Off the Market: Power Couple Jessica Taylor and Leland Whaley announce their elopement
Alabama’s most eligible bachelorette, Jessica Taylor, is officially married! Oh, and so is Alabama’s most successful conservative talk radio host. Leland Whaley announced the big news on Sunday, September 15th, via his Facebook page. In a FaceBook post, Whaley announced he and former U.S. congressional and senate candidate Jessica Taylor were married on September 4 at The Abbey of San Galgano in Tuscany, Italy. The wedding follows a quiet announcement to family and friends they were engaged in June. The newlyweds also celebrated Taylor’s 40th birthday on the trip. Fox News described Taylor as a “viral sensation” when one of her campaign ads committing to take on The Squad garnered national attention. She finished third in the 2020 GOP primary for the 2nd Congressional District, narrowly missing the runoff in a race that Congressman Barry Moore would go on to win. She went on to run for U.S. Senate in 2022, dropping out to endorse Mike Durant. She owns a successful grant-writing business, Simple Grants, based out of Hoover. According to his bio on the Talk 99.5 website, “Alabama native Leland Whaley reported and managed news rooms for two television stations in Georgia before moving home to Alabama to work for WBRC Fox 6. Leland specialized in breaking news live coverage. While in television he not only covered hurricanes but also organized relief efforts, raised millions of dollars of aid and delivered it to disaster victims. Leland took home an Emmy and several Associated Press awards for documentary and series reporting during his television career. The Associated Press named Leland “Best Reporter” in Alabama. Leland also filed reports for CNN and ABC News. Leland has worked in public service as a District Director for then US Congressman Bob Riley. Leland was a key campaign manager for Bob Riley’s successful 2002 race for Governor. Leland served in the Riley Administration as Assistant Director in the Alabama Development office overseeing the effort to preserve and recruit military jobs in the Base Realignment and Closure Process. Leland also directed the Alabama Film Office for ADO. Leland has advised dozens of conservative organizations, causes and candidates and has lectured on communication strategy throughout the state of Alabama.” Editorial note: Alabama Today congratulates the couple and wishes them a lifetime of happiness.
Bryan Taylor endorsed by Alabama Independent Insurance Agents
Conservative Republican Bryan Taylor has secured the endorsement of a significant business group in his campaign for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. The Alabama Independent Insurance Agents, the largest and oldest association for independent insurance agents and agencies in Alabama, announced its endorsement of Taylor on Monday. “Bryan Taylor is the only true conservative Republican in the race for Chief Justice,” said Association President Kelly Aday. “We are proud to support Bryan because we know he is the candidate committed to upholding the rule of law and delivering predictable, consistent, and fair outcomes in our courts.” Taylor was also endorsed recently by veteran Republican District Attorneys David Barber and Brandon Falls of Jefferson County and Randall Houston of Autauga, Elmore, and Chilton Counties. “I am a lifelong conservative Republican,” Taylor said at a campaign event in Shelby County recently. “I am from Hoover. I went to Berry High School. I went to the University of Alabama on a full Army ROTC scholarship. I went to law school at the University of Texas. I graduated in 2001, just before 9/11. I entered the active duty Army. I served four years in the Judge Advocate Corps. I served in Iraq for a year. I did a deployment in Honduras.” As a freshman state senator, Taylor spearheaded the passage of sweeping reforms to strengthen Alabama’s ethics laws, led the charge to repeal the legislature’s pay raise, and fought for fiscal conservatism in state budgeting. As chairman of the Senate Constitution & Elections Committee, Taylor advanced legislation to curb election fraud and improve election integrity, such as the law that requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls. Taylor is a co-founding member of the law firm of Bachus Brom & Taylor, LLC. He concentrates his practice on Constitutional law, appellate law, election law, business law and business litigation, and public policy. Taylor lives in Shelby County with his three children. They attend Double Oak Community Church. Taylor is the former spouse of congressional and U.S. Senate candidate Jessica Taylor. Three Republicans qualified for the seat that Chief Justice Tom Parker is vacating. Associate Justice Sara Stewart and attorney Jerry Michael Blevins also qualified to run for Chief Justice in the March 5 Republican Primary. The eventual Republican nominee will face Judge Greg Griffin in the November 5 general election. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Bryan Taylor qualifies for Chief Justice
