Election 2022: Nine Republicans, six Democrats in Alabama gubernatorial primary
A crowded field of Alabama gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot next week as voters head to the polls for the state’s partisan primary election. Nine Republicans and six Democrats are vying for the top-level post in the May 24 primary. The ultimate victor will be decided in the November 8 general election. Republicans Incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey is seeking reelection as her first term comes to a close. Two other Republican candidates have past or present political experience, meaning many of this year’s hopefuls are new to the political arena. Ivey has held other state-level positions in the past two decades. Prior to winning the governor’s race in 2018, she ran for two consecutive terms as lieutenant governor – 2010 and 2014 – and also had a stint as a state treasurer for two terms, beginning in 2002. “I believe in standing up for the little guy, and fighting for the forgotten,” Ivey wrote on her campaign website. “It’s what I’ve done all my life, and that’s not changing now.” Several other candidates on the Republican ticket have prior political experience at various levels of government. Stacy George, for example, served two terms as Morgan County commissioner, from 2000 to 2008. “For as long as I can remember, following in my father’s footsteps, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to public service,” George wrote on his campaign website. “I want to work for the people of Alabama as governor and give the people a government that works for them.” Dave Thomas is another Republican challenger with past political experience. He served as a state legislator from 1994 to 2002. “You need a representative that will support your ideas, fight for the needs of your community and earn your respect,” Thomas wrote on his campaign page. A number of other Republican candidates have garnered the spotlight this campaign season, in terms of donations and political messaging, as the primary has drawn closer. Lindy Blanchard has touted her family’s deep Alabama roots, and Lew Burdette has noted his business acumen. Tim James has pointed to his namesake company – which specializes in infrastructure projects – as an asset. Rounding out the list of candidates on the Republican ticket are yoga instructor Donald Trent Jones, who has run on the platform of “Make Alabama Grateful Again”; Dean Odle, who is taking aim at so-called “fake Republicans”; and Dean Young, who aspires to bring faith back into government. Democrats One of the six Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Malika Sanders-Fortier, has a background in politics. Sanders-Fortier has represented District 23 in the Alabama State Senate since 2018. “It’s harvest time in Alabama,” Sanders-Fortier wrote in a campaign statement. “Let us encourage everyone to invest their time, talent and treasure in our state, so Alabama prospers, and the dream of the community comes true.” Other Democratic gubernatorial candidates on the ticket include Yolanda Rochelle Flowers, whose background includes speech pathology; Patricia Salter Jamieson, who has worked in clinical health and ministry; and Arthur Kennedy, an educator. Rounding out the list of Democratic candidates are Chad “Chig” Martin, who has worked in such disparate industries as hemp and mobile homes; and Doug “New Blue” Smith, a businessman and former political staffer. Issues This campaign season, a number of hot-button issues – many reflecting challenges seen across the country – have been bubbling to the surface as the candidates face off and vie for the top-level post in Montgomery. The list includes Alabama’s 10-cent gas tax, job growth, prison reform and education. Against the backdrop of skyrocketing gas prices, candidates have given different takes on the state’s fuel tax, which was implemented in 2019 and includes provisions of future 1-cent incremental increases. Ivey in recent statements on the topic has pointed the finger at the federal government and widespread inflationary pressures as reasons Alabama’s tax is a talking point this year. But other candidates have taken a more hard-lined stance on the issue. “I will repeal the gas tax of 2019 immediately,” George wrote on his campaign site. On her site, Blanchard wrote, “I will never participate in the kind of backroom deals that were the precursor to the gas tax increase that has been devastating to Alabama families.” The support of marijuana legalization also been raised this campaign season in Alabama. Supporters include Salter Jamieson, who indicated on her campaign page she favored it, along with ending the sentences of anyone found guilty in past nonviolent convictions. A candidate on either party ticket must receive more than 50% of the vote total on May 24 to advance to the fall general election November 8. If no candidate wins the majority, a runoff election will be held June 21 between the top two vote-getters.
