ALGOP censures PSC candidate James Bonner for questionable social media posts, interviews
Terry Lathan, and the Alabama Republican Party are having none of it. The ALGOP Chairwoman issued a statement on Tuesday night, condemning and censuring Public Service Commissioner Place 1 candidate, James “Jim” Bonner‘s opinions, expressed on his radio show, and on social media. “The Alabama Republican Party Candidate Committee voted unanimously to publicly censure and strongly condemn Mr. Jim Bonner, candidate for Public Service Commission, Place 1,” said Lathan in the release. “Mr. Bonner’s recent comments on his social media as well as radio shows are not condoned by the Alabama Republican Party. Mr. Bonner is welcome to his opinions and his first amendment right of free speech. The Alabama Republican Party is welcome to our opinion as well, and we reject the egregious comments Mr. Bonner continues to spew.” “Furthermore, the ALGOP Candidate Committee unanimously urges Republican voters in the June 5 primary to NOT cast votes for Jim Bonner for the Public Service Commission, Place 1.” Bonner has been under constant criticism for a series of “questionable” posts on social media calling him anti-Semitic and racist. “In post after post, Bonner seems to revel in racist, sexist and anti-semite comments, but this has dampened his support among those who think he is someone he’s not,” wrote APR. Despite all of this, Bonner is doing fairly well in polls, particularly in Mobile and surrounding areas. He shares a last name with retired Congressman Jo Bonner, and because of the popularity of the Bonner family name, Jim Bonner is seeing some success. Bonner faces off against Jeremy Oden in the June 5 primary.
2018 statewide election ad roundup: May 25 edition
The June 5 Republican and Democratic primaries are only 11 days away and Alabama’s candidates have taken to the internet and the airwaves with campaign ads in hopes of swaying Yellowhammer State voters to their side. All of the Republican gubernatorial candidates fought for voter’s attention, with each one rolling out a new ad this week. In true Sue Bell Cobb fashion, Cob rolled out two new ads this week, maintaining her streak for what is now her tenth week in a row. Only Rusty Glover, and Will Ainsworth released new ads in the Lieutenant Governor’s race, while Chess Bedsole, Steve Marshall, and Alice Martin let voters know what’s on their minds. (Hint: it’s corruption) Lone-wolf Jim Zeigler launched his first ad of the 2018 election cycle in the early morning hours last Saturday while tens of thousands of Alabamians were up and watching the royal wedding. Gubernatorial ads Republicans Tommy Battle: Title: Battle For Governor Commercial 2 Published: May 24, 2018 Tone: Encouraging Title: Battle For Governor Commercial 3 Published: May 24, 2018 Tone: Pragmatic Scott Dawson: Title: “The Time is Now” Bus Tour Published: May 24, 2018 Tone: Urgent Bill Hightower: Title: Recycling Published: May 22, 2018 Tone: Contemplative Kay Ivey: Title: Prosperity Published: May 21, 2018 Tone: Optimistic Democrats Sue Bell Cobb: Title: Clean Water is a Human Right Published: May 23, 2018 Tone: Accusing Title: Lifelong Learner Lottery funds Quality Educational Childcare Published: May 24, 2018 Tone: Lighthearted Lieutenant governor ads Republicans Will Ainsworth: Title: Pencil Published: May 22, 2018 Tone: Direct Rusty Glover: Title: “Common Sense” – Rusty Glover for Lieutenant Governor Published: May 22, 2018 Tone: Earnest Title: “Legacy” – Rusty Glover for Lieutenant Governor Published: May 23, 2018 Tone: Virtuous Attorney General ads Republicans Chess Bedsole: Title: Justice Published: May 24, 2018 Tone: Forceful Steve Marshall: Title: Stand Published: May 22, 2018 Tone: Conventional Title: A Principled Conservative Published: May 24, 2018 Tone: Defensive Alice Martin: Title: Stop the Deal-makers Published: May 23, 2018 Tone: Disapproving State Auditor ads Republicans Jim Zeigler: Title: Jim Zeigler – 2018 – State Auditor Published: May 19, 2018 Tone: Assertive
2018 midterms show start of Democratic scramble for 2020
Look closely enough at the 2018 midterm campaign and you’ll see the stirrings of a Democratic scramble to reclaim the White House from President Donald Trump. The leading players — from established national figures such as former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to up-and-comers including Sen. Kamala Harris — don’t necessarily put it that way. But the potential 2020 candidates are making the rounds, raising and distributing campaign cash among fellow Democrats, endorsing candidates and meeting political activists. Their movements reflect competing strategies for establishing their reputations and shaping a party that lacks a clear leader and consistent message in the Trump era. For senators trying to get better known, a primary goal is proving fundraising strength and party loyalty, without necessarily taking sides in the larger fight between the left and moderates who split on the minimum wage, health insurance and other issues. “I just want to do whatever I can” to help Democrats win, Harris said at a recent stop in Georgia, where she was campaigning and raising