Special election for House District 10 begins drawing candidates
BY: ALANDER ROCHA With a special election set for House District 10 after the resignation of former Rep. David Cole, R-Madison, candidates – new and familiar – are weighing their options. Cole resigned from his House seat on August 30 and pleaded guilty to a charge of knowingly voting at a polling place where he was not authorized to vote. The district is one of a handful of competitive seats in the Alabama Legislature. Cole got 52% of the vote in 2022 to Democratic nominee Marilyn Lands 45%. Libertarian Elijah Boyd got 3%. Lands, who announced her candidacy on Tuesday in a live video streamed on her campaign Facebook page, said in a phone interview Wednesday that she is running a second time because of the momentum her campaign built the first time around. “We worked really hard the first time around, and we knocked on lots of doors and we had a message that resonated with people, and I think we can turn our people back out again, she said. She also thinks she can make a difference. As a mental health professional, she said that the “state of our kids and the crisis we’re having in healthcare” compelled her to run again. “There’s been a lot of things that have been on my mind that we could do something about at the state level,” she said. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, backed her candidacy Wednesday, adding that he is confident in her ability to perform in a potentially competitive race. “The Marilyn story speaks for itself. She’s a mental health counselor. She worked for Boeing. She worked for the airport. She has been engaged in a lot of civic organizations within the community. She is of the community that she’s running in. Now, people get an opportunity to see Marilyn and understand her story,” Daniels said. Anson Knowles, who intended to run against Cole in the 2022 Republican primary, said that he’s still undecided. The Alabama Republican Party kicked Knowles off the ballot for previous work with the Libertarian Party. Knowles, who had raised questions about Cole’s residency, said in a recent interview that the last election took a toll on his family and with three kids, he said it’s a difficult decision to make. “I can’t run as a Republican. The GOP made it pretty clear they don’t want me,” Knowles said. “I considered running as a Democrat for a minute just because I thought that’d be the best way to make sure the Republicans didn’t win because I’m so mad at them for what they did to me the last time.” Knowles said that he rejoined the Libertarian Party in February and was appointed to the party executive board in March. He said that he is currently focused on recruiting Libertarian candidates for local Madison County races and has his hands full with candidate training. He said that ideologically, he doesn’t fit in with Republicans, Democrats, or Libertarians, but he is currently focused on building up the Libertarian Party’s infrastructure. “I’m an independent kind of thinker, and so I guess it didn’t sit well – like when I was in the GOP, that was part of the reason what why I had so many enemies in there, because I’d call up their establishment for their crap, and the Libertarians, I’d call out their people for their crap. It’s difficult to tell the truth to people sometimes,” Knowles said. Elijah Boyd, the Libertarian candidate for the seat in 2022, said he plans on running again, but that has to be decided by the Libertarian Party. He said he’s not ready to make any final decisions just yet. “I’ve been the representative for the party twice now, and I think I’m the best to represent, but I’ll let the party decide that,” Boyd said. Other people who have mentioned they may run for the seat are Republican D.J. Klein, a broadband business owner and former Madison City Council member who expressed interest in the seat previously. Klein wrote in an email that since redistricting, he no longer lives in the district. “And I hear that’s frowned on these days,” he wrote jokingly. Headmaster Jerry Reeder of the Whitesburg Christian Academy in Huntsville was mentioned by Knowles as a possible Republican candidate for the seat, but he said that was just a rumor. “We are, in fact, enjoying the humor of this situation and the fact there are, indeed, many rumors flying about,” Reeder said in an email. There may have been some confusion, he said in the email, because the principal for the upper-school, Robby Parker, was approached about running for the seat but declined. Parker said in an email that he was honored to be asked, but “firmly believe [he is] where The Lord wants [him].” According to a plea agreement, Cole decided to run for the House District 10 seat in the summer of 2021. The seat was held by retiring Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison. But redistricting that year moved Cole’s home into House District 4, represented by Rep. Parker Moore, R-Hartselle, an incumbent who was seeking his second term in the House. The agreement said Cole contacted a friend, referred to as “H.S.,” and negotiated a $5-a-month lease at H.S.’s home in District 10. Cole later changed his voter registration to the address but only had mail sent there. The deadline for qualifying with major political parties will be Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. The deadline for independent candidates and minor parties is Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Republished with the permission of the Alabama Reflector.
