Gay, right, welcomes Billy to the GOP
Escambia County District Attorney Steve Billy has switched to the Republican Party and announced he will seek a fourth term in 2022 on the GOP ballot.
"I'm the same person I was when I ran in 2004," Billy said. "The Democratic Party has shifted drastically to the left, which is inconsistent with my personal views and beliefs."
Billy, 61, is a native of Brewton and a 1975 graduate of T.R. Miller High School. He attended Jefferson Davis State Junior College, the University of Alabama and Auburn University.
Billy opened a Flower shop in Brewton in 1983 and then went back to college to earn his bachelor's degree at Faulkner University. Billy then attended the Jones School of Law in Montgomery.
He first began working in the district attorney's office in 1995, ran for the office as a Democrat in 2004 and was elected to his first term. He was re-elected in 2010 and 2016 without opposition.
"I'm going to continue to do my job," Billy said. "This shouldn't be a job where you're elected by party. When somebody comes in my office I don't ask them their party affiliation, I treat everybody the same."
Jackie Gay, chairman of the Escambia County Republican Party recently welcomed Billy to the GOP.
"We look forward to working with Mr. Steve Billy as we continue to advance conservative policies and principles," Gay said in a statement. "Mr. Billy is an outstanding district attorney who cares deeply about Escambia County and upholding justice. We are happy to have him on our team to support the values we all share."
