Alabama GOP voters decide secretary of state, other nominees
Republican voters in Alabama will decide their party’s nominees in four statewide races Tuesday after campaigns in which many of the candidates touted their devotion to faith, former President Donald Trump, and guns. A statewide constitutional amendment to fund park improvements also is on the ballot. Here are the key races to watch: SECRETARY OF STATE Four Republicans and one Democrat are on the primary ballot to succeed GOP incumbent John Merrill as Alabama’s top elections officer, secretary of state. Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, is seeking the Republican nomination in a field that includes Jim Zeigler, who was barred from running again as state auditor by term limits; state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, who served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County; and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. None of the four candidates has raised major complaints about election problems in Alabama, which is controlled by Republicans and voted heavily for President Donald Trump in 2020. But all have talked about measures needed to tighten election security, an issue popularized among conservatives by Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by President Joe Biden. Merrill couldn’t seek the office again after serving two terms. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. ATTORNEY GENERAL Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall faces a single primary challenger as he seeks a second four-year term as the state’s main law enforcement official. First appointed to the position in 2017, Marshall is opposed by Harry Bartlett Still III, an attorney from Daphne. Marshall, who previously served as district attorney in Marshall County, regularly opposes initiatives launched by Democratic President Joe Biden, including vaccination requirements for COVID-19 and federal policies along the border with Mexico, and he testified against the nomination of now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Still contends corruption is rampant in state government and that the agency that oversees police standards and training in the state needs to be reorganized to increase public trust in law enforcement. He also supports replacing Alabama’s heavily amended constitution, passed in 1901 to ensure white supremacy. The winner will face Democratic nominee Wendell Major, police chief in the Birmingham-area city of Tarrant, in November. STATE AUDITOR Candidates for Alabama state auditor typically emphasize the importance of keeping track of state property, but three Republicans seeking the office this year added another talking point in the era of false claims about a stolen presidential vote — election security. Stan Cooke, a pastor from Kimberly; Rusty Glover, a former history teacher from Semmes who served in the state Senate; and state Rep. Andrew Sorrell of Muscle Shoals all are emphasizing the auditor’s role of selecting county registrar boards as they seek the office. Almost directly echoing false claims by former President Donald Trump, Cooke’s campaign website says the state must get ahead of Democrats before they “try and steal our elections as they did in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and even our neighbor to the east, Georgia.” The incumbent, Jim Zeigler, couldn’t seek reelection after serving two terms and is running for secretary of state. Winning the Republican nomination is tantamount to election because no Democrat qualified to run for auditor. SUPREME COURT One Republican candidate for the Alabama Supreme Court is trying to woo voters with a mix that includes his devotion to God and former President Donald Trump. The other is emphasizing her experience in the courtroom — and her gun. Greg Cook, an attorney from metro Birmingham, and Debra Jones, a circuit judge who hears cases in Calhoun and Cleburne, are seeking the Republican nomination for the Place 5 Supreme Court seat held by Justice Mike Bolin, who is retiring. Cook is portraying himself as a “Trump-tough” Republican who was a Trump delegate and represented conservative interests in the 2000 presidential recount contest in Florida between Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Aside from partisan and legal qualifications, Cook’s campaign resume features his longtime church membership and leadership. Jones released a commercial late in the campaign boasting of her support for Trump, her short stature — “She’s 5 feet of concrete” — and a case in which she sentenced a person convicted of child molestation to more than 1,000 years in prison. The spot shows her firing a handgun and saying the only reason she didn’t put the person “under the jail” was “the liberals” wouldn’t let her. All nine members of the court are Republicans, and the winner of the Place 5 race will be a heavy favorite over Democrat Anita L. Kelly, a judge in Montgomery, in the general election. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Voters will decide whether to let the state go into debt for $85 million in bonds to spruce up Alabama’s state parks and historical sites. A statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot would provide $80 million in funding for state park projects that include adding and improving camping sites, adding wireless service, upgrading electrical and water service, replacing playgrounds, constructing swimming pools, and repairing parts of Gulf State Park damaged by Hurricane Sally. The remaining $5 million would go to the Alabama Historical Commission for acquiring, renovating, and maintaining historical parks around the state. The agency wouldn’t be allowed to use the money at Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury. The park is funded by a tax that was originally intended for needy Confederate veterans. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Offices including secretary of state contested in Alabama