Former State Senator Bryan Taylor (R-Prattville) formally qualified with the Alabama Republican Party for the office of Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court on Monday. In a statement, Bryan contrasted his record with his opponent, Associate Justice Sarah Stewart. Incumbent Chief Justice Tom Parker (R) is barred from running for another term due to a provision in Alabama law that limits judges from running after their 70th birthday. The Legislature has not imposed similar restrictions on other constitutional officers like the Governor or themselves. Taylor is a former Alabama Republican Party legal counsel and a former legal counsel to Governors Bob Riley and Kay Ivey. “The Republican voters of this state deserve the chance to make an informed decision on who will lead our judicial system,” Taylor said. “Justice Stewart and I have different experiences, different judicial philosophies, and different visions for the future of our court system.” Taylor challenged Stewart to a debate. “Today, I call on Sarah Stewart to join me for an honest discussion of those topics so the voters of Alabama can decide who is most qualified to be our next chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court,” Taylor said. “Sarah Stewart is the establishment candidate. I’m the conservative alternative with a proven record of defending the Constitution.” “I am a lifelong conservative Republican,” Taylor said at a campaign event in Shelby County last week. “Sarah Stewart can’t hide behind her robe anymore, pretending to be a conservative Republican,” said Taylor. “As a circuit judge, she had a liberal record on the bench. Sarah Stewart’s campaigns for the Supreme Court have been bankrolled by hundreds of thousands of dollars from plaintiffs’ trial lawyers and liberal Democrats. She has arguably been the most liberal justice on the Supreme Court,” stated Taylor. “We need a reliably conservative chief justice who will always stand on the truth and stand up to the weaponization of our justice system. I’m not going to let liberal special interests hijack our Republican primary.” “I am from Hoover. I went to Berry High School,” Taylor said. “I went to the University of Alabama on a full Army ROTC scholarship. I went to law school at the University of Texas. I graduated in 2001, just before 9/11. I entered the active duty Army. I served four years in the Judge Advocate Corps. I served in Iraq for a year. I did a deployment in Honduras.” As a freshman state senator, Taylor spearheaded the passage of sweeping reforms to strengthen Alabama’s ethics laws, led the charge to repeal the legislature’s pay raise, and fought for fiscal conservatism in state budgeting. As chairman of the Senate Constitution & Elections Committee, Taylor advanced legislation to curb election fraud and improve election integrity, such as the law that requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls. Taylor is a co-founding member of the law firm of Bachus Brom & Taylor, LLC. He concentrates his practice on Constitutional law, appellate law, election law, business law and business litigation, and public policy. Taylor lives in Shelby County with his three children. They attend Double Oak Community Church. Taylor is the former spouse of congressional and U.S. Senate candidate Jessica Taylor. The major party primary is on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Former State Representative Will Dismukes to be sentenced today
Former State Representative Will Dismukes is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, July 17, on theft charges. The Prattville Republican was convicted on a first-degree theft of property charge. The jury also found Dismukes guilty of two aggravating factors, which will permit Judge Brooke Reid to sentence the former lawmaker to prison. Dismukes’ sentencing was scheduled for May 4 but was moved to July 17 after Dismukes’ father committed suicide in the aftermath of his son’s conviction. Dismukes was found guilty by a Montgomery County jury of stealing thousands of dollars from his former employer, Weiss Commercial Flooring. Prosecutors accused Dismukes of working for Weiss and then taking money, tools, and materials belonging to Weiss in order to start his own custom flooring company. None of the charges against Dismukes were related to public corruption or his tenure representing House District 88 in the Alabama House of Representatives. “I am very pleased with the jury’s conviction in this case,” said District Attorney Darrell Bailey. “Dismukes thievery cost a local business thousands of dollars in stolen revenue. This is the first time in history that a Montgomery jury has found an aggravator in a theft case. Because of this, my office will be seeking significant prison time for Mr. Dismukes.” Dismukes has steadfastly maintained his innocence and has vowed to appeal the conviction. Dismukes was a pastor and businessman in Prattville when he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2018. The young legislator appeared to be one of the Alabama Republican Party’s rising stars. He even announced that he was running for Congress in Alabama’s Second Congressional District before ultimately dropping out of the race and endorsing GOP rival Jessica Taylor. Dismukes drew statewide criticism for speaking at a birthday celebration in Selma for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest while former Congressman John Lewis’s body was lying-in-state in his native Selma. The Forest birthday celebration is an annual event in Selma and was scheduled before Congressman Lewis passed. Forest, who became wealthy as a slave trader before