The way I see it, the race for U.S. Senate will come down to the classic matchup: outsider versus establishment insider – us versus them. We have seen the political insiders and country club communities across Alabama coalesce like never before around mad mama candidate Katie Boyd Britt. The sheer volume of PAC dollars supporting her candidacy is mind-blowing. Over $10M was spent attacking Mike Durant. Watching them use their money and political crony networks to successfully manipulate the image of an American hero and successful businessman Mike Durant has been nothing short of campaign mastercraft, and it disgusts me. Do not let them fool you.
I was and remain committed to making sure the next senator from our great state is not part of the establishment. They are the problem. They are the reason Alabama is last in the country by most standards. Even when Republicans had control of the House and Senate, they did nothing to reduce the size of the federal government and reverse our ill-fated course. Republican leadership has failed us. They are losing the battle to restore fiscal conservatism and small government principles. They go along to get along to stay in power and help their cronies prosper. Spineless, weak-kneed, establishment Republicans have allowed liberals to take control, and they are rapidly destroying our economy and clawing away at our freedoms. Katie Boyd Britt is the most establishment-backed candidate we have ever seen, and she is neither a conservative nor a fighter. Ask yourself why the people responsible for this mess want her elected so badly. The answer is clear; it’s because they want the status quo. It has served them well.
Unlike lobbyist Katie Boyd Britt, Mike Durant is a fighter. He is tested and proven. He put his life on the line to fight for our country. For our freedom. Mike spent 11 days as a prisoner of war after his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. After being tortured and held captive, he still served out his term in the military before settling down in Huntsville, Alabama, where he built a successful business from the ground up and raised six kids. Mike has had two successful careers, while Katie has had one – serving politicians. She has been moved from job to job, not based on her accomplishments, but because the powers that be have been grooming her to replace Richard Shelby since her college years. I’ve watched it happen.
I attended the University of Alabama when Katie was crowned SGA president by the machine. Since then, and especially during my 15 years of working in Montgomery, I have seen more instances than I can count of her lobbyist and insider cronies manipulating candidates and votes. They think they are in control, and truth be told, they have been. But I’ve had enough of their backroom deals and incompetence. We cannot let the establishment candidate be crowned our next senator. Someone brought up and trained in the ways of the Swamp won’t know how to drain it. Plus, someone who has spent her whole life trying to climb the political ladder is immediately suspect in my eyes.
We also know for certain Katie Boyd Britt isn’t a fighter for conservative values. She says she will fight in her campaign ads and talks about the issues her high-dollar pollsters tell her are important to conservatives, but she has a pattern and practice of not fighting for those very issues when given the chance. She says she will fight for life. Yet, she didn’t use her veto power as SGA president to do so, though she used the power two weeks later related to a parking matter. She says she is anti-big government and a fiscal conservative, but she promoted Common Core and advocated for the gas tax increase during her time as head of the Business Council of Alabama. She says she supports Veterans and mental health but declined to stand up for both when her Democrat surrogate, Parker Griffith, diagnosed Mike Durant with PTSD. Katie says she’s a fighter, but her actions show different. She is not a principled conservative; she is a polished establishment puppet. Attempting to paint her as a fighter or a conservative is more of the same campaign mastercraft mentioned above. Don’t fall for it.
The well-funded super PACs supporting Katie have blanketed the state with mailers designed to subtly shift your impression of Mike. They say Mike doesn’t live in Alabama and that he hasn’t been campaigning. Both are lies. Mike has lived in Alabama over 20 years. He still has a child in high school in Madison County. As for campaigning, check out his social media accounts. He is on the ground working as hard as any candidate in the race.
They said Mike doesn’t support the Second Amendment because of a dismissive sidebar comment made while speaking to the Army War College about military tactics to disarm a community. Mike has spent more time with firearms than all his opponents combined. No one in this race knows the importance of the Second Amendment more than Mike Durant. He risked his life to protect our right to bear arms. He owns over 20 guns, including an AK-47 and AR-15, and he won’t let anyone take them.
They said Mike isn’t tough on immigration. Mike Durant is the strongest candidate on border security in this race. Mike knows that President Donald Trump was right: They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. And we stop it all by building the wall. They said Mike is backed by liberals. Mike’s disdain for liberals is clear every time you hear him speak. He wouldn’t accept their money, unlike Katie Boyd Britt. Mike Durant’s biggest donor is Mike Durant! Like President Trump and Coach Tommy Tuberville, he can’t be bought by anyone. Mike’s only priority is to serve the people of Alabama. That’s it.
Let’s give Mike Durant a third tour of duty. He is the only conservative outsider in this race, and we know we can trust him to fight for change. Do not be fooled into electing a phony conservative who won’t fight for our values. I encourage every Alabamian to get to the polls on May 24th and vote to send American hero Mike Durant to drain the Swamp!
Jessica Taylor ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Alabama. She withdrew in January 2022.