money for Stacey Abrams’ race for governor. It is part of an aggressive effort for the freshman senator from California. She’s raised $3.5 million for her Senate colleagues and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, plus what she helps candidates such as Abrams raise directly when she appears with them, and at the end of April Harris had nearly a $1 million balance in the political action committee that she uses to back other Democrats. Warren boasts that she’s raised $15 million for other Democrats since her 2013 election. The Massachusetts senator faces a re-election campaign this fall, but not as tough a race as confronts 10 colleagues running in states where Trump won. Like Harris, Warren and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker have aided those senators. Warren is also helping other branches of the party: a transfer of money to House Democrats’ campaign committee, $5,000 for every state party and $175,000 spread across state legislative campaigns in contested states. Democratic and Republican campaign veterans say such contributions and fundraising trips aren’t explicitly about future campaigns. “We’re not playing 3D chess,” says Harris spokeswoman Lily Adams, who describes the senator’s priority as “building our numbers in the Senate” for the final two years of Trump’s term, while looking for strong women and minority candidates. (Abrams would be the first female African-American governor in U.S. history.) Operatives also insist there are no quid pro quos, though Republican presidential campaign veteran Rick Tyler says, “These guys are out there accumulating chits.” Tyler worked for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 White House campaign. Cruz was among the conservatives who traveled the country before his campaign, endorsing like-minded conservatives and raising money. Trump’s improbable rise obliterated that groundwork, but Tyler said it’s nonetheless a necessary part of a national campaign, because prospective presidents build their networks and test messages as they meet activists and voters beyond their personal bases. Harris, for example, is noticeably avoiding most early presidential nominating states — no trips to Iowa or New Hampshire so far. Because 10 Senate Democrats must seek re-election in states Trump won, her travels do put her in some of the pivotal states in the battle to control the Senate. She’s been to Ohio five times for Sen. Sherrod Brown, twice to Michigan for Sen. Debbie Stabenow and once to Florida for Sen. Bill Nelson. She has a June trip planned for Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Warren has been to Ohio at least four times this campaign season and traveled to Michigan and Wisconsin, among others states. Those states helped give Trump the presidency. They also could prove important as primary states in an extended nominating fight that could materialize with a large field and Democrats’ proportional distribution of nominating convention delegates. Sanders, the Vermont independent whose insurgent presidential campaign in 2016 emboldened the Democrats’ left flank, is perhaps the most unabashed of the potential 2020 group about using this year’s midterms to put his preferred policy stamp on the Democratic Party. A prolific small-dollar fundraiser, he no longer has to prove he can raise money or draw a crowd. “I have been very critical about the business model of the Democratic Party,” Sanders told The Associated Press. He said his travel to 28 states since Trump took office and his endorsements in federal and state races are part of his promised “political revolution” intended to advance ideas like a $15 minimum wage, tuition-free college and universal health insurance. Sanders bet on liberal challenger Marie Newman in her unsuccessful House Democratic primary battle against conservative Rep. Dan Lipinski in Illinois. But Sanders scored a notable win Tuesday in Pennsylvania when his pick for lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, finished with a surprise primary victory. Biden is at the opposite end of Democrats’ identity battle. His endorsement list and fundraising itinerary are replete with state party dinners, events for sitting Democratic senators and rallies for candidates running as moderates, at least in tone, if not in policy preference. “I love Bernie, but … I don’t think 500 billionaires are the reason we are in trouble,” Biden said at a recent Brookings Institution speech about his priorities for the middle class. Biden’s aides say he’s willing to help any Democrat get elected, but the native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who loves to wax eloquent about his working-class upbringing is in demand to campaign for Democrats running in GOP-leaning places. He headlined fundraisers and campaign rallies for first-year Alabama Sen. Doug Jones and new Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb, who won among voters who had sided overwhelmingly with Trump in 2016. Biden’s next planned campaign venture is to North Carolina on behalf of Democrat Dan McCready, a veteran trying to win a suburban Charlotte House district that wasn’t competitive two years ago. Certainly, many Democratic hopefuls around the country are accepting help from multiple would-be presidents, and the alignments don’t always follow cleanly along the party’s philosophical battle lines. Abrams has campaigned as a liberal,