Kay Ivey, challengers race to right in Alabama GOP primary
In a pair of campaign ads this GOP primary season, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey falsely declares the election was stolen from Donald Trump and accuses the federal government of “shipping illegal immigrants” to the state. “My message to Biden: No way, Jose,” she says. But a competing ad by former Trump ambassador Lindy Blanchard calls Ivey a “tax-hiking Fauci-loving” liberal, swiping at her for actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and a gas tax increase. Alabama’s Republican primary has become a race to the right, with candidates staking out extreme positions on abortion, immigration, and LGBTQ issues. The race was supposed to be a cakewalk for Ivey — who still remains favored to win a second full term — but right flank opponents are trying to make it a referendum on conservative credentials as they seek to push the Alabama governor into a runoff. Blanchard, who left the U.S. Senate race to run for governor, said there are GOP voters who are not happy with Ivey’s leadership on a number of issues. She particularly cited Ivey’s support for the gas tax increase and mask mandate and business closures during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. “I don’t want the government anywhere near my health care telling me what to do,” Blanchard said. “I want the people of Alabama to know that if you like Gov. [Ron] DeSantis and Kristi Noem, then you’ll like Gov. Blanchard,” she said, referencing the Florida and South Dakota governors. It is historically difficult for a primary challenger to defeat an incumbent governor. None of the primary challengers have the footprint to defeat Ivey alone. They instead are placing hopes that they can collectively garner enough primary votes and keep Ivey below 50% of the vote to spark a runoff and a new political ballgame. Ivey faces a total of eight primary challengers, including Blanchard, businessman Tim James — the son of former Gov. Fob James — and Lew Burdette, who runs King’s Home, a Christian-based nonprofit with group homes throughout the state. Former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy Lee George, Opelika pastor Dean Odle, businessman Dean Young, Donald Trent Jones, and Springville Mayor Dave Thomas are also challenging Ivey. James has also criticized past mask mandates and the gas tax increase that includes a provision for automatic increases based on the National Highway Construction Cost Index. “Governor Ivey and the political crowd found a way to raise taxes forever without having to vote on them,” James said in the ad. James, in other ads, called transgender swimmer Lia Thomas “a man in a woman’s bathing suit” and criticized a first-of-its-kind charter school in Homewood that was created to welcome LGBTQ students. An Ivey campaign spokesman said the governor is confident she will win without a runoff. Spokesman William Heartsill said the governor’s record speaks for itself. “Governor Ivey has done what other people are only talking about doing.” Among other actions, the campaign cited her record on job creation and her signing of legislation to try to ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy, forbid transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams at schools, and outlawing the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender minors. “Kay Ivey is the most conservative governor our state has ever had. She has always been a fighter for conservative values, and that will never change,” Heartsill said. Blanchard, who was Trump’s ambassador to Slovenia, ran an ad that questioned why Ivey didn’t appear on stage with Trump at a Cullman rally. It was there that a cantankerous crowd jeered U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks for suggesting that voters focus energy on the next election since they couldn’t change the outcome of the most recent presidential contest. Ivey greeted Trump at the airport, and her office distributed photos of the meeting. Trump has not weighed in on the Alabama race. The dynamic is playing out in other states. J.D. Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” won the Republican primary for an Ohio Senate seat in a race where contenders competed to be the most Trump-like candidate. State Rep. Mike Ball, who is retiring after 20 years in the Alabama Legislature, said the candidates all have staunchly conservative positions and are in a race amongst themselves to be the most conservative of all. “There are some extreme positions being taken in this primary. Look at the ads on these hot button issues,” he said. David Mowery, an Alabama-based political consultant, said right now there is “a lot of sound and fury and we’ll see what it signifies on Election Day.” “Ivey still has the upper hand and at least a solid shot of winning without a runoff,” he said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Governor’s race down to the wire
We are down to the last few days in the 2022 Governor’s Race. For the first time in my memory, the governor’s race has been overshadowed by another race. The race to fill the void left by retiring senior U.S. Senator Richard Shelby has eclipsed the interest in the governor’s race. It is an obvious fact that our open senate seat is more competitive and interesting than a race with a popular incumbent governor running for reelection. Kay Ivey has been in control of this race since the get-go. National polls have ranked her as one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation. Alabama’s polls have consistently shown her with a commanding lead. Most polls have her winning without a runoff. She has been bombarded by ads from two well-financed opponents. Lindy Blanchard has spent over $8 million of her own money and Tim James has spent over $4 million. They both have primarily run