the Civil War and his rise to Confederate general, is believed by most historians to have become the first head of the Ku Klux Klan during the turbulent Reconstruction years following the Civil War. Dismukes was the Chaplain for his local Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter. The event and Dismukes’ participation in it likely would have gone unnoticed, except Dismukes posted about it on his social media. Under the circumstances, most observers statewide and nationally felt that the Forest birthday event should not have been held that year. Both Democrats and some Republicans called on Dismukes to resign from the Legislature. Dismukes was forced to resign as pastor at his church after the Forest scandal. Following the Forest controversy, it was announced that there was an investigation into Dismukes’ alleged theft from Weiss. Dismukes was indicted before the 2022 election. Despite this, Dismukes ran for re-election in 2022 but lost the Republican primary to Jerry Starnes 62 to 38%. Starnes subsequently won the general election. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Former State Representative Will Dismukes convicted on theft charges
On Friday, a Montgomery County jury found former Alabama state Representative Will Dismukes guilty of first-degree theft of property charges. The jury found former Rep. Dismukes guilty of stealing from his former employer, Weiss Commercial Flooring. Dismukes was also found guilty of two aggravating factors, which could lead the first-time offender to spend time in prison when sentenced. “I am very pleased with the jury’s conviction in this case,” Montgomery DA Daryl Bailey told reporters. Dismukes thievery cost a local business thousands of dollars in stolen revenue. This is the first time in history that a Montgomery jury has found an aggravator in a theft case. Because of this, my office will be seeking significant prison time for Mr. Dismukes,” Bailey said. Dismukes, a Republican, represented Elmore and Autauga Counties in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. Dismukes lost his bid for re-election in the 2022 Republican primary to Jerry Starnes. Dismukes broke away from Wiess Commercial Flooring and started his own flooring business. The accusations against Dismukes were leveled by his former employers. Dismukes was indicted by a Montgomery grand jury in June 2021. Dismukes was a pastor of a Prattville Church but resigned after he was criticized for attending a birthday celebration in Selma for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest while former Congressman John Lewis’s (D-Selma) body was lying-in-state in his native Selma. Forest, who became wealthy as a slave trader, headed the Ku Klux Klan following the Civil War. Dismukes was the Chaplain for his local Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter. Dismukes, although one of the youngest members of the Legislature at the time, once collapsed on the floor of the House during his tenure in the body. Dismukes was a 2020 Republican candidate for Congress in Alabama’s Second Congressional District but dropped out of the race and endorsed Jessica Taylor. He also endorsed John Merrill for U.S. Senate. Merrill dropped out of the Senate race when Jeff Sessions entered the 2020 GOP primary field, while Taylor finished third in the GOP primary for Congress. Prosecutors claimed that Dismukes stole thousands of dollars in building materials and tools from Weiss and cashed checks that should have gone to his then-employer. Dismukes testified in his own defense in his trial saying that he did not steal but rather said that he “double-dipped.” Montgomery Judge Brooke Reid will hold a sentencing hearing for Dismukes on May 4th, 2023. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Jessica Taylor endorses Mo Brooks for Senate
Jessica Taylor, a former candidate for the U.S. Senate and a Mike Durant surrogate, has endorsed Mo Brook’s candidacy for the same open Senate seat. Taylor endorsed Durant during the primary and was critical of Britt’s campaign, stating that Britt’s TV ads aimed to “destroy the legacy and good name of Mike Durant.” “Katie Britt will be just another cog in Mitch McConnell’s wheel,” Taylor stated in a press release. “She will be a big-spending Republican who continues to cede power to the federal government. Mo Brooks is a true conservative and has proven he’s not afraid to drain the Swamp and has my full endorsement and support.” Brooks thanked Taylor and welcomed her support. “I thank Jessica Taylor for her strong endorsement, and I welcome the support and vote of all Mike Durant voters like her. This is an epic Republican runoff battle that will affect America’s future for years to come,” Brooks stated. “It is the Mitch McConnell Establishment versus the Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Rand Paul conservative and liberty GOP wings. It is David versus the Swamp’s Goliath. It is the Special Interest Machine versus the People.” Brooks continued, “It is anti-MAGA versus MAGA. In sum, if you like how GOP RINOs sunk President Trump’s ship in 2017 and 2018, failing to build the wall or repeal ObamaCare, then you will love Katie Britt because she is wed to those political forces that prevented conservatives from fulfilling our campaign promises on border security, ObamaCare, deficits, and debt.”
