appreciate what I did, and maybe the other half could at least give me credit for taking a stand in public. Either way, I would never run from my past, because I haven't done anything I'm ashamed of... except the Macarena.”

Attributing his best qualities to the lessons he learned from his family, Cummings said treating people with respect — no matter their background or their social standing — is among the most important qualities Cullman’s next circuit judge should have.

“I got a lot of who I am from mom and dad — my dad, Robin, works at Peoples Bank, and he brought me up to treat everybody with respect,” said Cummings. “The way you treat people whom you have nothing to gain from shows your true character. Watch how you treat your next waitress.

“My mom, Charlotte, passed way in 2003 after a month-long battle with cancer. I worked with her every day at our store. She didn't have to teach me how to treat people — she lived it out in front of me. I learned more management skills and how to get things done from my parents than from all my college business classes put together.”  

Cummings said he also possesses the fundamental on-the-job skills the circuit clerk’s position demands.

“I believe I have the skills necessary to do the job,” he said. “The office requires someone who can do several things all at once — welcome to my world. I have no problem juggling several jobs at once; I also believe that, if you run a business, you had better learn to do any job that you ask your employees to do. If you don’t, it’s like trying to coach a sport you’ve never played.

“I've managed Cummings Sporting Goods since mom’s death in 2003. I've spent eight years of constantly dealing with tough situations in our business. I’m a huge proponent of using technology to make things run more efficiently. I’ll use that same resourcefulness I’ve used in the business world in the job of circuit clerk. I’ve managed over 40 different sports teams over the years. As a coach it’s my responsibility to create an environment where success is both expected and appreciated. That’s how I will approach the employees of the circuit clerk’s office... I love Cullman, and would be proud to serve my community, given the chance.”

Cummings, 48, attended Cullman High School and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He and his wife, Debby — a teacher at West Elementary in Cullman — have two children, Cody and Carson. The family attends Northbrook Baptist Church.

Cummings currently serves as vice chairman of the Cullman City Planning Commission. He also serves as member at-large of the steering committee of the Cullman County Republican Party. He has served for several years on the board of the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, and has also sat on the board for the Cullman chapter of the United Way.

He has also devised various ways to engage Republican interests in the community over the years, most recently as the creator of the Possum Day festival, held in Cullman each summer.



* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 270.