Tributes poured in Wednesday, following the sudden death of state Rep. David Wheeler (R-Vestavia Hills). Gov. Kay Ivey calls the Vestavia Hills Republican "a good man, devoted to his values, his community, and Alabama." Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman Paul DeMarco said it's a "great loss for the community." DeMarco noted that Wheeler "was so deeply involved in everything in the county, from our schools to supporting our law enforcement, to representing the communities that he loved so much. Our prayers go out to his family and all his friends." Wheeler, a former Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman, and retired Alabama Power Co. executive, was elected in 2018. He was running unopposed for the Republican nomination this year, as he sought a second term in House District 47, which covers portions of Vestavia Hills and Hoover. Alabama House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) reacted to word of Wheeler's death by saying: “The people of District 47 and all of Alabama have lost a devoted servant and I've lost a good friend.” House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter said Wheeler “stood firm in his conservative beliefs and understood that the moral character and values unique to Alabamians are what make our state such a special place to live, work, worship, and raise a family.”
State Rep. David Wheeler was 72.