The campaigns for U.S. Senate and governor have gotten the most attention leading up to Tuesday’s primary in Alabama, but five other statewide races are on the ballot. With multiple candidates in some races, some nominations may not be decided until after runoff elections scheduled for June 21. Here are some of the key races to watch: SECRETARY OF STATE Four Republicans and one Democrat are on the primary ballot to succeed GOP incumbent John Merrill as Alabama’s top elections officer, secretary of state. Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, is seeking the Republican nomination in a field that includes Jim Zeigler, who was barred from running again as state auditor by term limits; state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, who served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County; and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. None of the four candidates has raised major complaints about election problems in Alabama, which is controlled by Republicans and voted heavily for President Donald Trump in 2020. But all have talked about measures needed to tighten election security, an issue popularized among conservatives by Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by President Joe Biden. Merrill couldn’t seek the office again after serving two terms. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. ATTORNEY GENERAL Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall faces a single primary challenger as he seeks a second four-year term as the state’s main law enforcement official. First appointed to the position in 2017, Marshall is opposed by Harry Bartlett Still III, an attorney from Daphne. Marshall, who previously served as district attorney in Marshall County, regularly opposes initiatives launched by Democratic President Joe Biden, including vaccination requirements for COVID-19 and federal policies along the border with Mexico, and he testified against the nomination of now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Still contends corruption is rampant in state government, and that the agency that oversees police standards and training in the state needs to be reorganized to increase public trust in law enforcement. He also supports replacing Alabama’s heavily amended Constitution, passed in 1901 to ensure white supremacy. The winner will face Democratic nominee Wendell Major, police chief in the Birmingham-area city of Tarrant, in November. STATE AUDITOR Candidates for Alabama state auditor typically emphasize the importance of keeping track of state property, but three Republicans seeking the office this year added another talking point in the era of false claims about a stolen presidential vote — election security. Stan Cooke, a pastor from Kimberly; Rusty Glover, a former history teacher from Semmes who served in the state Senate; and state Rep. Andrew Sorrell of Muscle Shoals all are emphasizing the auditor’s role of selecting county registrar boards as they seek the office. Almost directly echoing false claims by former President Donald Trump, Cooke’s campaign website says the state must get ahead of Democrats before they “try and steal our elections as they did in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and even our neighbor to the east, Georgia.” The incumbent, Jim Zeigler, couldn’t seek re-election after serving two terms and is running for secretary of state. Winning the Republican nomination is tantamount to election since no Democrat qualified to run for auditor. SUPREME COURT One Republican candidate for the Alabama Supreme Court is trying to woo voters with a mix that includes his devotion to God and former President Donald Trump. The other is emphasizing her experience in the courtroom — and her gun. Greg Cook, an attorney from metro Birmingham, and Debra Jones, a circuit judge who hears cases in Calhoun and Cleburne, are seeking the Republican nomination for the Place 5 Supreme Court seat held by Justice Mike Bolin, who is retiring. Cook is portraying himself as a “Trump-tough” Republican who was a Trump delegate and represented conservative interests in the 2000 presidential recount contest in Florida between Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Aside from partisan and legal qualifications, Cook’s campaign resume features his longtime church membership and leadership. Jones released a commercial late in the campaign boasting of her support for Trump, her short stature — “She’s 5 feet of concrete” — and a case in which she sentenced a person convicted of child molestation to more than 1,000 years in prison. The spot shows her firing a handgun and saying the only reason she didn’t put the person “under the jail” was that “the liberals” wouldn’t let her. All nine members of the court are Republicans, and the winner of the Place 5 race will be a heavy favorite over Democrat Anita L. Kelly, a judge in Montgomery, in the general election. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Voters will decide whether to let the state go into debt for $85 million in bonds to spruce up Alabama’s state parks and historical sites. A statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot would provide $80 million in funding for state park projects that include adding and improving camping sites, adding wireless service, upgrading electrical and water service, replacing playgrounds, constructing swimming pools, and repairing parts of Gulf State Park damaged by Hurricane Sally. The remaining $5 million would go to the Alabama Historical Commission for acquiring, renovating, and maintaining historical parks around the state. The agency wouldn’t be allowed to use the money at Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury. The park is funded by a tax that was originally intended for needy Confederate veterans. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
4 Republicans vying for secretary of state nomination
