Terri Sewell wins re-election to seventh term
Congresswoman Terri Sewell was re-elected to her seventh term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. Sewell cruised to victory even though the Seventh Congressional District became much more diverse after 2021’s redistricting and reapportionment by the Alabama Legislature. “To the great people of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, thank you,” said Rep. Sewell. “Representing you in Congress is my greatest honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve another term. This victory belongs to you!” Rep. Sewell won 63.5% percent of the vote (123,060 votes). Republican challenger Beatrice Nichols received 67,353 votes (34.77%).00 Libertarian Party Chairman Gavin Goodman received 3,207 votes (1.66%). “Regardless of how you voted, I pledge to continue listening, learning, and fighting for the values we share. We as a nation face many challenges, but I am confident that working together, we can continue to deliver more resources and better opportunities for our communities. I look forward to the work that lies ahead!” Sewell campaigned tirelessly in this election, traveling all over the district, often bringing checks, emphasizing her ability to bring home money for the district. Sewell is the first Democratic woman elected to Congress from Alabama in state history. She is the only Black woman to ever serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation. Sewell ran for Congress when then-incumbent Congressman Artur Davis ran for Governor. Before her congressional service, Sewell was an attorney in Birmingham. Sewell has held several leadership positions, including Freshman Class President in the 112th Congress. This current term, she was selected by Democratic leadership to serve as a Chief Deputy Whip and sits on the prestigious Steering and Policy Committee, which sets the policy direction of the Democratic Caucus. Sewell is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, where she is Co-Chair of the Voting Rights Task Force. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, Co-Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, Vice-Chair of the Congressional HBCU Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Rural Caucus. Sewell is a native of Selma, where she was the first Black valedictorian of Selma High School. She has degrees from Princeton University and Oxford University in England, as well as a law degree from Harvard Law School. Sewell is the only Democrat in the Alabama Congressional Delegation. Republican incumbents, U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, and Gary Palmer, were re-elected by large margins. Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong, as expected, easily won the open Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. While all of Alabama’s congressional races went as expected, that could change in the 2024 election as that 2021 redistricting is being challenged in federal court. The U.S. Supreme Court has already heard one of those suits, and a decision is expected this spring. The Court could potentially order the entire congressional redistricting may be redrawn. As of press time on Wednesday, it is still not known whether Democrats have held on to their razor-thin majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. An expected “Red Wave” did not materialize on election day, so whichever party controls Congress will have very low majorities to work with. Sewell is a member of House leadership. The Biden Administration is saying that the better-than-unexpected results are a vindication of Joe Biden’s policies. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Republicans dominate statewide races
As expected, Alabama Republicans won every statewide race. Kay Ivey was easily re-elected, and political newcomer Katie Britt will be the next U.S. Senator from Alabama. Republican incumbents Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Attorney General Steve Marshall, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate, and Treasurer Young Boozer were easily re-elected. Republican State Representatives Wes Allen and Andrew Sorrell won the open Secretary of State and Auditor races. Republicans also held their supermajorities in both Houses of the Legislature and won the open State Supreme Court Justice race. Ivey won by an even larger percentage than in 2018 in 2022. Ivey had 69.9% of the vote as of press time. Yolanda Flowers’ 29.2% performance was the worst performance by a Democratic nominee in memory. Ivey improved her percentage victory by over 10% (69.9% versus 59.5%) of the vote; but actually had fewer votes than four years ago – 944,845 in 2022 versus 1,022,457 in 2018. Ivey’s two landslide victories makes her the most popular Republican governor in state history. Yolanda Flowers only received only 411,269 votes, whereas Walt Maddox received 694,495 votes. Ivey is the first Republican woman to serve as Governor of Alabama. She was already