David Cole pleads guilty and resigns from the state legislature
On Thursday, embattled state legislator David Cole resigned from office and signed a plea deal admitting guilt. Cole was arrested on Tuesday for voter fraud, having voted at an unauthorized location or location. Thursday’s plea agreement ends a year of charges, legal drama, and denials of charges that ultimately appear now to be true. Cole, a Republican, was elected in 2022 to represent House District 10 in Madison County. It has been alleged by his political opponents that Cole, a Huntsville doctor, did not live in House District 10 – an allegation that he strenuously denied even though he owns a house outside of the district. Cole claimed that he leased a house from a friend. This issue has been in litigation for months as his Libertarian opponent, Elijah Boyd, challenged Cole’s residency. On Tuesday, Cole was arrested and charged with fraud-voting at multiple or unauthorized locations. That is a Class C felony. Coles was booked into the Madison County Jail but was later released on a $2,500 bond. According to court documents, Cole “did knowingly vote in the November 8, 2022, general election at a polling police where he had not been authorized to vote, to wit: within the boundaries of Alabama House District 10…” Cole claimed in the primary election that he leased a 25-square-foot area in the friend’s house for just $5 a month. Cole later produced a lease agreement claiming that he leased the whole house. By the time of the general election, he again changed his registration, claiming that he lived in an apartment in District 10. All this time, the house outside of the district that he owned was not sold. Cole then reportedly voted at the polling place for that address. He now apparently admits in the plea agreement that his vote in November was fraudulent, and so were the filing papers he signed when he qualified with the Alabama Republican Party to run for the District 10 seat to begin with. Cole will reportedly agree to accept a three-year prison sentence that will be split into a 60-day sentence in the Madison County jail, with the remainder being served in unsupervised probation. As a condition to this plea deal, Cole has agreed to resign from office and surrender any money that he made as a state legislator. In the coming days, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey will announce the dates for the special election to fill the vacancy in House District 10. Already we are hearing names of prominent Republicans who are seeking support for a run to fill the sudden vacancy. In 2022, the Madison County Democratic Party targeted HD10 as a rare GOP seat that they felt they could realistically expect to flip. Despite this, Cole prevailed in the November general election with 51.6% of the vote (7,581 votes). Democrat Marilyn Lands received 45.0% of the vote (6,608 votes), and Libertarian Elijah Boyd received just 3.4% of the vote (503 votes). Cole is the second member of the House of Representatives to plead guilty to criminal deeds this year. Democrat Fred Plump in Birmingham was the other. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama lawmaker David Cole agrees to plead guilty to voter fraud
An Alabama legislator has agreed to plead guilty to a felony voter fraud charge that he used a fraudulent address to run for office in a district where he did not live, according to an agreement filed Thursday. Republican Rep. David Cole of Huntsville will plead guilty to a charge of voting in an unauthorized location, according to a plea agreement filed in state court. He will resign from office on the day he enters his guilty plea. Cole, a doctor and Army veteran, was elected to the House of Representatives last year. According to a plea agreement, Cole signed a lease in 2021 to pay $5 per month for a “5X5 space” in a home in order to run for office in House District 10. Cole had some mail sent there, but never lived there and never “stepped past the entry foyer” on the two times he visited the location, according to the plea agreement. Alabama law requires candidates to live in a legislative district for one year before they run for office. Cole signed the lease for the space two days after a redistricting plan was enacted that placed the home, where Cole had lived since 2014, in another House district. Cole, in 2022, signed a lease for an apartment in District 10, but he continued to claim a property tax break from the county by saying he resided at his house. “Dr. Cole admits and takes full responsibility for the mistakes he made in the political process. He entered the process to serve his community. he has lived a life of service, including serving for 22 years in the Army with tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt,” Bill Espy, a lawyer representing Cole, said in a statement on Cole’s behalf. According to the plea agreement, Cole will serve 60 days in the Madison County Jail and the remainder of a three-year sentence on unsupervised probation. Cole’s arrest on Tuesday comes after accusations surfaced that he did not live in the district in which he was elected. Elijah Boyd, the Libertarian candidate in the district, had filed an election challenge in civil court, arguing that Cole did not live in District 10 and was not eligible to represent the district. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
State Rep. David Cole arrested for voter fraud