against transgenders. A recent Cygnal poll indicates that either Blanchard or James could force Ivey into a runoff Kay Ivey will be reelected governor. The question is whether she beats her eight opponents without a runoff. My guess is that she wins Tuesday without a runoff. However, I disagree with some Ivey naysayers and her opponents that forecast that if she does not win straight out with 50% plus one vote, she is in trouble in a June 21 runoff. My thoughts are that if she dips 45% to 48% that still does not make it a close race in the runoff. She would be at 48% and whoever finishes second will be at about 15%. She can pick up the phone as an incumbent governor and raise $2 million dollars for the six-week runoff in two days. Polling depicts a picture of the entire Republican electorate in the state. The polling is only skewed if there is a lighter-than-expected turnout. The turnout Tuesday is going to be largely due to the U.S. Senate race and the avalanche of Potomac money being spent in our state. Therefore, my belief is that Ivey’s polling numbers will hold. She will probably win outright Tuesday, if not she will win on June 21. Most of us thought Kay would not run for reelection when she won overwhelmingly in 2018. However, when she announced she was going to run for another four-year term, early polls revealed that she would be tough to beat. Those of us who follow and pontificate on Alabama politics felt that the only way she could lose is if she beat herself with a faux paus or misstep. She has avoided any potholes in this six-month campaign for reelection. Matter of fact, she has run a flawless and almost perfect campaign. Her media firm has done an excellent job with her television ads. The one with her saying, “Bless Joe Biden’s heart” and “No Way Jose” captured the essence of why she is popular. Her best attribute politically is that she comes across as your grandmama. How in the world can someone run negative ads about people’s grandmama? She has also been fortunate to have fielded a much weaker field of opponents than she had in 2018, which by the way, she beat without a runoff. Kay Ivey has done a good job as Governor and I think people, deep down, know this. They trust her as being honest and straight forward. She is running for the right reason. She has some more things she wants to accomplish for her state. You cannot say that Kay Ivey does not love Alabama. The only serious opponents that Kay has endured are Tim James and Lindy Blanchard. They have both run valiant campaigns and given it the old college try. It will be a close race to see who finishes second. However, finishing second only counts in horseshoes and it will be a distant second at best. This will be Tim James’ third try for the brass ring his father garnered twice. Three strikes and you are probably out. Lindy Blanchard has really given this race her all. She has spent a lot of her personal money, more than anyone expected. She has also crisscrossed the state campaigning hard every day. If you meet her, you cannot help but like her. However, the hill you must climb to defeat an incumbent governor is steep. We will see next Tuesday. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Governor candidates Lindy Blanchard and Tim James take to the road in statewide tours to defeat Kay Ivey
As Election Day in Alabama draws near, two of the candidates looking to unseat Governor Kay Ivey have announced statewide tours. Gubernatorial candidates Lindy Blanchard and Tim James have both hit the road to get their individual messages to the people of Alabama. A recent poll commissioned by Alabama Daily News and Gray Television and conducted by Cygnal, Ivey’s former consulting firm, has Ivey getting 40% of the vote. The poll, which was released to subscribers of Inside Alabama Politics first, has James coming in behind Ivey at 17.9% and Blanchard with 14.6% with a margin of error of +/- 3.99% making it a dead heat for which one of them will be in the run-off should there be one. Lew Burdette follows James and Blanchard with 5.8% and Dean Odle with 3.6%. Blanchard announced she will continue traveling across Alabama this week for her Alabama Values Tour stopping to speak with voters in every corner of the state. On Monday, Blanchard started with what she called “‘Bama Roots Day” and made stops in Montgomery to Fort Deposit, Greenville, and Mobile, and then ended the day in Brewton. Tuesday is “Faith and Family Day” beginning with multiple stops in Huntsville and will continue to Decatur, Birmingham, and ending in Montgomery. Please see below for a schedule of Blanchard’s Tuesday Tour Events: Breakfast MeetingBlue Plate Cafe3210 Governors Dr. SW, Huntsville, AL 358058:30 AM Faith Walk to the CrossMonte Sano State Park5105 Nolen Ave SE, Huntsville, AL 3580111:30 AM Montgomery County GOP “Countdown to the Primary” Baseball Game – Riverwalk Stadium200 Coosa St, Montgomery, AL 361046:30 PM Tim James will be kicking off his “Fight Back” bus tour across Alabama on Wednesday morning, May 18, at Fort Dale Academy in Greenville. From Greenville, Tim will stop to meet with Alabama voters in Camden, Linden, Tuscaloosa, Sheffield, and Florence. Thursday morning, May 19, James will begin the day in Huntsville, and travel through Guntersville, Gadsden, Oxford, Sylacauga, Alexander City, Auburn, and Opelika. Friday morning, May 20, he will meet with Alabama voters in Auburn and his hometown of Opelika, then depart for Troy, Ozark, Dothan, Enterprise, Elba, and Andalusia. On Saturday, May 21, James will start in Mobile and make stops in Fairhope, Foley, Daphne, and end the day back home in Greenville. To get more information including a sample ballot, your polling place, and your current voter registration information leading up to the May 24, 2022 election, visit the Secretary of State website at AlabamaVotes.org.
