LT. Gov. candidate Patrick Bishop says that he is the most qualified candidate in the field

September 28, 2025 – Retired U.S. Army Major Patrick Bishop is one of a half dozen candidates running for Lieutenant Governor. Bishop in addition to being a veteran is a law enforcement officer who currently serves as a Cullman County Sheriff's Deputy.

Bishop launched his campaign for lieutenant governor in May 2025.

His campaign focuses on law enforcement, criminal justice reform, addressing the opioid crisis, education, and improving mental healthcare.

Bishop's specific proposals for addressing the opioid crisis in Alabama include declaring a state of emergency to improve coordination among state and local agencies.

The following are his key initiatives on the issue:

A) Bishop advocates for declaring a statewide state of emergency in response to the opioid crisis. Bishop says that this would allow for a more rapid and effective coordinated response.

B) Establish an Opioid Operational Command Center which would be a dedicated center to manage the response. The goal of this center would be to break down "traditional silos" and increase coordination between state and local agencies.

C) The proposed Opioid Operational Command Center would focus on enabling more fluid communication and action between law enforcement, mental health services, and other state and local bodies involved in combating the crisis.

Bishop said that there are differences between his and other candidates' approaches to the opioid crisis. Bishop's campaign said that compared to other Republican candidates for Alabama lieutenant governor, his proposed approach to the opioid crisis "is more focused on using emergency powers to foster inter-agency cooperation. Other top contenders generally support different priorities or have less defined plans."

Bishop said that he is the only candidate explicitly proposing a statewide "State of Emergency" specifically for the opioid crisis.

Bishop says that his plan to establish a dedicated Opioid Operational Command Center will improve coordination between state and local law enforcement and mental health services. "This is a more centralized, military-style approach" which was inspired by his experiences in the military and in law enforcement.

Bishop said that as a retired Army Major and Cullman County Deputy Sheriff his approach is distinctly influenced by his law enforcement and military background.

On the issue of improving Alabama's education system, Bishop says that he has engaged the teachers about the issues affecting their profession. He has gotten feedback about the shortage of teachers across the state. Teachers have advised him that "edTPA " is one of the central issues. In Alabama, edTPA is a required performance-based assessment for most candidates seeking initial teacher certification. It is a portfolio-based evaluation of your teaching performance that typically takes place during your student teaching internship.

The problems with Alabama's edTPA implementation and impact include its high costs, the demanding nature of the assessment, challenges in submitting video evidence, and concerns about its effectiveness in preparing teachers compared to high-stress testing. The state has also lowered passing requirements to combat the teacher shortage, but concerns remain about the assessment's alignment with real-world teaching. Bishop has been advised that teachers in this program do not get paid.

"The State of Georgia no longer requires the edTPA for teacher certification as of July 1, 2020," said Bishop. "While no longer a state-level requirement, educator preparation programs in Georgia can still use the edTPA for their own purposes. Georgia removed the edTPA requirement because it was seen as a barrier to entry for new teachers.".

The Alabama Farmers Federation has recently endorsed Wes Allen for Lt. Gov.

Bishop said that Secretary of State "Allen's campaign messaging has not highlighted specific opioid crisis plans. Instead, he has focused on his track record of eliminating spending, securing elections, and banning gender-affirming procedures for minors."

Bishop said that Allen's approach would likely emphasize law enforcement and conservative values, rather than the specific emergency management strategy proposed by Bishop.

Bishop said that Rick Pate's broad focus as the Commissioner of Agriculture, has been on issues like supporting farmers and President Trump's "America First Agenda." His stated priorities do not specifically detail a unique plan for the opioid crisis.

Bishop said that Pate emphasis on "hands-on leadership" and his business background could translate to addressing the crisis through economic or workforce-related initiatives, though he has not explicitly defined them.

Bishop believes that his background and history of service makes him uniquely qualified to serve as Alabama's next Lieutenant Governor.

Economic developers Dr. Nicole Jones Wadsworth, Montgomery community activist George Childress, and pastor Dean Odle are also GOP candidates for Lieutenant Governor.

The Republican primary is May 19, 2026.