Jessica Taylor: Don’t be fooled
The way I see it, the race for U.S. Senate will come down to the classic matchup: outsider versus establishment insider – us versus them. We have seen the political insiders and country club communities across Alabama coalesce like never before around mad mama candidate Katie Boyd Britt. The sheer volume of PAC dollars supporting her candidacy is mind-blowing. Over $10M was spent attacking Mike Durant. Watching them use their money and political crony networks to successfully manipulate the image of an American hero and successful businessman Mike Durant has been nothing short of campaign mastercraft, and it disgusts me. Do not let them fool you. I was and remain committed to making sure the next senator from our great state is not part of the establishment. They are the problem. They are the reason Alabama is last in the country by most standards. Even when Republicans had control of the House and Senate, they did nothing to reduce the size of the federal government and reverse our ill-fated course. Republican leadership has failed us. They are losing the battle to restore fiscal conservatism and small government principles. They go along to get along to stay in power and help their cronies prosper. Spineless, weak-kneed, establishment Republicans have allowed liberals to take control, and they are rapidly destroying our economy and clawing away at our freedoms. Katie Boyd Britt is the most establishment-backed candidate we have ever seen, and she is neither a conservative nor a fighter. Ask yourself why the people responsible for this mess want her elected so badly. The answer is clear; it’s because they want the status quo. It has served them well. Unlike lobbyist Katie Boyd Britt, Mike Durant is a fighter. He is tested and proven. He put his life on the line to fight for our country. For our freedom. Mike spent 11 days as a prisoner of war after his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. After being tortured and held captive, he still served out his term in the military before settling down in Huntsville, Alabama, where he built a successful business from the ground up and raised six kids. Mike has had two successful careers, while Katie has had one – serving politicians. She has been moved from job to job, not based on her accomplishments, but because the powers that be have been grooming her to replace Richard Shelby since her college years. I’ve watched it happen. I attended the University of Alabama when Katie was crowned SGA president by the machine. Since then, and especially during my 15 years of working in Montgomery, I have seen more instances than I can count of her lobbyist and insider cronies manipulating candidates and votes. They think they are in control, and truth be told, they have been. But I’ve had enough of their backroom deals and incompetence. We cannot let the establishment candidate be crowned our next senator. Someone brought up and trained in the ways of the Swamp won’t know how to drain it. Plus, someone who has spent her whole life trying to climb the political ladder is immediately suspect in my eyes. We also know for certain Katie Boyd Britt isn’t a fighter for conservative values. She says she will fight in her campaign ads and talks about the issues her high-dollar pollsters tell her are important to conservatives, but she has a pattern and practice of not fighting for those very issues when given the chance. She says she will fight for life. Yet, she didn’t use her veto power as SGA president to do so, though she used the power two weeks later related to a parking matter. She says she is anti-big government and a fiscal conservative, but she promoted Common Core and advocated for the gas tax increase during her time as head of the Business Council of Alabama. She says she supports Veterans and mental health but declined to stand up for both when her Democrat surrogate, Parker Griffith, diagnosed Mike Durant with PTSD. Katie says she’s a fighter, but her actions show different. She is not a principled conservative; she is a polished establishment puppet. Attempting to paint her as a fighter or a conservative is more of the same campaign mastercraft mentioned above. Don’t fall for it. The well-funded super PACs supporting Katie have blanketed the state with mailers designed to subtly shift your impression of Mike. They say Mike doesn’t live in Alabama and that he hasn’t been campaigning. Both are lies. Mike has lived in Alabama over 20 years. He still has a child in high school in Madison County. As for campaigning, check out his social media accounts. He is on the ground working as hard as any candidate in the race. They said Mike doesn’t support the Second Amendment because of a dismissive sidebar comment made while speaking to the Army War College about military tactics to disarm a community. Mike has spent more time with firearms than all his opponents combined. No one in this race knows the importance of the Second Amendment more than Mike Durant. He risked his life to protect our right to bear arms. He owns over 20 guns, including an AK-47 and AR-15, and he won’t let anyone take them. They said Mike isn’t tough on immigration. Mike Durant is the strongest candidate on border security in this race. Mike knows that President Donald Trump was right: They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. And we stop it all by building the wall. They said Mike is backed by liberals. Mike’s disdain for liberals is clear every time you hear him speak. He wouldn’t accept their money, unlike Katie Boyd Britt. Mike Durant’s biggest donor is Mike Durant! Like President Trump and Coach Tommy Tuberville, he can’t be bought by anyone. Mike’s only priority is to serve the people of Alabama. That’s it. Let’s give Mike Durant a third tour of duty. He
