Seven State Senate seat races to watch
All 35 State Senate seats are up for grabs in the November 8 general election. Republicans hold a 27 to 8 margin over Democrats in the current makeup of the Alabama Senate. The Alabama Republican Party is running candidates in 29 seats. The GOP is defending all of the 27 seats they currently hold and are running candidates in two districts currently held by Democrats. Alabama Democrats are defending the eight seats they currently hold and are challenging the GOP in six districts currently held by Republicans. Libertarians currently hold no seats in the Alabama Senate but are running twelve candidates in State Senate races. There are a number of contested State Senate races on the November ballot. These are the seven races with the most chance of becoming interesting. Democrat Lisa Ward is challenging Republican incumbent State Sen. Gerald Allen in Senate District 21. Both of these candidates are well known in the Tuscaloosa area. Allen has represented the district for three terms and served in the Alabama House of Representatives before that. Ward is a former city councilwoman who is very active in the community. According to filings with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, Allen has a $204,872.68 campaign account balance entering September, which includes August contributions of $8,250. Ward, the challenger, meanwhile raised $23,149.76 in August and has a cash balance of $31,968.94 entering September. Neither faced a primary opponent. Democrat Kim Lewis versus Republican incumbent State Sen. Tom Butler in Senate District 2. Butler has represented Madison County in the legislature for parts of five decades, but this is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, and there are thousands of new people that bring different politics with them to the area. Lewis is hoping that an increasingly purple Madison County will result in a win. Butler was pushed hard in the Republican primary by former State Sen. Bill Holtzclaw. Butler raised $44,500 in the month of August and enters September with $38,166.63. Lewis raised $7,830 in August and comes into September with $27,859.70. In Senate District 33, incumbent Democratic Sen. Vivian Figures faces Republican challenger Pete Riehm. This has been a very safe Democratic district consisting of the poorest parts of Mobile as well as Mobile County suburbs like Prichard, but redistricting meant that the new district now goes deep into Baldwin County and picked up the very prosperous and heavily Republican community of Spanish Fort. This district went from very blue to purple thanks to the legislature’s redistricting and efforts to “unpack” Black voters from majority-minority districts. Is it purple enough for a Republican to take it away from the Democrats? That is for the voters to decide on November 8. Sen. Figures raised $31,500 in the month of August to enter September with $110,497.02. Riehm had contributions of $19,577.54 in August and enters September with $60,911.31. Democrat Sherri Lewis versus Republican Jay Hovey in Senate District 27. Hovey, an Auburn City Councilman, just narrowly defeated incumbent Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) in a heavily contested GOP primary. Hovey, who has the challenge of unifying Republicans, raised $85,500 in contributions in August to enter September with a cash balance of $70,074.17. Reese meanwhile raised $1,806.20 in August to bring a total of $2,703.33 into the month of September. Senate District 23 – here, there are three candidates vying for the open seat formerly held by State Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier, who vacated the seat in an unsuccessful bid for governor. Democrat Robert Lee Stewart narrowly defeated former State Sen. Hank Sanders in a hard-fought Democratic primary runoff in June. Stewart faces both a Republican in Michael Nimmer and a Libertarian in Portia Stephens. Stewart raised $16,987 in August to bring $17,872.84 into September. The Libertarian, Stephens, reported raising $2,060 in August to finish the month with $6,285 in cash on hand. The Republican, Nimmer, has not filed a campaign finance report. Alabama does not have general election runoffs, so when there are multiple candidates, the candidate with the most votes wins even if they got less than half of the votes. There is another three-way contest in Senate District 29. There, incumbent Republican Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Dothan) faces both Democrat Nathan “Nate” Mathis and Libertarian Floyd “Pete” McBroom. Matthis reported raising no money in August, but he has $5,719.36 in cash on hand. McBroom has not filed a campaign finance report with the Secretary of State’s office yet. The incumbent, Chesteen, raised $25,500 in August to enter September with $327,660.86. In Senate District 12, Republican Keith Kelley is battling Democrat David McCullars for the open seat currently held by Sen. Del Marsh. Kelley raised $29,658.24 in August and has $65,102.13 in cash on hand. McCullars only raised $265 in the month of August and entered the month of September with $4,377.15 in cash on hand. Kelley had a hard-fought Republican primary. This is a district that has given Marsh a close call in the 2014 general election. In other contested