Dothan attorney throws hat in for District 5 city commission bid

Gantt Pierce, 37, is hoping to fill the position being vacated by current City Commissioner Beth Kenward at the end of her term, saying he feels strongly that he has the integrity, vision, and leadership that is paramount to fill the seat.

“I am seeking office to continue the progress our mayor, city manager, and city commission have made in the past several years,” Pierce said. “I believe firmly that I can provide new ideas and solutions to problems or issues that may arise as we continue to grow as a city. I am passionate about growing downtown Dothan as well as maximizing the potential in Dothan’s District 5.”

Originally from Mandeville, Louisiana, Pierce moved to Dothan in 1995. He attended Honeysuckle Middle School and Carver Middle School and graduated from Northview High School in 2002. Upon graduation, he moved to Nashville where he attended Lipscomb University. He completed his post-graduate education at Jones School of Law in Montgomery where he met his wife Niki, who also practices law and is a founding partner of the Dothan Law Group.

Upon passing the bar in 2011, he began working as an attorney at the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers. In October 2020, he joined the Dothan Law Group.

Pierce and his wife have three children together – Elle, 6, and twins Max and Will, 3. Together, they attend the Westgate Church of Christ.

Currently, he is the treasurer for the Houston County Bar Association and has been a member of the Dothan Planning Commission since 2018. He has also served on the Dothan Area Young Professionals board and was named in the organization’s “Top 20 under 40” list in 2019.

Niki and Pierce founded GOKickball Dothan in 2012, which has grown to 350 Dothan young professionals battling out on the kickball field and networking at after parties. He is also a member of the Southeast Alabama Football Officials Association for the past 10 years as a high school football referee.

“I am firmly committed to advocating for the citizens and businesses in District 5 and look forward to the opportunity to represent District 5 on the Dothan City Commission,” Pierce said.

So far, Pierce is the only candidate who has announced a bid for the District 5 seat for the August election.