2018 statewide election ad roundup: May 18 edition
The June 5 Republican and Democratic primaries are only 18 days away and Alabama’s candidates have taken to the internet and the airwaves with campaign ads in hopes of swaying Yellowhammer State voters to their side. In the gubernatorial race, only former Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, and Governor Kay Ivey released new ads this week. Ivey released a new radio ad while Cobb continued her campaign tradition; issuing two new ads for the ninth week in a row. Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh introduced just one new ad this week, while Will Ainsworth rolled out the big guns this week introducing 7 new ads in the Lieutenant Governor’s race. Steve Marshall was the only candidate introduce an ad in the Attorney General’s race, and Agriculture Commissioner candidate Gerald Dial released his first television ad this week — with a jingle that will definitely get stuck in your head. Gubernatorial Ads Republicans Kay Ivey: Title: Values Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Principled Democrats Sue Bell Cobb: Title: Fixing Alabama’s D+ Roads Published: May 15, 2018 Tone: Reformative Sue Bell Cobb: Title: #It’sTime an Alabama Governor Cared About Our Healthcare Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Wellness Lieutenant governor ads Republicans Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh: Title: A Proven Leader for Lieutenant Governor Published: May 15, 2018 Tone: Virtuous 1 Will Ainsworth: Title: Brett Stanton on Will’s Fight for Public Education Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Stable Will Ainsworth: Title: Kendall Ainsworth on Will’s Alabama Values Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Familial Will Ainsworth: Title: Chris Lane on Will’s Promise for Alabama’s Natural Resources Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Impassioned Will Ainsworth: Title: Whitney Mastin on Will’s Next Generation Initiative Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Steadfast Will Ainsworth: Title: Jason Satterfield on Will’s Pro-Business Approach Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Dedicated Will Ainsworth: Title: John Mullins on Will’s Drive to Find Meaningful Solutions Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Contributory Will Ainsworth: Title: Judy Miller on Will’s Fight for the Alabama’s Next Generation Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Hopeful Will Ainsworth: Title: Roseanne Mabrey on Will’s School Safety Initiative Published: May 17, 2018 Tone: Optimistic Attorney General ads Republicans Steve Marshall: Title: Mikayla’s Story Published: May 14, 2018 Tone: Dedicated Agriculture Commissioner Republicans Gerald Dial: Title: It’s Dial Time! Published: May 16, 2018 Tone: Joyful
Scott Dawson criticizes grant to LGBT group
An evangelist running against Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is criticizing anti-violence grants the state gave to a support organization for gay and transgender individuals. Scott Dawson in a Tuesday press conference said Ivey “betrays our values” with the grants worth nearly $800,000 to Free2Be. Dawson is challenging Ivey in the Republican primary. The nonprofit runs several support centers in the state. Grant paperwork indicated the money is to be used for violence prevention and support services. A telephone message to Free2Be’s director was not returned. An answering machine message indicated the group is temporarily closed. Ivey called the accusation “nonsense.” The GOP governor said while she doesn’t agree with the group’s “values,” the grant is entirely paid for with federal dollars and dates back to 2014. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Incumbents maintain substantial fundraising lead in Public Service Commission races
With the June 5 Primary less than one month away, Public Service Commission (PSC) candidates are gearing up for the final stretch of the race. Unsurprisingly, Republican incumbents seeking re-election have raised the most funds and support for themselves. In both the Place 1 and Place 2 races, only one Democrat is seeking election, meaning they will automatically advance to the Nov. 6 general election. Place 1 For Public Service Commissioner Place 1, newcomer Republican Jim Bonner will face incumbent, Republican Jeremy Oden on primary day. The winner will go on to face Democrat Cara Yvonne Mcclure in the Nov. 6 general election. Campaign finance reports reveal Oden’s fundraising is far ahead of both Bonner and McClure’s — by over $160,000. Candidate Beginning Funds on Hand Monetary Contributions Monetary Expenditures Non-Monetary Contributions Other Receipts Ending Funds on Hand Jim Bonner $0.00 $0.00 $6,374.00 $4,484.00 $1,890.00 -$4,484.00 Cara McClure $1,415.54 $310.51 $2,012.82 $0.00 $1,105.03 Jeremy Oden* $6.47 $165,000.00 $6,550.26 $62.94 $7,633.67 $166,089.88 Oden is also the only candidate for Place 1 