Alabama Senate races · SD3 incumbent Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) faces Libertarian Rick Chandler · SD4 incumbent Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) faces Libertarian Jacob Marlow · SD6 incumbent Larry Stutts (R-Sheffield) faces Libertarian Kyle Richard-Garrison · SD7 incumbent Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) faces Democrat Korey Wilson · SD15 incumbent Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook) faces Libertarian Michael Crump · SD17 incumbent Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville) faces Libertarian John Fortenberry · SD24 incumbent Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) faces Libertarian Richard Benderson · SD25 incumbent Will Barfoot (R-Montgomery) versus Libertarian Louie Woolbright · SD28 incumbent Billy Beasley (D-Clayton) faces Libertarian David Boatwright · SD35 incumbent David Sessions (R-Grand Bay) faces Libertarian Clifton Hudson Republican incumbents Tim Melson, Greg Reed, Steve Livingston, Clay Scofield, Andrew Jones, Randy Price, April Weaver, Jabo Waggoner, Greg Albritton, Clyde Chambliss, Chris Elliott, and Jack Williams are all running unopposed. Republican newcomers Lance Bell in SD11 and Josh Carnley in SD31 are also unopposed in the general election. Democratic incumbents Rodger Smitherman, Linda Coleman-Madison, and Kirk Hatcher are all also unopposed in the general election. State Rep. Merika Coleman is unopposed in SD19, which is being vacated by the retirement of Priscilla Dunn (D-Bessemer). In 2022 Republican candidates in Alabama have received $44,321,108.97 in contributions. Political Action Committees have received $17,846,761.05. Democratic candidates have received $6,629,199.43, and all other candidates have received just $111,950.87. The general
Missing military vets’ families meet with Ukraine officials
The families of two military veterans from Alabama who are missing in Ukraine this week met virtually with federal government officials and Ukraine’s ambassador, Oksana Markarova, and participated in two Ukrainian-American events to observe that country’s Independence Day. Alex Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, went missing after their unit came under heavy fire in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border on June 9. “It was wonderful to hear first-hand from the Ambassador that Alex and Andy are a priority along with all their prisoners of war,” Drueke’s mother, Bunny Drueke, said after Thursday’s conversation with Markarova and six members of the U.S. Department of State. “She also agreed to help us get a letter to President (Volodymyr) Zelensky thanking him for calling our men heroes and asking him not to forget them.” Huynh’s fiancee, Joy Black, said she was glad to be able to tell Markarova why he wanted to help Ukraine, according to a statement from the families. “It just laid on Andy’s heart to see teenage boys in Ukraine joining the Army to try to protect their homes,” she said. “Andy felt called to help, and Alex did too, and I could tell that touched her.” Drueke and Huynh are believed to have been taken into the Donetsk region. Russia and the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic currently control the majority of the region. The U.S. does not recognize the sovereignty of the DPR and has no diplomatic relations with them, making it necessary for Ukraine to lead efforts to get the men released. Neither Russia nor the DPR has confirmed any information about the missing men. Drueke, an Army veteran, served two tours in Iraq, while Huynh served four years in the U.S. Marines. Both Black and Bunny Drueke also recently participated in two Ukrainian-American events in Huntsville and Birmingham to celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day. “The more Ukrainians I meet, the more I understand why Alex fell in love with the people and the place when he got there,” Bunny Drueke said. “They love freedom the same way we do in America.” The families’ statement did not provide any details about the men’s current status. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Judge grants Donald Trump bid for special master in document search
In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and temporarily halted the Justice Department’s use of the records for investigative purposes. The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question. The order came despite the strenuous objections of the Justice Department, which said a special master was not necessary in part because officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged documents. The department said Monday that it was reviewing the decision but did not indicate if and when it might appeal. The order almost certainly slows the pace of the department’s investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago, particularly given the judge’s directive that the Justice Department may not for the moment use any of the seized materials as part of its investigation into the storage of government secrets at the Florida property. The injunction is in place until the yet-to-be-named special master completes his or her work or until “further court order.” “The Court is mindful that restraints on criminal prosecutions are disfavored but finds that