the longest-serving woman governor in state history and the first woman in state history to be re-elected as governor. Ivey won the 2022 election for governor, the 2018 election for governor, the 2014 election for Lieutenant Governor, the 2010 election for Lieutenant Governor, the 2006 election for State Treasurer, and the 2002 election for State Treasurer. This unprecedented run makes Ivey the most successful woman politician in the history of Alabama. Ivey, age 78, is also the oldest governor in the state’s history. Election night was hugely disappointing for Libertarians. While they did get ballot access for the first time since 2022, none of their candidates were able to get close to the 20% threshold needed to give the party ballot access in 2024 – even in statewide races where no Democrat even qualified. Gaining ballot access cost the Libertarian Party over $240,000 to get the necessary number of ballot access signatures to be on the ballot. If the party is going to be on the ballot in 2024, they will have to go through the ballot signature process. Libertarian candidate for Governor – Dr. Jimmy Blake, only received 45,825 votes (3.2%). It is unclear where Blake’s voters came from, disgruntled Republicans or Democrats who did not support Flowers. It was not a good night for write-in gubernatorial candidates. Dean Odle and Jared Budlong, representing the far right and far left respectively, received just 9,401 votes (0.67%). Since those votes will not be individually counted, so there is no way to know how many of those votes were Odle’s, Budlong’s, or someone else entirely. In the Senate race, Britt received 940,048 votes (66.6%). Democrat Dr. Will Boyd received 435,428 votes (30.87%). Libertarian John Sophocleus received 32,790 votes (2.32%). 2,454 Alabamians wrote in someone else. Britt is the first woman to win a U.S. Senate race in Alabama. In the Lieutenant Governor’s race, incumbent Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth won in a landslide. Ainsworth had 955,372 votes (83.69%). Libertarian Ruth Page-Nelson had 178,069 votes (15.60%) – far short of the 20% Libertarians needed to guarantee them ballot access in 2024. 8,066 Alabamians (0.71%) wrote in someone else. Incumbent Attorney General Steve Marshall coasted to re-election, receiving 953,284 votes (67.91%) versus 449,193 votes (32%) for Democrat Wendell Major. Major received more votes than any Democrat running statewide. In the Secretary of State’s race, Republican Wes Allen won 923,206 votes (65.9%). Democrat Pamela Lafitte got 435,558 (31.1%), and Libertarian Matt Shelby received 41,480 votes (3%). In the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries race, incumbent Republican Rick Pate cruised to victory 944,021 (84.3%) over Libertarian Jason Clark 169,869 (15%). In the State Treasurer races, Republican incumbent Young Boozer trounced Libertarian Scott Hammond with 944,792 votes (83.75%) to 174,472 votes (15.47%). For State Auditor, Republican Andrew Sorrell won 947,719 votes (84.4%), while Libertarian Leigh Lachine had 166,243 votes (14.81%). For Alabama Supreme Court Place 5, political newcomer Republican Greg Cook won 941,059 votes (67.42%), while Democrat Anita Kelly received 453,518 votes (32.49%). Incumbent Republican Alabama Supreme Court Place 6 Kelli Wise was unopposed winning re-election 995,688 votes (97.51%). For Public Service Commission Place 1, Republican incumbent Jeremy Oden defeated Libertarian Ron Bishop 934,987 (83.73%) to 172,733 (15.47%). For Public Service Commission Place 2, incumbent Republican Chip Beeker received 929,248 votes (83.18%), while Laura Lane had 179,302 votes. Lane received more votes than any other Libertarian, but her 16.1% was still far below the 20% threshold that the Libertarians needed statewide. The Alabama Republican Party also retained its supermajorities in both Houses of the Legislature. Democrats flipped one Alabama House seat in Montgomery County (Charlotte Meadows), while Republicans flipped one Democratic seat in the Wiregrass (Dexter Grimsley). These numbers are all unofficial results from the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
ADPH warns that flu cases are abnormally high
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) warned on Monday that pediatric leaders across the state of Alabama are warning families about what is seen as unusually high and severe influenza activity throughout the state, especially in children. “This is the highest flu activity that we have seen this early in the season since the 2009 Influenza A/H1N1 pandemic” reported Dr. Wes Stubblefield – the District Medical Officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health. ADPH warned that outpatient pediatric offices are already short-staffed coming out of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Pediatric offices are still facing daily medication shortages while bearing the brunt of this outbreak. “Outpatient visits for influenza increased over 10-fold between September and October, and have shown no signs of slowing in the first five days of November,” said Dr. Nola Ernest, the President of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “The highest number of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness are in young people, ages 5-24.” USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile reports that positive influenza cases have risen from 51 in September to 745 in October and 138 in just the first three days of November. This swift spread of flu is also resulting in a rapid increase in hospitalizations among children. USA Health has more children hospitalized for the flu than for Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection, or RSV. Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham reports that it has seen a similar increase. “In the last few weeks, Children’s of Alabama has seen a surge of admissions with children who are critically ill from influenza and associated complications,” said Dr. Michele Kong, the director of the Pediatric Critical Care Research Program at Children’s. “These have included those patients who have required ventilation and some so severe that ECMO (heart-lung-bypass) support was needed. We urge families to take the flu virus seriously and to ensure that their children and adolescents are protected.” ADPH warns that while typically self-limited, influenza can result in severe complications in persons of any age, it is especially severe in young children. Hospitalization can result from dehydration and difficulty breathing, but also from myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), respiratory failure, and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). An average of 150 children across the United States die of influenza each year. However, in 2009, the last time early influenza activity was this severe, pediatric deaths reached 282. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first influenza-related pediatric death of the season – a child in Texas. Pediatricians cautioned that this data is often delayed by several weeks and may actually be an underestimate of the actual number of influenza-related deaths are occurring. Unlike many respiratory viruses, including RSV, there are very specific actions that families can take to protect children against influenza, mainly vaccination. Dr. Benjamin Estrada is a pediatric infectious disease specialist at USA Health. “We encourage parents to take the necessary preventative measures to protect their children, themselves, and others through strategies that we know are effective, including influenza vaccination for everyone older than six months, hand-washing, and mask-wearing in crowded environments or when someone is sick at home,” Estrada said. To find out how to get the flu vaccine, contact your pediatrician, family physician, or county health department. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Pro-Life women are heavily invested in mid-term election
On Tuesday, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America released a statement announcing that they have raised and spent $78 million in this midterm election and communicated with 8 million swing state voters to help elect pro-life candidates. Abortion has been on center stage in this election; the Democrats have tried to use fear of the loss of abortion rights as a wedge issue to drive women to come out and vote for their candidates following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the controversial Roe v. Wade decision in the Dobbs decision. At one point this summer, Democrats actually believed that the abortion issue would help them maintain their hold on Congress. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, on the other hand, has worked hard to organize pro-Life women in support of pro-life candidates that favor protecting the rights of the unborn. “The 2022 election cycle marks SBA Pro-Life America’s largest investment yet at a critical time when the stakes for unborn children and their mothers could not be higher,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “We deployed more than 1,300 pro-life canvassers and used every communications tool available to reach millions of persuadable and low propensity voters and expose the Democrats’ extreme agenda of abortion on demand until birth nationwide. We look forward to a new pro-life majority in the U.S. House and Senate.” “In total, SBA raised and spent $78M and reached over 8M voters across the country,” said Caitlin Connors, SBA Southern Region Director and an Alabama native. Conners shared a detailed breakdown of the money and voters by state and targeted race. States, where SBA is heavily involved, include Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, Nebraska, Michigan, and Nevada. The biggest budget in the organization’s history allowed the team to reach more than eight million voters across eight battleground states. SBA Pro-Life America and its partner Women Speak Out PAC have focused on voters in key battleground states. The group says that it has reached out and communicated multiple times with 8 million+ voters. They have visited 4 million homes across 8 key battleground states. They were able to deploy over 1,300+ pro-life canvassers who went door to door in the battleground states and mailed out 7.3 million voter mail pieces. The group’s online ads were viewed 64,908,245 times. They made 4 million telephone calls to voters and sent 8 million text messages. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders. Women Speak Out PAC is a partner of SBA Pro-Life America. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Kay Ivey is Governor again
