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