who has a Facebook page for his campaign, while McClure uses Twitter for most of her social media outreach. Bonner has only a personal Facebook page. Newcomer McClure says her desire to be elected comes from a deep passion for the lower class, under-represented, and marginalized. “My experience, and sincere belief, is that by acting in the best interest of those people, we can raise the quality of life for all,” she explained. Place 2 In the race for Place 2, incumbent, Republican Chris “Chip” Beeker Jr. has maintained a substantial fundraising lead, raising more than $40,000 than his closest opponent. Beeker, who is seeking re-election, will face off against Republican Robin Ann Litaker in the primary. The winner will go on to face Democrat Kari Swenson-Powell in November. Candidate Beginning Funds On Hand Monetary Contributions Monetary Expenditures Non-Monetary Contributions Other Receipts Ending Funds on Hand Chris “Chip” Beeker Jr.* $6,936.45 $41,500.00 $3,925.24 $0.00 $0.00 $44,511.21 Robin Ann Litaker $0.00 $3,081.82 $2,454.32 $3,118.00 $0.00 $627.50 Kari Swenson-Powell $0.00 $2,851.00 $977.31 $2,062.61 $250.00 $2,123.69 The Republican challenger to the incumbent Litaker said, “In the last few years we have seen a speaker of the house, governor, Supreme Court Justice, and others steeped in controversy which ultimately led to them being removed from office.” She went on to add, “In my career as an educator, I had to uphold a high standard of excellence and I was held accountable to the public in everything I did. Why should government be any different? I am running because I want to ensure that Alabama’s taxpayers and ratepayers are represented fairly.” On the democrat side the winner of the republican primary will face Swenson-Powell, “This job excites me (yes, excites!) because it would give me an opportunity to represent all Alabamians and ensure that they are being charged fairly for their utilities,” said Swenson-Powell. “As a believer that we humans need to be good stewards of the Earth and it’s resources, as Public Service Commissioner, I would do everything in my power to make sure that clean energy resources have a pathway to flourish in Alabama.” * denotes an incumbent candidate. Red denotes a Republican candidate. Blue denotes a Democratic candidate.
GOP frets over West Virginia as 4 states decide primaries
Voters in the heart of Trump country are ready to decide the fate of Don Blankenship, a brash West Virginia businessman and GOP outsider with a checkered past who is testing the appeal of President Donald Trump’s outsider playbook in one of the nation’s premiere U.S. Senate contests. The stakes are high for a Republican Party bracing for major losses in this fall’s midterm elections. A victory on Tuesday for Blankenship, an ex-convict who has run racially charged ads, could make it hard for Republicans to pick up a Senate seat in deep-red West Virginia come November. But the anti-establishment fervor unleashed by Trump’s 2016 campaign has proved difficult for GOP leaders to rein in. On the eve of state’s Senate primary election, Trump himself warned on Twitter that a Blankenship win would destroy Republicans’ chance of defeating Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this fall. Blankenship “can’t win the General Election in your State…No way!” the president wrote of the retired coal executive, who was released from prison last year for his role in the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades. Firing back at the Republican president, Blankenship described himself as “Trumpier than Trump” as he shrugged off Trump’s call for local Republicans to support one of his two opponents. “West Virginia will send the swamp a message: No one, and I mean no one, will tell us how to vote,” Blankenship declared. On Tuesday, West Virginia will join Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio in hosting primary elections in states Trump carried in 2016. The Republican contests largely feature candidates jockeying to be seen as the most conservative, the most anti-Washington and the most loyal to the president. In Indiana, Republicans will pick from among three Senate candidates who have spent much of the race praising Trump and bashing one another. The winner will take on another vulnerable Democrat, Sen. Joe Donnelly, this fall. In Ohio, Republicans will likely nominate a more conservative candidate than outgoing GOP Gov. John Kasich, a 2016 presidential candidate and frequent Trump critic. Even Kasich’s former running mate, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, has pledged to unwind some of Kasich’s centrist policies, including the expansion of the Medicaid government insurance program. Ohio also features primary elections in both parties to decide the candidates for an August special election to replace GOP Rep. Pat Tiberi, who resigned earlier in the year. North Carolina Republicans will weigh in on the fate of Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger, who faces a primary challenger who almost upset him two years ago. Pittenger features Trump prominently in his campaign, while challenger Mark Harris, a prominent Charlotte pastor, has called