Governor Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory run has been very impressive. Some of you may be wondering how quickly I have been able to resolve that she has indeed culminated her victorious run when the General Election was held Tuesday, and my column’s published date is Wednesday. It is simply, as I have told you numerous times over the past two decades, winning the Republican Primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election. The General Election in Alabama is an afterthought. We are a one-party state when it comes to statewide races. Kay Ivey laid to rest the last hope of the Alabama Democrats being able to win a statewide race, especially for governor in my lifetime and probably in yours, when she beat Walt Maddox like a rented mule in 2018. Walt Maddox was the best shot and best mule the Democrats could ever dream up. Maddox is the young, articulate mayor of Tuscaloosa. He has been and had been mayor of the Druid City for a good while. He has been an excellent mayor with an impeccable record. He ran a good well-run, well-financed campaign for governor. He got 40% of the vote. This seems to be the threshold for a Democrat for governor. Therefore, Kay Ivey’s 2022 run may not be as impressive as her 2018 race. Although, this run has been extremely impressive. Probably the reason that 2022 has gone so well is because she ran so well in 2018. She beat a very formidable field four years ago. She beat the popular mayor of Huntsville, Tommy Battle, in the Republican Primary. His credentials and fundraising prowess were equal to Maddox’s, if not better. Having beaten the 2018 thoroughbreds, Battle and Maddox, so thoroughly, made serious candidates not even consider challenging her. In 2022, to compare Lindy Blanchard, Tim James, and Yolanda Flowers to Tommy Battle and Walt Maddox is like comparing Mutt to Jeff. Governor Kay Ivey has done a good job as governor during the four years, 2019-2022, and folks knew that, and they knew her. There also have not been any scandals or controversies. She had garnered one of the finest men and managers in Alabama political history, Congressman Jo Bonner, to be her right arm and Chief of Staff. They together ran a pretty solid ship of state. Most of us who follow Alabama politics felt like Kay was going to only serve one four-year term when she won the 2018 race. She, deep down, may have thought the same thing. Therefore, she governed with the attitude of what is right for the state and not what is right for reelection. When she decided to run, most of us were in agreement that she would win. She would be well-financed, and national polls revealed that she was one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation. My thoughts were, and I conveyed to you, that the only way Kay Ivey could lose the race was if she beat herself. If she misspoke or did a debate and made a miscue or misstep. She did none of the above. She ran a perfectly scripted, flawless campaign. She campaigned as governor and looked gubernatorial. Most importantly, her campaign TV ads were brilliant. They were folksy with the perfect Alabama flavor. They had her looking good, speaking well, and southern with a grandmotherly appeal. They made her age and demeanor an advantage. She came out of the campaign being better liked than before. Some of her ads came close to being racist when she said, “Folks think we ought to require our schools to teach everyone to speak Spanish. Well, I say, ‘No Way, Jose.’” This prompted ultra-liberal Democrats around the nation to deride her. When Maxine Waters, the liberal Democratic California Congresswoman, criticized her, Kay quipped, “I ought to give Maxine Waters an in-kind contribution proxy for her help in my Alabama Republican Primary campaign.” The big question in the Republican Primary was whether Kay Ivey could win the May 24 Primary without having to go to a June 21 runoff to win. Some doubted that anyone could beat eight opponents without a runoff, especially given that Blanchard and James spent a total of $16 million dollars. She proved them wrong. She beat the field of eight without a runoff and got 54% percent of the vote. My guess is that she got a higher percentage than that on Tuesday. Kay Ivey is Governor, again. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.
