Incumbents maintain substantial fundraising lead in Public Service Commission races

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[Photo Credit: AP Photo]
With the June 5 Primary less than one month away, Public Service Commission (PSC) candidates are gearing up for the final stretch of the race.
Unsurprisingly, Republican incumbents seeking re-election have raised the most funds and support for themselves.  In both the Place 1 and Place 2 races, only one Democrat is seeking election, meaning they will automatically advance to the Nov. 6 general election.

Place 1

For Public Service Commissioner Place 1, newcomer Republican Jim Bonner will face incumbent, Republican Jeremy Oden on primary day.

The winner will go on to face Democrat Cara Yvonne Mcclure in the Nov. 6 general election.

Campaign finance reports reveal Oden’s fundraising is far ahead of both Bonner and McClure’s — by over $160,000.


Candidate 
Beginning Funds on Hand Monetary Contributions Monetary Expenditures Non-Monetary Contributions Other Receipts Ending Funds on Hand
Jim Bonner $0.00 $0.00 $6,374.00 $4,484.00 $1,890.00 -$4,484.00
Cara McClure $1,415.54 $310.51 $2,012.82 $0.00 $1,105.03
Jeremy Oden* $6.47 $165,000.00 $6,550.26 $62.94 $7,633.67 $166,089.88
Oden is also the only candidate for Place 1 who has a Facebook page for his campaign, while McClure uses Twitter for most of her social media outreach. Bonner has only a personal Facebook page.
Newcomer McClure says her desire to be elected comes from a deep passion for the lower class, under-represented, and marginalized.
“My experience, and sincere belief, is that by acting in the best interest of those people, we can raise the quality of life for all,” she explained.

Place 2

In the race for Place 2, incumbent, Republican  Chris “Chip” Beeker Jr. has maintained a substantial fundraising lead, raising more than $40,000 than his closest opponent.
Beeker, who is seeking re-election, will face off against Republican  Robin Ann Litaker in the primary.
The winner will go on to face Democrat Kari Swenson-Powell in November.
Candidate Beginning Funds On Hand Monetary Contributions Monetary Expenditures Non-Monetary Contributions Other Receipts Ending Funds on Hand
Chris “Chip” Beeker Jr.*  $6,936.45 $41,500.00 $3,925.24 $0.00 $0.00 $44,511.21
Robin Ann Litaker $0.00 $3,081.82 $2,454.32 $3,118.00 $0.00 $627.50
Kari Swenson-Powell $0.00 $2,851.00 $977.31 $2,062.61 $250.00 $2,123.69
The Republican challenger to the incumbent Litaker said, “In the last few years we have seen a speaker of the house, governor, Supreme Court Justice, and others steeped in controversy which ultimately led to them being removed from office.” She went on to add, “In my career as an educator, I had to uphold a high standard of excellence and I was held accountable to the public in everything I did. Why should government be any different? I am running because I want to ensure that Alabama’s taxpayers and ratepayers are represented fairly.”
On the democrat side the winner of the republican primary will face Swenson-Powell, “This job excites me (yes, excites!) because it would give me an opportunity to represent all Alabamians and ensure that they are being charged fairly for their utilities,” said Swenson-Powell. “As a believer that we humans need to be good stewards of the Earth and it’s resources, as Public Service Commissioner, I would do everything in my power to make sure that clean energy resources have a pathway to flourish in Alabama.”
*  denotes an incumbent candidate.
Red denotes a Republican candidate.
Blue denotes a Democratic candidate.