these unprecedented circumstances call for a brief pause to allow for neutral, third-party review to ensure a just process with adequate safeguards,” Cannon, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 24-page order. Even so, it is not clear that the decision will present a long-term impediment to the investigation’s progress or significantly affect investigative decisions or the ultimate outcome of the probe. And a separate assessment by the U.S. intelligence community of the risk posed by the apparent mishandling of classified records will continue under the judge’s order. “While this is a victory for the former President, it is by no means an overwhelming win for him,” David Weinstein, a Florida criminal defense lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor, said in an email. “While it is a setback for the government, it is also not a devastating loss for them.” He noted, for instance, that the judge did not immediately order the seized documents returned to Trump or suppress any of the evidence. Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Monday that “the United States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the ongoing litigation.” A lawyer for Trump did not respond to a request for comment. The department and Trump’s lawyers are to submit by Friday a list of proposed special master candidates. FBI agents in August seized roughly 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items from Mar-a-Lago as part of a criminal investigation into the retention of national defense information there, as well as into efforts to obstruct the probe. About 100 of the documents contained classification markings. Trump’s lawyers had argued that a special master, usually an outside lawyer or former judge, was necessary to ensure an independent review of records taken during the search so that any personal information or documents could be filtered out and returned to Trump. In this case, the seized records “include medical documents, correspondence related to taxes, and accounting information,” the judge’s order said. Cannon said it was too soon to know whether Trump will be entitled to the return of any of the records, but “for now, the circumstances surrounding the seizure in this case and the associated need for adequate procedural safeguards are sufficiently compelling to at least get Plaintiff past the courthouse doors.” She also said she found persuasive his lawyers’ arguments that he faced potentially “irreparable injury” by being denied access to records that might be of significant personal interest to him. She said the investigative process had, so far, been “closed off” to him. “As a function of Plaintiff’s former position as President of the United States, the stigma associated with the subject seizure is in a league of its own,” Cannon wrote. “A future indictment, based to any degree on property that ought to be returned, would result in reputational harm of a decidedly different order of magnitude.” The Justice Department had argued against the appointment, saying it was unnecessary because it had already reviewed potentially privileged documents and identified a limited subset that could be covered by attorney-client privilege. The department had been using a separate “privilege review team” for that work, but Cannon cited at least two instances in which members of the investigative team were “exposed” to potentially privileged material, something she said raised questions about the adequacy of the process. The department had also said Trump was not entitled to the return of any of the presidential records that were taken since he is no longer president, and the documents, therefore, do not belong to him. And personal items that were recovered were commingled with classified information, giving them potential evidentiary value, the department said. Though prosecutors had argued that Trump, as a former president, had no legal basis to assert executive privilege over the documents, the judge said he was entitled to raise it as a concern and permitted the special master to look for records that might be covered by that privilege. “The major sticking point, I think, is that the executive privilege documents were included” in the judge’s decision, said Florida criminal defense lawyer Richard Serafini, a former Justice Department prosecutor. Cannon, who was nominated by Trump in 2020, had signaled last month that she was inclined to appoint a special master and did so again during arguments last week, asking at one point, “Ultimately, what is the harm in the appointment of a special master to sort through these issues without creating undue delay?” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Gary Palmer calls out Joe Biden for divisive speech
