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Matthew Hammett was sworn in as the next Alabama State Representative of District 92 by Retired District Judge Trippy McGuire in a ceremony held Friday, Jan. 6, at the Covington County Courthouse.

“I, Matthew Hammett, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alabama so long as I continue a resident thereof and that I will faithfully and honestly discharge the duties of the office I’m about to enter to the best of my ability, so help me God,” he repeated after McGuire.

He has owned and operated his business Hammett Drilling Company since May 1996.

“If you had told me 20 years ago we would be here today for this reason, I would have never believed it. We would not be here if it were not for all of your support and prayers. We have challenges and can solve the problems and will all work together to solve this district. I pledge to work to solve the problems to the best of my ability and will always try to do what I believe is right. I will always keep you in mind when deciding how to address these issues. I will need your advice and patience when dealing with the issues that will arise. As a group, we must find a way to get the attention we need from Montgomery and Washington. We must work together as a unit to tackle these issues.”

His plans are to work with others and focus on the district’s most important needs.

“One of my top priorities is to improve the labor force in this district. The way to do that is through education. Dual enrollment is an opportunity for high school students to be exposed to skills not limiting them to specific skills or trades. That is why I am committed to building a career-tech center here in Covington County. Our community-elected officials must find a way to work together and address our local needs. We will do our best to partner with the cities and counties in this district to fulfill the commission of addressing our wishes and desires but most importantly our needs,” Hammett said.

He was encouraged by others to run after Mike Jones elected to seek another position.

“I had a lot of business people and others on the school board who encouraged me to run or think about it. My wife and I were talking about it one night, and I hadn’t made a decision yet. I was watching the news and got a little upset about something that happened. She told me, ‘You can’t keep complaining if you don’t step up and do something about it.’ That started it, and 15 months later, we won the general election. We were blessed.”

Hammett is excited for the opportunity to represent the state locally. “I’m a small business owner and know how hard it is to pay the taxes and make ends meet. I’m not going to go up there and spend that money like it’s not mine because it is,” he said.

He feels one of the largest problems the district is experiencing is labor force.

“We have to start training some of these kids who aren’t going to a four-year school and get them trained while they’re in high school. When they get out, they can make a good living right out of the gate. Dual enrollment and career tech are my number one goal. I want to work with Dr. Brock Kelley at LBW to try and get the funding for a main career-tech center on the main campus in Andalusia.”

McGuire added that he was honored to administer the oath of office to Hammett.

“I have known Matthew since he was a youngster and the men’s breakfast at the Macedonia Methodist Church in Rose Hill where the Hammetts were members for years. I knew him as a young boy and have watched him grow into the man he is today. If you think about the Hammett name and what it means to this county, it denotes several traits such as hard work, ethics, responsibility, leadership, and good character.”

Hammett expressed gratitude to everyone who supported his campaign and attended his swearing-in ceremony. “It shows people in this county and district believe in me and know the man I am. They know I’m going to do the right thing when we get to Montgomery.”

He and his wife Selena Hammett of nearly 28 years live in the Rose Hill community. They have three children: Emily Schuster, 26; Bailey Hammett, 24; and Joseph Hammett, 20.