Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley will be the keynote speaker at the Crenshaw County Democratic Conference's Annual Recognition Banquet on Tuesday, June 7.

The banquet will be held at the Tom Harbin Farm Center and will start at 7 p.m.

On May 19 Baxley officially announced her plans to run for governor and challenge incumbent Gov. Bob Riley, or another Republican candidate, in the upcoming elections.

"It will take leadership and strength to bring Alabama the future we deserve," Baxley said. " We have seen too many disappointed hopes, too many false starts, and too much political grandstanding in Montgomery.

It is time to get to work to ensure the quality of our schools and our jobs will finally match the great heart of our people."

Probate Judge Jim Perdue is pleased to have the Lt. Gov at the banquet.

"This is a great opportunity for people to come and hear what Mrs. Baxley has to say," said Perdue. "Her schedule is going to start getting full so this makes for an excellent first opportunity to hear some of her ideas and thoughts about the current state of government in Alabama and what she'd bring to the table as governor."

Baxley is a native of Houston County. She was elected State Treasurer in 1994 and again in 1998.

She won the 2002 Lt. Gov's race, becoming the first female elected to the office.

By virtue of her office, Governor Baxley is President and Presiding Officer of the Alabama Senate. She also sits on 35 state boards and commissions, some of which are: the Legislative Council, the Alabama Criminal Justice Advisory Commission, the Alabama Historical Commission, the Judicial System Study Commission, the Alabama Film Commission, the Corrections Institutions Finance Authority, the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board of Trustees, and the Water Pollution Control Authority.

She is married to Jim Smith, also a native of south Alabama. She has two children, Becky Nichols and Louis Baxley, and two grandchildren. Lucy and Jim are members of Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery.

A limited number of tickets are available at $10 per ticket.