Senator-Elect Garlan Gudger, left, with The Busy Bee Café’s Kitty Spears at the restaurant on Thursday. Gudger bought lunch for the community. (Andrew Cryer for The Tribune)
CULLMAN – The Busy Bee Café may have never seen a lunch rush as packed as Thursday’s, thanks to Senator-Elect Garlan Gudger, who paid for everyone’s meals. During peak service, patrons were lined out the door and sitting multiple parties to a table.
The Tribune spoke with Gudger about why he would hold such an event, and he shared what many people who have grown up in Cullman know about The Busy Bee. “Growing up in Cullman, The Busy Bee was a staple in my life. I came here three to five times a week, and everybody that I have built relationships with over the years, I’ve met in this place,” he said.
“It’s made me feel good to be able to give back and support those who supported me during the campaign. I thought that there wouldn’t be a better setting than to do that in downtown and The Busy Bee.”
Gudger used a portion of his remaining campaign funds to pay for lunch. “I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t something that I kept for myself… I’d rather spend it this way than using it as something that would help me get re-elected.”
Gudger said politics is not always about who has the most money. “I’d rather give it all away and let my performance be my base for hopefully winning again in four years instead of having a big war-chest where people are afraid to run against me.”
If funds continue to be available, Gudger said he hopes to hold many more events like the one at The Busy Bee in other parts of his district, saying he hopes that by giving back to the communities that have given to him that they “realize how much I appreciate them and sincerely appreciate them coming out and voting for me.”
Gudger will face no Democratic opponent in November’s general election, after which he will represent Alabama’s District 4, which is comprised of the entirety of Cullman and Lawrence Counties as well as portions of Winston and Marion Counties.
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