State Auditor Jim Zeigler will speak to the ‘Common Sense Campaign’ of Baldwin and Mobile counties tonight. He says he will announce the official filing of his campaign for governor with the Secretary of State. He formed the “Zeigler for Governor Exploratory Committee” last month. He says he is now required to file it with the Secretary of State due to receiving campaign donations over the legal threshold.
He would face incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, who last month announced for re-election to another term. He says the race would be “Zeigler and the Taxpayers vs. Ivey and the Insiders.” The qualifying deadline for candidates is January 28, six months away. The Republican primary is on May 24.
Zeigler has led four citizen campaigns against Ivey initiatives, winning three.
“I led the citizen movement against the Ivey gas tax. I located funds to pay for our infrastructure needs without the gas tax increase. Gov. Ivey and the Insiders did not listen to our ‘Plan Z’ and boldly ran over us – and ran over you,” Zeigler said.
“The gas tax increase was supposed to go for roads and bridges. But Gov. Ivey proposed adding toll roads and bridges on top of the gas tax. Double taxation. The initial Ivey toll road was to be on Interstate 10 over Mobile Bay between Mobile and Baldwin counties. It was a horribly flawed plan. It would have harmed over 15,000 families that daily cross the Bayway bridge going to work. It would have hurt small businesses. It would have awarded outsiders a 55-year lease on this vital section of an Interstate highway so used by commuters.
“We figured out a legal way to block the toll plan, and by the grace of God, it worked. We, the taxpaying public, backed down Gov. Ivey and the Insiders. Score one for us taxpayers
“Then, Gov. Ivey rammed through the legislature her Amendment One. It would have taken away your right to vote for school board members and made them all appointed by the governor. My wife and I chaired the statewide campaign to defeat Amendment One in the March 2020 referendum of state voters. We – and you – defeated Amendment One with a resounding 75% ‘no’ vote. Score two for us taxpayers.
“Then, Gov. Ivey concocted a $3 billion prison lease scheme. We taxpayers would have paid rent of about $100 million a year for 30 years. At that time, we would have owned equity in those prisons of – ZERO. The Ivey prison plan would have gotten us into a 30-year mistake.
“I was blessed to lead citizen opposition to the Ivey prison plan. We pointed out fatal flaws in the plan, and the investors did something that the Ivey Insiders will not do – they listened. All the investors pulled out, and the flawed Ivey prison rental plan failed. Score three for us taxpayers.”
Zeigler is term-limited and cannot run again for State Auditor.
His wife Jackie Zeigler is the elected member of the State Board of Education in the seven counties of the First District. She has led the fights to repeal Common Core and to block Critical Race Theory in Alabama schools.