Jessica Taylor ends her Senate campaign, endorses opponent Mike Durant
Jessica Taylor has announced the end of her U.S. Senate candidacy during a meeting of the Republican Women of Huntsville, Yellowhammer News reported. During that announcement, she also endorsed her former opponent, “Black Hawk Down” aviator Mike Durant. A recent poll showed Durant in third place with 16.6% of support among likely Republican primary voters, just behind U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks and Katie Britt. That same poll showed Taylor coming in fourth with 4%. Taylor expressed her support for Durant, calling him a “political outsider.” Taylor commented on Twitter, “After meeting Mike, I quickly realized he is an outsider with an inspiring life story and has the best shot at beating the establishment careerists. We don’t need another career politician in Washington. We need a pro-Trump conservative with the guts to take on the establishment.” “I ran for office because we need more political outsiders who will stand up to the radical left and career politicians. Mike Durant is the political outsider that Alabama needs in Washington, and I am proud to endorse his campaign for United States Senate,” proclaimed Taylor. “Mike has spent his life serving our country and building a successful business. Like President Trump, Mike will use his business experience and outsider perspective to deliver for Alabama and drain the swamp. I look forward to supporting Mike’s campaign and sending him to Washington for one more mission.” Durant expressed appreciation to Taylor for the endorsement. “I’d like to thank Jessica Taylor for all that she has done for conservatives in Alabama and for her support of our growing campaign,” stated Durant. “For too long, career politicians who have never held a real job in their life have made poor decisions that have left Alabama families behind and put America last. I’m running to change that.” The primary election is set for May 24, 2022.
Katie Britt and Mo Brooks neck and neck in new senate poll; Mike Durant a contender
A new poll is showing a close Senate race between first-time candidate Katie Britt and six-term Congressman Mo Brooks. The poll was conducted by firm McLaughlin & Associates and was commissioned independently from any campaign or entity that supports a candidate in the race. The poll shows Britt leading Brooks on a head-to-head ballot, 38.8% to 36.6%. 24.6% of voters were undecided. When voters were asked who they would vote for amongst four candidates, Brooks came out on top, with 31.4%, while Britt was a close second at 26.2%. Third place went to candidate Mike Durant with 16.6% and Jessica Taylor came in fourth with 4%. 21.8% were undecided when asked about all four candidates. Sean Ross, a spokesman for the Britt campaign, said in an email, “It is clear the Alabamians want fresh blood in the Senate, not a do-nothing, 40-year career politician. Katie continues to work tirelessly every day to directly deliver her positive message to every corner of our state, and her grassroots campaign is paying off. She will be the best candidate to protect Alabama’s Christian conservative values, fight to always put Alabama first, and deliver real results that benefit hardworking Alabama families, not Washington, D.C. special interests. Alabamians can see this, as the numbers reflect.” In the same poll, when asked about President Joe Biden, 90% of voters had an unfavorable opinion of him. 85.8% had a favorable opinion of Donald Trump, and 64.6% had a favorable opinion of retiring Senator Richard Shelby. Britt, who was recently endorsed by Manufacture Alabama, has also been out-fundraising her opponents. In October, she had already raised $3.76 million for her campaign while Brooks had raised $1.79 million. Britt is also endorsed by the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Alabama Retail Association, and the Home Builders Association of Alabama. “Manufacture Alabama seeks to endorse pro-business candidates who will advocate on behalf of manufacturers in Alabama. Katie Britt embodies these qualities and has the tenacity and experience we need representing Alabama in the U.S. Senate,” said George Clark, President of Manufacture Alabama. “Katie has the work ethic, energy, and vision required to ensure Alabama will be a great place to live and work for future generations.” David Hughes, associate professor of political science and public administration at Auburn University at Montgomery believes Brooks and Britt will end up in a runoff. The professor told Al.com, “For my money, this race is headed to a runoff between Britt and Brooks,” Hughes said. “Britt has a name recognition problem, and Brooks has an image problem. We’ll see how that plays out leading down the stretch.”