On Tuesday, State Representative David Cole (R-Huntsville) was arrested on charges of voting at an unauthorized voting location. Tuesday’s arrest is part of a lengthy investigation of Cole’s residency. Investigators are conducting a probe into whether or not Cole actually lives in the district that he represents – District 10. Under Alabama law, you must vote at the polling place you are assigned based on residency. Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) issued a statement on Tuesday following the arrest. “This afternoon, the Speaker’s Office became aware of David Cole’s arrest on the charge of fraud—voting at an unauthorized location,” Speaker Ledbetter said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we are still waiting to learn more details as they become available.” “In recent years, the Alabama House has prioritized legislation that promotes election integrity, and we believe that any allegation of fraud must be addressed regardless of the party, public official, or candidate involved,” Ledbetter continued. “Alabamians may remain confident that their elections are conducted honestly, their votes are cast and counted fairly, and their ballot boxes are secure. Now, it is up to a court of law to determine the validity of the allegations Cole is facing, and I anticipate Alabama’s election laws will withstand their true intent.” His election opponents brought the matter up before the November election, but Cole, the Republican nominee, won anyway. Libertarian Elijah Boyd has brought a pending legal action against Cole, and there are media reports that authorities do believe that there may be merit to the accusations. Cole, a doctor, owns a big house outside of the district. He claims to rent another house in the district, but he apparently never sold the home that he owns, and his critics maintain that he and his wife do not live at the address he wrote on his qualifying papers. Cole’s tenure in the Legislature has been overshadowed by the looming residency litigation. Cole was reportedly booked into the Madison County Jail, where he is being held on a $2,500 bond. Cole serves as Medical Director of Occupational Health Group. He and his wife, Melanie, have three children. They are members of First Baptist Church of Huntsville and St. John the Baptist Church in Madison. David is a graduate of Arkansas State University and received his Doctorate Degree in Medical Services from the University of Arkansas. If convicted, Cole would be the second member of the Alabama House of Representatives convicted of crimes this year. The other being former State Rep. Fred Plump (D-Birmingham). Cole, like Plump, was elected for the first time in 2022. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Cannabis Coalition announces endorsements for November 8 election
The Alabama Cannabis Coalition (ACC) announced that they were endorsing Libertarian nominee Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake for Governor. The ACC endorsed most of the Libertarian Party of Alabama slate of candidates as well as a few Democratic candidates in the November 8 general election. “He supports the Citizen’s right to home grow, the expungement of cannabis convictions, decriminalization, and the “Legalization” of cannabis in the State of Alabama,” said ACC President Marty Schelper. “These are all indicators of a candidate who supports smaller government, freedom, liberty, and justice, for the citizens of the State of Alabama.” “We are proud to give him our overwhelming endorsement and support,” Schelper continued. “The ACC will be campaigning for his election.” On Tuesday, the ACC announced that they had endorsed the candidates for the 2022 Midterm Election. “We are pleased to endorse these Anti Prohibition/ProCannabis Candidates in the State of Alabama. We wholeheartedly endorse their campaigns and believe each candidate to be a breath of fresh air for the necessary change that we need in Alabama regarding Cannabis,” the announcement stated. · Jimmy Blake (L), Governor of Alabama · Ruth Page-Nelson (L), Lt. Governor of Alabama · John Sophocleus (L), US Senate · Alexander M. Remrey (L) US Congress, District 1 · Jonathan Realz (L), US Congress District 2 · Johnny C. Cochran (L), US Congress, District 4 · PJ Greer (L), US Congress, District 5 · Gavin Goodman (L), US Congress District 7th · Leigh LaChine (L), AL State Auditor Alabama State Senate · Rick Chandler (L), Alabama State Senate District 3 · Kyle Richard Garrison (L), Alabama State Senate District 6 · Danny Wilson (L), Alabama State Senate District 19 · Portia Shepherd (L), Alabama State Senate District 23 · Richard Benderson (L), Alabama State Senate District 24 · Louie Albert Albright (L), Alabama State Senate, District 25 · David Boatwright (L), Alabama State Senate District 28 · Floyd “Pete” McBroom (L), Alabama State Senate District 29 · Clifton Hudson (L), Alabama State Senate District 35 Alabama House · Rep. Angela Walser (L), Alabama House Rep. District 8 · Gregory Bodine (L), Alabama House Rep. District 9 · Elijah Boyd (L), Alabama House Rep. District 10 · Talia Shimp (L), Alabama House Rep. District 18 · Matthew G. Morris Jr. (L), Alabama House Rep. District 41 · Doug Ward (L), Alabama House Rep. District 42 · Jason Burr (L), Alabama House Rep. District 43 · Kari Mitchell Whitaker (L), Alabama House Rep. District 45 · Neil Rafferty (D), Alabama House Rep. District 54 · Carson Lester (L), Alabama House Rep. District 56 · Manijeh Nancy Jones (L), Alabama House Rep. District 57 · JP French (L), Alabama House Rep. District 60 · Jeff May (L), Alabama House Rep. District 64 · Scott Manges (L), Alabama House Rep. District 76 · Amanda Frison (L), Alabama House Rep. District 79 · Justin Tyler May (L), Alabama House Rep. District 88 · Margaret “Maggie” Helveston (L), Alabama House Rep., District 94 · Richard Brackner (D), Alabama House Rep. District 95 · Mark Lewis (L), Alabama House Rep. District 105 LOCAL CANDIDATES · Devin Cordell (L), Jefferson County Commissioner, District 3 · Frank Dillman Sr. (L), Macon County Commissioner, District 4 · Charles Wyckoff (L), Mobile County Sheriff The general election is on November 8. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
