Kevin Brock, a veteran public servant and former police chief with nearly three decades of military and law enforcement experience, announced in a news release that he is entering the race for Baldwin County Commission District 3, saying county government has become dominated by a political machine that benefits insiders at the expense of residents.

“For years, Baldwin County residents have watched taxes rise, traffic worsen, and rural communities disappear all while a small group of political insiders continues to benefit,” Brock said in the release. “This county doesn’t have a leadership problem. It has an accountability problem.”

Brock has spent 23 years serving communities across South Alabama, most recently as Summerdale's chief of police. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Troy University and has extensive experience managing public budgets, personnel and crisis response. He said that background gives him a firsthand understanding of how county decisions affect public safety, infrastructure and quality of life.

According to Brock, the same concerns continue to surface in county government, including what he described as backroom deals, unchecked development, bloated spending and a lack of transparency. He said residents often feel excluded from decisions that directly impact their neighborhoods.

“People feel like decisions are already made before the public ever hears about them,” Brock said. “That’s not representative government, that’s a political machine protecting itself.”

Baldwin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Alabama, a trend Brock said has exposed years of poor planning and insider-driven decision-making. He pointed to worsening traffic congestion, controversial zoning approvals and infrastructure failures as signs the county has struggled to keep pace with growth.

“We are growing faster than our roads, faster than our schools, and faster than common sense,” Brock said. “And the people paying the price are working families, farmers, and longtime residents who feel like they’re being pushed out of their own communities.”

Brock said his campaign will center on ending backroom politics, holding county leadership accountable, managing growth responsibly, protecting rural Baldwin County and making county government transparent and accessible to the public. He also pledged to advocate for continued live-streamed work sessions, open records, clearer zoning decisions and stronger oversight of county spending, particularly in public safety and corrections, which make up significant portions of the county budget.

Unlike career politicians, Brock said he has already faced political pressure during his career and refused to give in.

“I’ve seen firsthand how power can be misused to silence people who won’t play along,” Brock said. “That’s exactly why I’m running. Baldwin County needs commissioners who answer to the people, not to developers, not to insiders, and not to a political machine.”

Brock said his campaign is focused on restoring trust between county government and residents of District 3.

“This campaign isn’t about ambition,” Brock said. “It’s about restoring trust. It’s about telling the truth. And it’s about giving the people of District 3 a commissioner who will fight for them…even when it’s uncomfortable.”

Kevin Brock is seeking election to the Baldwin County Commission District 3 in the upcoming election cycle.