Katie Britt takes commanding lead over Mo Brooks in new survey
Katie Britt’s campaign recently released a new online survey that shows Britt leading the U.S. Senate Republican primary contest. The poll was conducted by TargetPoint on behalf of Britt’s campaign and ran from November 3-8. The online-based survey interviewed 300 likely GOP primary voters in Alabama. In an initial four-way ballot test, Britt leads the pack with 31%. Six-term Congressman Mo Brooks sits at 30%, followed by Mike Durant at 12% and Jessica Taylor at 7%. The poll also showed Britt with a field-best 59% favorability rating, with only 7% viewing her unfavorably. Her name identification is up to 78%. After voters heard information on both Britt and Brooks, a second ballot test showed Britt moved in the lead in the race, with 56% of the vote. Brooks fell to third at 7%, with Durant garnering 12% and Taylor 6%. TargetPoint Consulting wrote in a memo, “Awareness of Katie Britt is up to 78% of likely voters in the primary, which is outstanding for a candidate who has never before run for office and who has yet to spend money of her own on television advertising. She also already has the highest favorable rating of any candidate at 59%, with a lot of room to continue to grow.” “It is clear that the people of Alabama are ready for fresh blood in the Senate and are tired of ineffective career politicians like Joe Biden and my opponent who have made a living only serving themselves on the taxpayer dime,” Britt stated. “We are working hard each and every day, traveling to every corner of our great state to visit with Alabamians and listen to them. It is clear that our grassroots campaign and Alabama First message is resonating. People know that I’ll fight tirelessly every day to protect our Christian conservative values and preserve the American Dream for our children and our children’s children. We will continue to outwork the field through Election Day and beyond, so we can retake the Senate and the House in 2022 and the White House in 2024. Our country is worth fighting for, and now is the time to step up and win.” In September, Public Opinion Strategies conducted a poll showing Mo Brooks led Britt 41% to 11%; however, 39% of respondents were undecided. Brooks, backed by his endorsement from Donald Trump, garnered 18% of respondents stating they would “probably” vote for him versus 23% who said their vote for Brooks was “definite.” Britt was recently endorsed by the Alabama Farmers Federation’s political arm FarmPAC. This endorsement is widely viewed as the top grassroots endorsement available in the state of Alabama.
Mo Brooks takes a commanding lead in 2022 Senate race
A new Club for Growth PAC poll of the Alabama Senate Republican Primary shows Mo Brooks has a 43 point lead over Katie Britt, Yellowhammer News reported. Other candidates, Jessica Taylor and Lynda Blanchard, came in tied at 5% each. Additionally, the poll showed 23% of voters were undecided. According to the poll, Mo Brooks has a significant name ID advantage. The poll also showed that Brooks’ lead expanded when voters were aware that Brooks is endorsed by Donald Trump. The WPA Intelligence poll was conducted on October 12-14 with a sample of 506 voters. “As more primary voters become aware that Donald Trump has endorsed Mo Brooks in the Senate primary, Brooks’ lead should expand substantially,” a release accompanying the poll’s release said. Once the voter knew Brooks was endorsed by Trump, the undecided group dropped to 9%, and Brooks took an even more commanding lead. According to their website, Club for Growth is a national network of over 500,000 pro-growth, limited government Americans who share in the belief that prosperity and opportunity come from economic freedom. Their three main goals include, reducing income tax rates and repealing the death tax, replacing the current tax code with a fair/flat tax, and repealing ObamaCare.
Katie Britt dominates fundraising in Alabama Senate race
Katie Boyd Britt has piled up a significant cash advantage over Donald Trump-backed Rep. Mo Brooks and other candidates in the Alabama race for U.S. Senate. Britt, the former chief of staff to retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, is seeking to fill his seat in the 2022 election. Britt stepped down as head of the Business Council of Alabama to run for Senate and has so far dominated fundraising ahead of the June Republican primary. Britt has raised a total of $3.76 million for her campaign, including $1.5 million in the last quarter, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. She has a $3.3 million campaign balance. Shelby, one of the Senate’s most senior members, announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection in 2022, igniting what is expected to be a messy GOP primary in the red-leaning state. Shelby has called Britt the “best-qualified candidate to come along in a long time” but has not played any public role in her campaign. Brooks comes to the Republican primary armed with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Brooks has raised a total of $1.79 million for his campaign, including $663,074 in the last fundraising quarter. He entered the race with $1 million left from his last House of Representatives race and has $1.8 million on hand. Lynda Blanchard, a businesswoman who was Trump’s ambassador to Slovenia, has the most cash in the race, after taking out $5 million in loans earlier in the campaign season. Businesswoman Jessica Taylor reported raising $150,848. The other candidates in the race have raised nominal amounts. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