Thursday, President Joe Biden delivered his controversial speech, deriding Trump-supporting Republicans as a “threat to democracy.” Congressman Gary Palmer called the speech “disturbing” in a statement on Friday. “The overwhelming majority of Americans understand that a house divided against itself cannot stand,” Palmer said in a press release, quoting Mathew 12:25, which was the basis of a famous President Abraham Lincoln speech. “Apparently, given his divisive speech last night, President Biden and the Democrats in control of Congress do not.” “If history properly reflects President Biden’s political address to the nation, it will be viewed as one of the most disturbingly divisive speeches from the mouth of an American President,” said Palmer. “There is no doubt that our nation is deeply and dangerously divided, perhaps more so than any time since the Civil War. In designating people who truly want a more secure and prosperous future for themselves and their children as threats to our democracy, President Biden literally divided our nation even further. His speech will only serve to incite suspicion and fear between neighbors, coworkers, and even among members of the same family simply because they voted for a candidate the far-Left Democrats loathe and fear.” “I would like President Biden to answer this question—what is wrong with wanting to make America,” said Palmer. “Great Again? Moreover, why isn’t making America great again and restoring to all Americans the hopes and dreams of a nation that is secure, prosperous, and respected your top objective? Why do you and the Democrats in Congress continue to make life harder for American families by increasing their cost of living? Why do you continue to put our national security at risk by not securing our border? Why do you continue to allow China and Mexican cartels to kill our people with fentanyl?” “To categorize people who want to make America great again as threats to democracy is both wrong and dangerous,” Palmer said. “Words have meaning and the power to inspire people to achieve great things or incite them to do destructive things. Once spoken or written, words cannot be taken back; they are like arrows in flight, they cannot be returned. The words loosed from the mouth of President Biden in a speech about America’s soul struck with poison tips. We can only hope that his words missed the intended mark. Instead of inciting Americans to turn on one another, hopefully his words inspired the American people to turn out in record numbers in November to reject the destructive agenda of Joe Biden and the Democrat Party.” President Biden’s Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech was a talking point for many Republicans over the weekend. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Facebook, “Instead of trying to bring our country together to solve the MANY problems he has created, President Biden has chosen to divide, demean, and disparage his fellow Americans—simply because they disagree with his policies. Mr. President: you owe millions of Americans an apology.” Congressman Mike Rogers commented on Facebook, “If you are a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen that believes in religious liberty, the Second Amendment and are proud to be an American, then Biden believes you are a threat to democracy.” Gary Palmer is in his fourth term representing Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama home to six of the highest paid government employees
Recently federalpay.org listed the top 100 highest-paid government employees of 2021. The state of Alabama is home to six of these government employees. The website lists the highest paid employee as Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose salary is $456,028. In the number six position for highest pay is Dr. Joseph K. Smith. The website lists him as a Medical officer in Birmingham, Alabama. His pay is $418,756. Dr. Smith specializes in Diagnostic Radiology and has more than 30 years of experience. At #12 on the list is Dr. William L. Holman. Dr. Holman is a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UAB and the Chief of Surgical Services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Birmingham. Holman’s salary is $415,141. Drs. Mark N. Hadley, Barton L. Guthrie, and Winfield S. Fisher are listed as #14, 15, and 16, respectively. The men are all medical officers for the Veterans Health Administration and make $414,284. Dr. Hadley has been a neurosurgeon since 1988 and has been a Professor at UAB for 26 years. He has been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors since 2001. Dr. Guthrie recently retired from the UAB Department of Neurosurgery. Guthrie and his colleagues developed several patented technologies in support of neurosurgical patient care. Dr. Fisher is a retired captain in the United States Naval Medical Corps and has developed a nationally recognized neurovascular service at UAB. At #59 is Yasser Sakawi. The medical officer from Birmingham, Alabama, makes a salary of $406,213. Dr. Sakawi is currently a Professor of Anesthesiology and Medical Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology and is also the Chief of Anesthesiology at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. The website describes medical officers as those who advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional and scientific work in one or more fields of medicine. Most positions in this occupation require a current license to practice medicine and surgery in a State or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia. According to the website, FederalPay.org is a free public resource for United States Government employees. The website has pay tables and pay calculators for all four major Federal Government payscales and military service members.