Four Republicans are vying for the nomination for Alabama secretary of state, the official responsible for overseeing state elections. Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, faces State Auditor Jim Zeigler, state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, who served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County; and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. The primary election will go to a June 21 runoff unless one candidate captures over 50% of the vote on Tuesday. The GOP nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. Packard has worked in the elections division of the Secretary of State’s Office for nearly 25 years, helping to administer over 400 elections and training county and city election officials. He said he also worked to defend the state’s photo ID requirements. Maintaining election integrity is a primary function of the office, he said. Packard said he wants to see stiffer penalties for violating state election laws, noting some of the offenses are only misdemeanors. “There is a $500 fine for littering, a $500 fine for buying a vote. That needs to be changed,” Packard said at a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Alabama. Packard said he would also like to give voters the ability to opt-out of the state selling their information to private groups. Separately, Packard in 2006 reported then-Secretary of State Nancy Worley to the attorney general for soliciting campaign contributions and support from her state employees. Worley later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. Allen, a state legislator and a former probate judge of Pike County, is also stressing his experience. “I’m the only candidate in the race that’s been a chief election official,” Allen said. He also pointed to his legislative work on election issues. Allen was appointed to serve as a probate judge of Pike County in 2009 by then-Gov. Bob Riley and won election in 2012. After being elected to the Alabama House of Representatives, he sponsored legislation to ban curbside voting as well as a bill to make it illegal for election offices to accept private donations for voter education, outreach, and registration programs. Alabama was one of several GOP-controlled states that banned such donations — a movement fueled by conservatives’ suspicion about donations by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2020 to help offices deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans argued it is needed to protect election integrity; opponents said it would hinder election administration in poor counties and have a chilling effect on efforts to help people register and vote. Zeigler was elected as state auditor in 2014 and cannot seek re-election because of term limits. The role of state auditor is to keep track of state property. However, Zeigler turned the office into a public platform to weigh in on other state issues, often serving as a gadfly to Republican administrations in the state. Zeigler in 2016 filed an ethics complaint against then-Gov. Robert Bentley, accusing him of misusing state resources after audio leaked of the governor having a romantically charged conversation with a top aide. “I will move the watchman role I played as state auditor to the secretary of state’s office as a watchman for election integrity,” Zeigler wrote in an email. He said he also wants to focus on the business organizations section and the role the office plays in paperwork for international adoptions. Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County, has stressed his outsider status and support for election security measures, such as voter identification requirements. Horn said he wants hand-count audits of every election as a means to fight election fraud. Horn, who is African American, noted his parents and ancestors had to fight for the right to vote, including his World War II veteran grandfather, but he also criticized what he called modern-day “woke politics” as destructive. “I will lead all people, as a son and grandson of parents who could not vote, and a brain aneurysm survivor who was paralyzed and cared for by women and men of all races, I want to use my platform to be a bridge to bring people together,” Horn said. Horn is chairman of the Tennessee Valley Republican Club and played football for the University of Michigan. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Jim Zeigler releases first TV ad of Secretary of State campaign: “The Watchman”
The first TV ad of the quiet race for Secretary of State has been released by the Jim Zeigler campaign. Titled “The Watchman,” the 30-second spot began running on statewide TV May 3, exactly three weeks till the primary May 24. Here is the text of the Zeigler ad: Why are the Montgomery politicians fighting against Jim Zeigler? Because Zeigler will be Secretary of State for the people, not for the Montgomery politicians. As State Auditor, Zeigler served as your Watchman against waste and corruption. As Secretary of State, Zeigler can serve as your Watchman against voting fraud, drop-in ballot boxes, and ballot harvesting. Zeigler has been endorsed by the ‘MyPillow Guy” Mike Lindell, who heads a national group fighting for election integrity named “Cause for America.” Zeigler is term-limited and cannot run again for State Auditor. Secretary of State is an open seat with incumbent Secretary John Merrill not running for any office this year. “Over the next eight years, the job of Secretary of State will be vital,” Zeigler stated. “The Secretary of State is our top elections administrator. We face national attempts to manipulate honest election procedures. Alabama needs a proven fighter against government overreach to be our fighting Secretary of State.” The four Republican candidates for Secretary of State are Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, businessman Christian Horn of Huntsville, retired Secretary of State staffer Ed Packard of Prattville, and Zeigler.
