Chad "Chig" Martin is an Alabama entrepreneur who has announced his candidacy for Governor of Alabama in the 2026 election. Representing the Democratic Party, Martin brings a diverse background in business and a passion for improving the lives of all Alabamians.
Early Life and Education
Chad Chig Martin was born in Enterprise, Alabama, in 1968. He graduated from Enterprise High School and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1991.
Business Ventures
Martin is a successful businessman with a 33-year working history in Alabama. He is the owner and operator of Martin Mobile Home Park, Thunder Industrial Supply, and Honeysuckle Hemp Co., the first hemp dispensary in Alabama, located in Dothan. He also owns Chig Daddi Entertainment and has a national hat line sold on www.hats.com under the Chad "Chig" Martin brand.
Musical Career
In addition to his business ventures, Martin is the lead singer for "Chad Chig Martin and The Alabama Outlaws." The band recently released a video via YouTube for "Dime a Dozen," a song written and performed by Martin.
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Political Aspirations
Martin has previously considered a run for Governor, forming an exploratory campaign committee in 2018. He is now officially a candidate for the 2026 Alabama gubernatorial election. His campaign, which he refers to as “The Citizen’s Driven Movement,” has grown rapidly. Martin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in both 2021 and 2025, providing insights into his motivations and policy positions.
Key Issues and Platform
Martin's platform focuses on several key areas:
- Economic Development: Recruiting high-tech industry with job placement throughout the state, focusing on top-earning jobs with benefits. He plans to personally oversee the recruitment of high tech industry to Alabama.
- Education: Revamping the public education system and creating institutions that are a source of community pride. He fully supports an educational lottery to fund classroom supplies and provide scholarships.
- Healthcare: Providing affordable healthcare, expanding Medicaid, improving mental health programs, and decriminalizing natural medicines. He will start a medical task force made of eight regions across the state.
- Infrastructure: Investing in roadways, broadband, and waste water management to revitalize agricultural industries and enable remote Alabamians to expand agritourism efforts.
- Gaming Zones: Creating four gaming entertainment zones throughout the state, ensuring that every Alabamian lives no more than two hours away from such a zone.
- Environmental Protection: Strengthening and enforcing dumping and pollution regulations, providing adequate funding to state regulatory agencies, and working with private companies and nonprofits to monitor and mitigate pollution.
- Hemp Industry: Reversing HB 445 Hemp Bill.
Ballotpedia Survey Responses
In his Ballotpedia survey responses, Martin emphasized several priorities:
- Recruiting high-tech industry with job placement throughout the state.
- Revamping the public education system and creating institutions that are a source of community pride.
- Ensuring that all citizens are treated equally and fairly.
Positions on Key Issues
Here's a summary of Martin's positions on some key issues:
- Natural Medicine: He supports the full decriminalization of cannabis and wants to allow citizens to grow six plants at one time without fear of arrest.
- Abortion: He personally believes in life but respects the rights of others to be in control of their own bodies. He believes that decisions such as rape or incest resulting in pregnancy should be decided by the respective families and/or their medical team.
- Equality: He believes that all Alabamians should be granted a fair and equal chance on all opportunities, including employment.
- Animal Welfare: Addressing animal abuse and neglect issues.
Financial Information
Chad H. Martin has an estimated net worth of $15.8 million.
Read also: "Married to Evil": Chad Graves
Vision for Alabama
Martin aims to rebuild the core of Alabama, improve the quality of life for its citizens, and create a user-friendly environment for businesses. He wants to provide opportunities to improve quality of lives for families and wants citizens to have the healthcare that every American deserves. He wants to educate our children while also growing high tech industry in our state.
He plans to travel the state hosting in-person Meet & Greets where voters are welcome to ask questions as well as present solutions to issues their community faces.
2026 Alabama Gubernatorial Election
The 2026 Alabama gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3, 2026. The primary election will be held on May 19, 2026, with a primary runoff election on June 16, 2026.
Race Ratings
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets:
- The Cook Political Report
- Inside Elections
- Sabato's Crystal Ball
- DDHQ/The Hill
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