Mighty Alabama Strike Force heading to Georgia to campaign for Herschel Walker
The Alabama Republican Party is recruiting volunteers for its Mighty Alabama Strike Force to campaign door to door for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hershel Walker. “The Mighty Alabama Strike Force is recruiting volunteers to travel to Georgia in October to knock on doors for Herschel Walker,” said the head of the Strike Force, Joan Reynolds. According to Reynolds, the group is planning to canvass for Walker from October 2–7 as well as October 16-21; and Halloween week from October 30 thru November 4. The general election is on November 8 “Put on your walking shoes, grab your iPhone or android and let’s win back the U.S Senate,” Reynolds stated. “We have a good candidate, and we need all hands on deck. Lodging and transportation to the city is provided by our donors.” Walker addressed the Alabama Republican Party at its August 17 Summer Dinner. Walker, a standout football player at the University of Georgia and several professional teams, is challenging incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock. The Senate is currently divided 50 Republicans: 48 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with the Democrats, meaning that Vice President Kamala Harris gives Democrats control over the body. “If you cannot travel, we have an opportunity for you to make calls from home,” Reynolds said. “If you prefer to campaign in Alabama, we can put you in contact with the campaigns locally. We have something for everyone to do. Don’t be left behind. We only ask for one week out of every two years. Our country is worth it.” Joan Reynolds is the Chair of the Shelby County Republican Party and the wife of Paul Reynolds, the Alabama Republican National Committeeman. The Mighty Alabama Strike Force most recently deployed to Virginia, where they helped Republican Glenn Youngkin win his 2021 gubernatorial race. In 2020 they deployed to Florida, where they helped incumbent Donald Trump win the hotly contested swing state. The 2022 election is being hotly contested. Republicans are hopeful that they can take one or both Houses of Congress. The Georgia Senate race is right at the center of this battle. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey leads August gubernatorial fundraising
Republican incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey has continued to cruise towards re-election during the month of August. According to filings with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, Ivey lapped her general election opponents in both funds raised and money spent during the month despite having the Governor making very few public appearances during the month of August. The Governor’s re-election campaign entered August with $219,918.69 – that was several times more than what her general election opponents had available. The Ivey campaign reported having raised another $132,314.30 over the course of the month. The Ivey campaign, however spent more money than she took in. The campaign reported expenditures during the month of August of $301,649.83. This left the governor’s campaign with just $50,583.16 in cash on hand. The Ivey for governor campaign also reported in-kind contributions of $1,200 during the month of August. In-kind contributions are when people donate services such as printing, postage, vehicle use, etc. to a campaign or purchase advertising such as signs rather than making an actual cash contribution. Since in-kind contributions are not cash, they do not count toward the total funds raised or show in the cash balance of a campaign. Kay Ivey chairs her own campaign, and Ashley Newman is her treasurer. Ivey is a former two-term Alabama Lieutenant Governor. She was elevated to the governor’s mansion in 2017 and then elected to her own term in 2018. Ivey also served two terms as state Treasurer. She has a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and is a former teacher who has held a number of positions in Alabama government, including service in Gov. Fob James’ cabinet. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Yolanda Flowers began the month of August with just $939.77 in cash on hard. During the month, the Flowers campaign reported raising total cash contributions of just $150. Her campaign had net expenditures of just $38. This left Flowers with a September cash balance of $1,051.77. Flowers also reported in-kind contributions of $1,300. The Chair of the Flowers campaign is Jada Nichole Flowers, and Clementine Essex is the treasurer. Flowers lives in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Birmingham. She is a former teacher and is a retired rehabilitation services professional for the state of Tennessee. She has multiple degrees. from the University of Tennessee. Flowers and other Democratic candidates have struggled to raise funds as Alabama’s Democratic donors have been noticeably absent thus far from participating in the 2022 campaign cycle. Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake had $0 in campaign contributions, but has personally loaned his campaign $13,035. Blake also reported expenditures of $12,200 for a balance coming into September of $834. Blake chairs his own committee, and Justin Smith is the treasurer. Blake is a former two-term Birmingham City Councilman. He is a doctor and an Air Force veteran. He has a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a medical degree from UAB. Write-in gubernatorial candidate Jared Budlong reported entering the month of August with just $708.49 in cash on hand. During the month, the Budlong campaign reported raising $356 in itemized cash contributions plus another $143.18 in non-itemized cash contributions for a total of $499.18. The Budlong campaign reported $1,102.44 of expenses during the month of August, leaving the campaign with just $105.23 entering the month of September. Budlong also reported in-kind contributions of just $605. Budlong is the sole member of his campaign committee. Budlong lives in Daphne and is a former project manager for a marketing company. He has an associate degree from Faulkner University. Write-in gubernatorial candidate Rev. Dean Odle reported a beginning balance of $10,637.48. Odle reported August contributions of $2,165 and expenses of $720.87 for an ending balance of $12,081.61. The Odle campaign also reported in-kind contributions of $148.48. Odle’s campaign is chaired by Nancy Odle, and Kelsey Hines is the treasurer. Odle is a pastor, evangelist, and private schoolmaster who resides in Lee County. Odle ran in the May 24 Republican primary, where he ultimately lost to Ivey. $26,887,024.83 has already been raised by all campaigns in the 2022 gubernatorial race, and $26,855,007.61 has been spent. Most of it was spent in the Republican primary battle, where Ivey emerged as the victor. The general election is on November 8. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
