Stephanie Petelos Nabavian reelected as Chair of the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans
The Greater Birmingham Young Republicans (GBYRs) met on Thursday to hold their officer elections. Chair Stephanie Petelos Nabavian was elected to her second term as GBYR Chairperson, defeating challenger Christian Brown. “I am so happy to continue leading the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans!” Petelos said in a statement on Facebook. “The results last night, 85% in my favor, prove that our membership are excited to continue our path of growth, hosting unique events, and building a strong community of like minded and passionate young people. I am so thrilled about the exceptional new board I get to serve with! Thank you so much for allowing me to continue serving you!” Petelos told Alabama Today that in the last year, she grew the club to such a point that they were able to break off the Shelby County Young Republicans as their own group. She hopes to possibly do the same, creating other groups, perhaps Gardendale, in the future. “With kids and a long work day, it is asking a lot for them to get on Interstate 65 and fight traffic to get here (Vestavia Hills). Some of them aren’t able to do that,” Petelos said. Petelos is also the Chair of the Alabama Federation of Young Republicans. Petelos told Alabama Today that the COVID-19 global pandemic and the shutdown of the restaurants had a detrimental effect on the Young Republicans statewide. She said her goal is to grow the GBYRs to what they were a few years ago before the group’s more recent setbacks. Petelos previously was the Chair of the Federation of College Republicans. She recently got married and finished law school. She is the daughter of former Hoover Mayor and Jefferson County Manager Tony Petelos. Her mother is a former Jefferson County judge. Brown said that running for the position was a “learning experience.” Josh Cox was elected Vice Chair, and Taylor Martin was elected Secretary. In other business, the group voted to hold the GBYR Christmas Party on Tuesday, December 12, at the Fish Market Restaurant in downtown Birmingham. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) is expected to be the speaker. New Jefferson County Commissioner Mike Bolin (R) addressed the group. “This is a treat for me to come meet with the yrs because I missed this when I was coming through,” Bolin said. Bolin is a former Jefferson County Probate Judge and a former Alabama Supreme Court Justice. He was elected to the Jefferson County Commission this summer in a special election when Steve Ammons left the Commission to accept a new position. “Some of you here will hold elected office,” Bolin said. “It might be county commissioner, it might be a judge, it might be governor.” Eric Lee discussed the special election coming up in January in House District 16. HD16 represents part of western Jefferson County, Northern Tuscaloosa County, and Fayette County in the Alabama House of Representatives. Republican Brian Brinyark faces Democrat Bubba Underwood. The seat was previously held by Rep. Kyle South (R-Fayette), who left on July 1 to accept a role with the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. Lee said he is working with Terry Richmond and the Jefferson County Republican Party to help get out the Republican vote for that special election to elect Brinyark. They need phone bankers to call Republican voters in HD16 to remind them to come to the polls. Lee said that the next meeting of the Jefferson County Republican Party Executive Committee is November 21 at the Homewood Public Library. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Special primary voters in House District 16 and 55 go to the polls today
The Alabama Democratic Party is holding a special primary election in Alabama House District 55 today. Meanwhile, the Alabama Republican Party is holding a special primary election in Alabama House District 16. Both elections are to fill vacancies in the Alabama House of Representatives. In House District 55, State Rep. Fred “Coach” Plump (D-Fairfield) resigned his seat and pled guilty to corruption-related charges in a federal public corruption probe, The candidates running in the HD55 Democratic primary are Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis E. Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Bernard Womack. Kenneth Coachman is a former two-term Mayor of Fairfield. Travis Hendrix is a former law enforcement officer and is widely seen as an up-and-coming politico with several key endorsements, including from BCA and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels. Ves Marable is a Fairfield City Councilor and the choice of the Alabama Democratic Conference. Cara McClure is a community activist best known as the co-founder of the Birmingham chapter of Black Lives Matter. Phyllis E. Oden-Jones is a Fairfield City Council member and a retired Birmingham police detective. Sylvia Swayne is a recent college graduate and a transgender. She has the support of the LGBTQ+ community. Antwon Bernard Womack is a labor organizer and perennial candidate. No Republican qualified to run in this heavily Democratic majority-minority district. A special Democratic primary runoff, if necessary, will be held on October 24. The special general election is scheduled for January 9, 2024. House District 55 is in Jefferson County. In House District 16, State Representative Kyle South (R-Fayette) resigned his office to accept a position as the President and CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. The House District 16 candidates are Bryan Brinyark, Brad Cox, Greg Fanin, Floyd Rogers Jr., and Mike Simpson. Greg Lowery was previously a candidate but was disqualified by the Alabama Republican Party because he previously ran for Fayette County Probate Judge as a Democrat. Bryan Brinyark is an attorney. Brad Cox is a banker, former high school teacher, and Fayette County Commissioner. Cox is the AEA-funded candidate. Greg Fanin is retired from the military after serving in the U.S. Army and Air Force. Floyd Rodgers, Jr. is the Alabama Communities of Excellence coordinator for the City of Fayette. Rodgers is also a minister. Mike Simpson is an attorney and former law enforcement officer who worked for the City of Bessemer and the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. A special Republican primary runoff, if necessary, is scheduled for October 24. There is no Democratic primary in HD16 as John Underwood is the only Democrat to qualify and, thus, the Democratic nominee. Underwood will face the eventual Republican nominee in the January 9 general election. House District 16 includes Fayette County and portions of northern Tuscaloosa County and western Jefferson County. During the last legislative session, the Alabama House of Representatives divided 77 Republicans to 28 Democrats. You must have a valid photo ID to participate in any Alabama election. There is no same-day registration in Alabama, and you must vote at the polling place you are assigned. Polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Both districts should have representation in place in time for the 2024 regular legislative session. The representatives elected will serve the remainder of this term and then face voters again in 2026. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Meet the candidates running in the House District 16 special election
