One after another, friends and coworkers of Ed Green endorsed him for Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney.

Their speeches were short at Greene’s campaign kickoff Saturday night. Each one, though, hit on the same themes – responsibility, hard work and experience.

Morrow added that speeches were one thing, and contributions another. &uot;Let’s start off and give Ed some money and get him elected,&uot; he said.

Randy Hillman, director of Alabama’s prosecution services office, said he travels the state and talks to district attorneys in every circuit. &uot;Having Ed here makes my job a lot easier.&uot;

Hillman said the district attorney was the most powerful person in the county. &uot;The judge decides what happens to people in front of him,&uot; he said. &uot;Ed decides who’s in front of him.&uot;

Selma Police Chief Robert Green and Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman Jr. couldn’t make it to Saturday’s event, but both sent representatives with letters of endorsement.

Lt. David Evans with the police department said Greene always worked with his office. &uot;Ed, we truly, truly appreciate all you’ve done for us.&uot;

Assistant Chief Deputy Wayne Odom with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department said Greene had assisted his office for years. &uot;We need to do this again and let this man be district attorney,&uot; he said.

All of Greene’s supporters received applause as they finished their words, but none received as much as when Greene himself took the microphone and began to speak.

Greene discussed his experience before becoming district attorney in 1998 and about the successes his office has enjoyed since. &uot;Over the past six years I’ve brought the office from a point were finances were bare to where we can hire personnel and survive state budget cuts,&uot; Greene said. &uot;That shows an administrative ability that should give the people reassurance.&uot;

Since Greene has been district attorney, an assistant district attorney has been added in each county of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which encompasses five counties.

Greene’s office also joined the Alabama ICE program, which focuses on prosecuting gun crimes on the federal and state level. &uot;We’ve been nationally recognized for that,&uot; he added.

Other successes of Greene’s are the creation of the drug task force as well as the creation of a check unit in all five counties.

Greene graduated in 1965 from The University of Alabama law school and began working as a law clerk in Huntsville. He then joined the district attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney before becoming the chief assistant district attorney.

He returned to Selma in 1975 and served as chief assistant district attorney under Morrow. After a brief stint with a local law firm he returned to the district attorney’s office as chief assistant district attorney from 1981 to 1998, when he was appointed district attorney.

In 1998 he ran for district attorney and won.

Greene is married to Sandy Greene. They have two daughters, Kari Alexander and Meg Sims, and five grandchildren.