Republican Kay Ivey wins 2nd full term as Alabama governor
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey easily won a second full term Tuesday against Democrat Yolanda Flowers, the first Black woman to win a major party’s gubernatorial nomination in the state, after surviving both a health scare and multiple Republican challengers in the primary. Smiling broadly and wearing a bright red jacket, Ivey took the stage before a huge American flag and waved to cheering supporters at a campaign celebration held at a restaurant in Montgomery. “Y’all, we did it!” she exclaimed. While Flowers’ candidacy was an interesting historical footnote, it posed no real threat to the GOP’s control of all three branches of government in a majority white, conservative state where voting patterns typically break down by skin color. Flowers closed her campaign with days of fasting and a lengthy prayer shown on Facebook. Libertarian Jimmy Blake, a former Birmingham City Council member, also was on the ballot. Ivey, who turned 78 in October, avoided a runoff in the spring despite facing a slate that included eight Republican challengers who forced her to the right. Ivey repeated former President Donald Trump’s lies about election theft and aired a campaign commercial in which she pulled a pistol out of her purse. Following the primary, Ivey — who was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in 2019 and later said the disease was gone — was faced with questions about her health after she disappeared from public view for almost three weeks during the summer. She refused to say whether she underwent any medical treatment. While Ivey’s absence made headlines, any doubts or concerns about her health didn’t have any effect on her chances of victory. At her party, a jubilant Ivey thanked voters. “Folks, there’s no doubt that the best is yet to come because we all know there’s no step too high for a high stepper,” said Ivey, repeating a campaign mantra. In her re-election bid, Ivey mostly ignored her opponents and instead touted the state’s low unemployment rate and opposition to the policies of Democratic President Joe Biden. She had a campaign bank balance of more than $200,000 at the end of September compared to just $546 for Flowers, records showed. Ivey first became governor in April 2017, when she was elevated from the office of lieutenant governor following the resignation of Robert Bentley, who quit in a plea agreement following a scandal over his relationship with a female staffer. Ivey defeated an experienced, well-known Democratic challenger, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, by 20 percentage points in 2018 to claim her first full term. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Dale Strong wins Alabama’s 5th Congressional District seat
Republican Dale Strong has been elected to the north Alabama congressional district being vacated by U.S. Rep Mo Brooks. Strong on Tuesday defeated Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton and Libertarian P. J. Greer to win Alabama’s 5th Congressional District, the state’s only open congressional seat this year. Brooks did not seek another term, choosing instead to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. The six-term congressman lost the Republican primary runoff to former business lobby leader Katie Britt, who was elected. Strong is chairman of the Madison County Commission and a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. He won the GOP nomination after defeating Casey Wardynski, a former Huntsville school superintendent, in a primary runoff. The state’s six other congressional districts also were decided: — In the 1st Congressional District of southwest Alabama, incumbent Republican Rep. Jerry Carl defeated Libertarian Alexander Remrey. ADVERTISEMENT — In the 2nd Congressional District in southeast Alabama, incumbent Republican Rep. Barry Moore was reelected, defeating Democrat Phyllis Harvey-Hall and Libertarian Jonathan Realz. — In east Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District, incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Rogers defeated Democrat Lin Veasey Democrat, Libertarian Thomas Sickofdc Casson and independent Douglas A. Bell. — In the 4th Congressional District of north-central Alabama, incumbent Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt was reelected, defeating Democrat Rick Neighbors and Libertarian Johnny C. Cochran. — In the 6th Congressional District of central Alabama, incumbent Republican Rep. Gary Palmer defeated Libertarian Andria Chieffo. — In west Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, Incumbent Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell was reelected. She defeated Republican Beatrice Nichols and Libertarian Gavin Goodman. Sewell was the only Democrat in Alabama’s congressional delegation. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Republican Katie Britt wins U.S. Senate race in Alabama
Republican Katie Britt has won the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, becoming the first woman elected to the body from the state. Britt will fill the seat held by Richard Shelby, her one-time boss who is retiring after 35 years in the Senate. Britt was Shelby’s chief of staff before leaving to take the helm of a state business lobby. Britt defeated Democrat Will Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus. Britt, 40, cast herself as part of a new generation of conservative leaders and will become one of the Senate’s youngest members. She will be the first Republican woman to hold one of the state’s Senate seats. The state’s previous female senators, both Democrats, had been appointed. Fueled by deep pockets and deep ties to business and political leaders, Britt secured the GOP nomination after a heated and expensive primary. She was first in the initial round of voting and then defeated six-term Rep. Mo Brooks in an expensive primary runoff. Brooks, who ran under the banner “MAGA Mo” — Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign slogan — and was initially endorsed by the former president, had been an early favorite in the race. But Brooks faltered under a barrage of attack ads and lackluster fundraising. As Britt surged in the polls, Trump rescinded his endorsement of Brooks and swung his support to Britt. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