Pittenger a creature of Washington who refuses to help Trump “drain that swamp.” Yet none of Tuesday’s contests is expected to have more impact on the 2018 midterm landscape than West Virginia. Blankenship has embraced Trump’s tactics — casting himself as a victim of government persecution and seizing on xenophobia, if not racism — to stand out in a crowded Republican field that includes state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Republican congressman Evan Jenkins. Republicans have long seen the state as a prime opportunity to expand the party’s two-seat majority in the Senate by defeating Manchin. On paper at least, the GOP prospects look good: No state gave Trump a larger margin of victory than West Virginia, where Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by 42 points. Yet Republicans across Washington are convinced that Blankenship, an unapologetic conservative who lives part time near Las Vegas, cannot defeat Manchin. In addition to Trump’s warning, the head of the Senate Republican campaign arm has highlighted Blankenship’s criminal history. And a group allied with the national GOP, known as Mountain Families PAC, has spent more than $1.2 million in attack ads against Blankenship in recent weeks. The retired businessman was released from prison less than a year ago for his role in a 2010 mine explosion that left 29 men dead. Blankenship led the company that owned the mine and was sentenced to a year in prison for conspiring to break safety laws, a misdemeanor. He has repeatedly blamed government regulators for the disaster, casting himself as the victim of an overzealous Obama-era Justice Department — an argument Trump regularly uses to dismiss federal agents investigating his campaign’s ties to Russia. Blankenship has used race and ethnicity to appeal to supporters in the campaign’s final days, just as Trump did throughout his campaign. The Senate candidate took aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in an ad claiming that McConnell has created jobs for “China people” and that his “China family” has given him millions of dollars. McConnell’s wife is U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan. Blankenship also called McConnell “Cocaine Mitch” in a previous ad. That reference stems from a 2014 magazine article alleging drugs were found aboard a commercial cargo ship owned by Chao’s family. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic, suggested that Blankenship presents a moral problem for the GOP, not just a political one. He said he’s ready to donate to Manchin’s campaign if Blankenship becomes the GOP nominee. “You get somebody like that in the Senate, you might get us one seat but you lose your soul,” Flake said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Nancy Pelosi says Democrats have cash and environment to win House
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that House Democrats have the fundraising, the issues and the political atmosphere on their side to win back the majority in November. These factors, and an activated party base that’s helped Democrats win in special elections across the country this year are the “small droplets of water” that create a wave, Pelosi said headlining a county Democratic Party banquet in Des Moines. “This is not going to be big margins,” she said. “It is going to be small margins in many places.” Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to flip the majority. A stream of Republican House retirements, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, and the GOP-passed tax cut’s shaky popularity, underscored by President Trump’s low approval, are fueling increased Democratic hopes of retaking the House for the first time since 2010. Democrats increasingly see the potential change coming from districts where Trump narrowly won in 2016, such as Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Districts and the Omaha area’s 2nd District in Nebraska. “Here in the heartland a new generation of Democrats is rising up,” she said. The cheers Pelosi received in Des Moines belie the Republican effort to paint her as the singular face of opposition, which Pelosi attributes to her effectiveness. In an Associated Press interview, Pelosi, who has been painted as the boogeyman by Republican strategists seeking to hold the House majority in November, has raised millions on her own this year in pursuit of a return to the majority. And she points to what she describes as effective legislative leadership during eight years in the minority. “I take it as I’m effective,” she said after headlining a fundraising dinner for Polk County Democrats. “I also happen to be, apart from anyone who’s running for president or been the presidential nominee, the biggest fundraiser in the country. So they want to diminish that.” Pelosi is featured as the star — and villain — in many of the ads being run by the Congressional Leadership Fund, the political action committee run by Speaker Paul Ryan which is aimed at Republicans holding the House majority. Democrats feel emboldened given the large number of Republican House retirements, special elections around the country since 2016 where Democrats have won