Jim Zeigler: Secretary of State now third most important race on ballot
The May 24 Republican primary is now only four weeks off. The race for the open seat of Secretary of State is now “third most important on the ballot,” according to Secretary of State candidate Jim Zeigler. He says only the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate race are more important. Zeigler pointed out that the races for Lt. Governor, State Treasurer, and Agricultural Commissioner have no opposition and will not even appear on the primary ballot. “We have a hot race for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby. There are a slew of candidates opposing Gov. Kay Ivey. After those two, the big race is one that is normally quiet – Secretary of State,” Zeigler stated. “Over the next eight years, the job of Secretary of State will be vital. The Secretary of State is our top elections administrator. We face national attempts to manipulate honest election procedures. Alabama needs a proven fighter against government overreach to be our fighting Secretary of State,” Zeigler continued. Zeigler argued that with his experience as Alabama State Auditor, he is uniquely qualified for the Secretary of State position. “As your State Auditor, I led the fight against waste, mismanagement, and corruption. As your Secretary of State, I can apply that same approach to fight the manipulation of our elections,” said Zeigler. “As your State Auditor, some people called me ‘the watchman.’ I will continue as your watchman over the election process as Secretary of State.” The three other Republican candidates for Secretary of State are Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, businessman Christian Horn of Huntsville, and retired Secretary of State staffer Ed Packard of Prattville.
MyPillow’s Mike Lindell endorses Jim Zeigler for Alabama Secretary of State
The quiet race for Secretary of State in Alabama has gained some attention. Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, has endorsed Jim Zeigler for Secretary of State. Lindell is a major supporter of former President Donald Trump and the founder of Cause of America, a citizen group promoting election integrity. Lindell issued a press release endorsing Zeigler, lauding Zeigler’s election integrity. “The people of Alabama need a Secretary of State who will stand firm in the fight for election integrity and be a protector of the people’s vote, Lindell stated. “Alabama needs a proven leader and a proven fighter with a history of standing up to the political establishment. After considering the field of candidates in Alabama, I am announcing my full and complete endorsement of Jim Zeigler for Secretary of State.” Zeigler is the current State Auditor but is term-limited and is in his final year of eight years as Auditor. He is running for the seat being left by outgoing Secretary of State John Merrill, who is not running for any office this year. Zeigler responded to the endorsement, stating that the position is vital for election procedures. “Over the next eight years, the job of Secretary of State will be vital. We face national attempts to manipulate honest election procedures. Alabama needs a proven fighter against government overreach to be our fighting Secretary of State,” Zeigler commented. “We face attempts to allow non-citizens to vote. Jim Zeigler will fight against that. Only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections.” “As your State Auditor, I led the fight against waste, mismanagement, and corruption. As your Secretary of State, I can apply that same approach to fight the manipulation of our elections,” Zeigler continued. “As your State Auditor, some people called me ‘the watchman.’ I will continue as your watchman over the election process as Secretary of State.” “Election integrity may be the most important single issue. The reason is this: If we lose our ability to elect or defeat officials, then all other issues will have lost accountability to the people. We would have government of the manipulators, by the manipulators, and for the manipulators. A vote for Jim Zeigler is a vote against election by manipulation.” Zeigler earned a degree in Public Administration from the University of Alabama and paid his way through college as the janitor in the old Student Union Building and playing in an oldies band. He played trumpet in the University’s Million Dollar Band and debated on the intercollegiate debate team. He served on the University Athletic Committee with legendary Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Zeigler’s wife Jackie is the elected State Board of Education member from the First District — eight counties of south Alabama. She successfully led the banning of Critical Race Theory in Alabama schools. She has been a consistent vote to repeal Common Core. Along with Zeigler, the other Republican candidates for Secretary of State are Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, businessman Christian Horn of Huntsville, retired Secretary of State staffer Ed Packard of Prattville. The Republican primary is May 24.
Jim Zeigler’s Watchman Program” endorsed by opponent Ed Packard
In an unusual political development, a program announced Wednesday by Secretary of State candidate Jim Zeigler has gained the support of opponent Ed Packard. Zeigler gave a speech in Troy Wednesday and released his plan, the “Watchman Program.” In it, Zeigler, as Secretary of State, would recruit citizen volunteers to serve as poll watchers in each polling place. He would also conduct training sessions for the poll watchers. In a statement Thursday, Packard said, “I support what I know of Mr. Zeigler’s plan to increase the number of poll watchers around the state.” “However, Alabamians who wish to help ensure the integrity of elections in Alabama need not wait for a future Secretary of State to recruit and train them. They can join now with a candidate of their choice – whether it is me, Mr. Zeigler, or any one of the hundreds of other candidates for federal, state, and county offices – and be appointed as that candidate’s poll watcher,” Packard concluded. Packard is a 25-year veteran staffer in the Secretary of State’s office before retiring on December 31. Zeigler says he is glad to have support for his plan. Also running for Secretary of State are Rep. Wes Allen of Troy and businessman Christian Horn of Huntsville.