by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector With about a week left before the special primary election for House District 16, candidates in the crowded field are preparing to go head-to-head when voters cast their ballots on September 26. Five Republicans will compete for the party nomination, and if none of the candidates win at least 50% of the vote, a runoff for the two top candidates will be held on October 24. The district takes in Fayette County in north central Alabama, as well as northern Tuscaloosa County and western Jefferson County. The candidate who wins — either with 50% in the primary or in the runoff — will face Democratic candidate John Underwood in the General Election for the seat in January. Former Rep. Kyle South, R-Fayette, who assumed office in 2014, stepped down June 30 to become the CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce as CEO. During his time in the Alabama House of Representatives, he served as vice chair for the Ways and Means General Fund and was a member of several other committees. South won House District 16 with 75% of the vote in 2014. He ran unopposed in 2018 and 2022. A special runoff, if necessary, is scheduled for October 24. The special general election will be held on January 9, 2024. The special primary election for House District 55, which Rep. Fred Plump, D-Fairfield, resigned in May after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, will be held on the same day. The Candidates Brad Cox Brad Cox, Republican candidate for House District 16. Age: 33 Residence: Fayette Occupation: Banker at Alabama ONE Credit Union. Before, Cox was a high school teacher. Education: B.S., Agricultural Education, Auburn University, 2012; M.A., Agricultural Education, Auburn University, 2013. Party: Republican Previous political experience/campaign: Fayette County Commissioner, District 1, 2021-present. Fundraising: Cox has raised $47,544 and spent $38,185 as of September 15. Cox is the candidate with the most contributions from PACs, totaling $33,000 from 13 PACs. His largest contributors are Alabama Voice of Teachers for Education (AVOTE), a PAC affiliated with the Alabama Education Association, and the Alabama Credit Union Legislative Action Council. Each donated $5,000. Cox said that it’s time for young, conservative Republicans to “step up to the plate and throw their hat in the ring.” He said that he’s passionate about public service, and he feels that his set of personal and professional experience will complement the position. Citing his prior experience as a high school teacher, Cox said he wants to expand tech training for young Alabamians. By training young folks for high-paying, tech jobs, he hopes to keep young talent in his district and in Fayette County, which reported population losses in the 2010 and 2020 censuses. “As I’ve knocked on doors, met with stakeholders in the communities, it’s a lot of gray hair, and in a lot of ways, that’s good, but I think we’ve got to expand and grow our industry and job opportunities for people in this district,” Cox said. He also said that infrastructure has been at the forefront as a county commissioner, which he said feeds into another priority for his campaign: business development. “A lot of the time, rural Alabama kind of gets left out of the equation with funding and infrastructure projects. In my eyes, if we want to recruit business and industry to this area, we’ve got to have infrastructure,” he said. Greg Fanin Greg Fanin, Republican candidate for House District 16. Age: 54 Residence: Berry Occupation: Retired munitions and ordnance specialist with the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. Education: B.S., Public Administration, Samford University, 1994; Associate’s degree in munitions and ordnance from the Community College of the Air Force, 1998. Party: Republican Previous political experience/campaign: First-time candidate for political office. Fundraising: Fanin has raised $27,371, with $23,000 coming from Fanin. As of September 8, he spent $24,938. As a retired veteran, Fanin said he has the capacity to put his focus entirely on serving the district. He wants to see an industrial park, an area meant to attract investment and create employment, and for continued infrastructure projects on U.S. Highway 43 and State Route 13, two of the major roads running through Fayette. “We’ve got to have folks. We’ve got to have those roads widened. We got to, or it’s going to be unsafe,” he said. Besides infrastructure, Fanin sees workforce development as his district’s greatest need. He said there is a coal mine coming to Fayette County that has the potential to bring in a significant amount of jobs, and building infrastructure will support workforce development. “We’ve got the jobs opening up every day,” he said. “We need infrastructure because our little towns and our communities are going to be booming.” He said that to get these things done; the district needs someone who can dedicate their full time to working in Montgomery, which he said he is able to do. He said that other candidates have at least one job and asked, “When do you have time to do anything?” Floyd Rodgers, Jr. Floyd Rogers Jr., Republican candidate for House District 16. Age: 40 Residence: Fayette Occupations: Coordinator, Alabama Communities of Excellence for the City of Fayette, a program from the Alabama League of Municipalities, an association of cities and towns; minister; business owner. Education: Technical certificate in quality assurance supervision from Southwest Tennessee Community College, 2010; Church leadership certificate in biblical ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2021. Party: Republican Previous political experience/campaigns: Candidate, Fayette City Council Ward 2, 2020. Fundraising: As of September 15, Rodgers had not submitted campaign finance reports. Rodgers said that he often feels like the elephant in the room. People often tell him they don’t see many Black Republicans, and among his peers, he’s often the only conservative in the room. But he sees that as an opportunity to “connect with everyone, on every level.” He said from conversations he’s had with voters, people are tired of
