Jamie Kiel takes Oath of Office

The race is over, he’s been sworn in, and now District 18 State Rep. Jamie Kiel is ready to get to work.

“I knew the important thing during the campaign was to go to as many homes as possible to find out the needs of the district, and I did that thousands of times,” Kiel said. “Now that the race is over, I will take the information that I received, and continue to receive, to Montgomery and go to work.”

Dec. 2 Probate Judge Barry Moore administered the Oath of Office, and Kiel was sworn in.

“I was honored to be there, and I’m excited to be working with him. We can accomplish a lot by working together,” Moore said.

Kiel is already in the process of meeting with the North Alabama Council of Local Governments about possible grants for the area as well as meeting with the local school systems to assess their needs.

“I will be a very hands-on representative and will be very accessible to our local leaders and to my constituents,” he said.

Kiel said it is his belief that everyone should be involved in the law-making and budgetary process.

“It’s important for voters to know their representative and feel like they can talk to them.  That’s the type of representative I will be,” he said.

Franklin County Superintendent Greg Hamilton said that he is looking forward to working with Kiel. “I know we share the same passion for public education and the children of this county,” Hamilton said.

Children’s education is important to Kiel, who has three daughters himself. He said his family has been a major support system for him throughout the campaign.

“My wife Melissa and I prayed about the decision, and she was in 100 percent agreement that we could do it as a family. They have been super supportive. My family knows that we will all have to sacrifice, but we believe that it will be worth it,” he said.

His family and friends provided a strong team that has helped him along this journey, and Kiel said he is determined to put together another strong team that will make sure his district is well represented in Montgomery.