or did better than expected in Republican-leaning districts, and Pelosi’s robust fundraising. The California Democrat raised $16 million in the first quarter, including $14 million in March alone. The tally was ahead of the $15 million raised by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC which can raise unlimited sums, unlike Pelosi’s federally regulated candidate contributions. National polls show Pelosi to have low favorability, which Congressional Leadership Fund executive director Corry Bliss calls “a blessing.” “We’re going to spend millions this summer and this fall reminding people what Nancy Pelosi would do to this country if she were speaker again,” Bliss said. There was no sign of any negative feeling about Pelosi in the banquet hall in Des Moines Sunday. Democratic activists cheered her introduction and stood applauding repeatedly during her 30-minute speech. Asked why Polk County Democrats would invite her to a pivotal swing-voting congressional district, county party Chairman Sean Bagniewski said, “She is the most powerful Democrat in the United States of America. I think the better question is why wouldn’t we have her here?” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alice Martin asked Robert Bentley for attorney general’s appointment
Republican attorney general candidate Alice Martin last year asked then-Gov. Robert Bentley to appoint her as attorney general while Bentley faced a criminal investigation by her office, but said Friday she played no active role in the probe after seeking the job. Public records obtained from the attorney general’s office by The Associated Press show Martin, while chief deputy in the attorney general’s office under Luther Strange, sent a Jan. 26, 2017 email to Bentley’s office seeking, “consideration for appointment to the office of attorney general” if the position became available. “I trust the Governor will consider my qualifications and experience to serve as the first female and 50th Attorney General for the state of Alabama should the seat be vacated,” Martin wrote. In later emails from her state account, she thanked two people for calling, or offering to write, Bentley on her behalf and that she hoped the governor “will give me the nod.” The emails show that Martin actively sought the appointment. Martin issued a statement saying that she put her name into consideration when it became clear that Bentley would be appointing a new attorney general, because she believed she was the most qualified for the job. Bentley last year appointed Strange to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat previously held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The move raised some eyebrows since it allowed Bentley to appoint a new state attorney general as he faced an ethics investigation in the fallout of an alleged affair with a staffer. After interviewing Martin and other candidates Bentley on Feb. 10 appointed Steve Marshall, the longtime district attorney of Marshall County, as attorney general. Martin is challenging Marshall in the GOP primary for attorney general. Marshall recused immediately from any matter involving Bentley and appointed Ellen Brooks, the former district attorney of Montgomery County, to handle the probe. Asked about the appropriateness of seeking the appointment, Martin said she played no part in the investigation after seeking the post. “As I have long stated, after it became apparent that the Governor would be making a Senate appointment that would leave the Attorney General position vacant, I asked that my name be considered. I believed then, as I believe now, that I was the most qualified candidate for the position and would best serve Alabama. After seeking consideration, I had no role in the Bentley investigation except to attend a briefing for Marshall and Brooks,” Martin said in a statement. It is unclear exactly what the status of the investigation was when Martin interviewed with Bentley for the appointment. Martin wrote in a Feb.16 letter to Brooks after meeting with her said her role had been to provide “legal oversight and administrative support for this investigation since opened.” Martin wrote that she was recusing from further involvement. Martin later left the office and Marshall named his own chief deputy. Martin said in a statement that it was clear during her interview with Bentley that he had, “made his choice and that it would not be me. He was more interested in a status quo Attorney General like Steve Marshall rather than someone who will stand up to corrupt public officials.” Bentley resigned two months later, pleading guilty to misdemeanor campaign finance violations. Brooks announced this spring that the grand jury was closed without additional indictments, but with recommendations to toughen the state ethics law. Martin has criticized the outcome of the Bentley investigation, saying that Bentley got a “get out of jail free card.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Kay Ivey’s Republican challengers release health information
Gov. Kay Ivey’s challengers are indirectly trying to raise questions about her health ahead of Alabama’s June 5 primary, releasing their own medical information and saying the public deserves to have confidence in the health of the next governor. Ivey, the 73-year-old front-runner, dismissed the attempts Friday as a “publicity stunt.” The state’s gubernatorial candidates have generally not released health information. State Sen. Bill Hightower, 58, released copies of his blood tests and a cardiac stress test and called on other candidates to do the same, saying voters have a right to know about not only experience and vision, but the candidate’s physical ability to lead.” Sixty-two-year-old Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle followed suit Friday by releasing a letter from his doctor saying his general medical condition is “very good.” “This is about the health of each candidate,” Hightower said Friday. “Alabama needs to have a governor who is strong and vigorous and can complete the term.” Hightower declined to say if he was directly questioning Ivey’s health and physical fitness. The doctor’s letter released by Battle’s campaign also says he has no “physical evidence of underlying medical illness.” Battle takes no medications other than for seasonal allergies, his doctor added. “Battle believes it is important that the people of Alabama have faith and confidence in the health of their governor. That’s why he’s being transparent about his fitness to lead,” his campaign statement said. Ivey turns 74 in October, and if elected in November, she’ll be one of the oldest in state history, although only slightly older than some previous governors. “Maybe with age comes wisdom,” Ivey told The Associated Press in an interview last month. “My health is good. I get physicals twice a year. All is well. If you look at our schedules, you can see how active I am. Thank goodness and thank God I am healthy and will continue to be if the Lord wills.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
2018 gubernatorial ad roundup: May 4 edition
The June 5 Republican and Democratic primary is only 32 days away and Alabama’s gubernatorial candidates have taken to the internet and the airwaves with campaign ads in hopes of swaying Yellowhammer State voters to their side. Tommy Battle rolled out the big guns just in time to get voters prepared for the primaries; deploying eight new video ads this week. Sue Bell Cobb continued her campaign tradition, releasing a new ad for the seventh week in a row. Republicans Tommy Battle: Title: Free2Teach – Amanda Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Philanthropic Title: Free2Teach – Lauren Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Altruistic Title: Free2Teach – Kyleen Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Benevolent Title: Free2Teach – Maria Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Generous Title: Free2Teach – Meet Eula Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Familial Title: Battle Debate – Economy Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Timeous Title: The Real Story Behind Recruiting Toyota-Mazda Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Bolstering Title: Tommy Battle Stands With Our Veterans Published: April 26, 2018 Tone: Patriotic Democrats Sue Bell Cobb: Title: Stay focused on that WAG… Published: April 30, 2018 Tone: Playful
Walt Maddox receives endorsement from Ron Sparks, other Alabama influencers
Walt Maddox‘s campaign announced on the backing of former Alabama Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks on Monday. “Walt has compassion and he has leadership. He stood in the streets of Tuscaloosa in its darkest hours and darkest days. He showed compassion, leadership, and strength to rebuild the city,” said Sparks. “He will never put party over the people of Alabama.” Maddox hinted that should he be elected, Sparks might be asked to join his administration. “I am honored to receive the endorsement of Ron Sparks,” said Maddox. “Ron has been a political force in Alabama for years and he shares our vision for a better Alabama. He will be an invaluable asset to this campaign and to my administration should I be elected governor.” This is just one of many endorsements Maddox has received recently; last week he revived an endorsement from Mobile-Democrat Sen. Vivian Figures, and in March received and endorsement from Russellville-Democrat, former state Sen. Roger Bedford. “I am honored and proud to endorse Mayor Walt Maddox to be our next governor,” said Figures. “I know he is ready to serve all of the people of AL, because he’s not filled with empty rhetoric, but has a plan that will move AL to the next level.” Bedford said, “I know first-hand that Walt Maddox has what it takes. He has a proven record in Tuscaloosa and is a new fresh face we need in Montgomery. He has the knowledge, demeanor, and work ethic to make a difference and will make us proud to call him our governor.” Maddox will face former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, along with Christopher Countryman, James Fields, Doug Smith and Anthony White in the June 5 Democratic primary. The winner will go on to face the Republican nominee in the general election, to be selected among: Gov. Kay Ivey, Tommy Battle, Bill Hightower, or Scott Dawson.