Alabama Republican Assembly releases primary endorsements
The Alabama Republican Assembly has released its candidate endorsements for the upcoming May 24 primary. The Republican Assembly meets every two years to listen to candidates, questions candidates in private settings, and then issues endorsements in races where any candidate garners at least a two-thirds vote of delegates. The 2022 Endorsement Conference was held last Saturday at Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa. Local President Jennifer Montrose said she was “excited about the passion and energy in support of conservative candidates and constitutional values.” U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks was endorsed for U.S. Senator, receiving 96% of the vote. ALRA President Don Wallace stated, “Mo Brooks made a clear and convincing case for being the only consistent conservative in the race, based on a track record of experience and an un-matched voting record on issues like illegal immigration, pro-life values, support for our military and sound economic policies. The near unanimity of his support, when other races were not so clear cut, is an indication that the Brooks campaign has a new focus, new energy, and rising hopes to reclaim leadership in the Senate race.” In the matchup in the Governor’s race, businessman Tim James led the field, followed by Pastor Dean Odle. However, no candidate received enough votes to be endorsed in that race. Former BAM Executive Lew Burdette was placed fourth. Lindy Blanchard was fourth. There were also not enough votes for endorsement for the races for Attorney General, State Auditor, or the Secretary of State race where current State Auditor Jim Zeigler was just shy of the number of votes needed from the 55 delegates. Calhoun County Circuit Judge Debra Jones received the necessary votes for endorsement at Supreme Court Justice, Place 5. Robin Litaker and Brent Woodall also garnered an over 67% vote for their respective PSC campaigns. Other major endorsements included Paul Sanford and Michael Joiner for Congress, as well as Alex Balkum, Marie Manning, and Wayne Reynolds for State Board of Education. The group also is in the process of making endorsements in a slate of legislative races in the Republican primary to be released soon on social media and other outlets.
Lindy Blanchard calls for ending grocery tax
Lindy Blanchard, candidate for Governor of Alabama in the May 24th Republican primary, spoke Friday morning about her plans to eliminate the grocery tax, suspend and unwind the gas tax and put more money back in the pockets of hard-working Alabamians. Blanchard spoke to a crowd of media and supporters at Hopper’s Family Market on Alabama Hwy 69 N in Cullman. “You all know how I feel about the gas tax–it needed to go months ago and the governor could have – and should have – suspended it. But, it’s still here,” Blanchard stated. “The other tax that absolutely should have been suspended, if not done away with altogether, is the 4% tax on groceries the state collects. Every loaf of bread, every gallon of milk, every ham, hot dog, and hamburger patty sold in this state? 4% tax! That’s nearly $300 a year for an average family, and in some places, as high as $700 a year.” Blanchard continued, “Alabamians are hurting now. We’ve been hurting for months. “This is my promise to you, Alabama: when I’m elected Governor, we’re going to get rid of the state grocery tax. We’re going to unwind Kay Ivey’s gas tax and put that money back in your pockets. We’ll find other ways to pay for the infrastructure we need, without taxing food or piling on pain at the pump. We’re going to go through the state budget line by line to cut waste, reduce or cut out unnecessary fees, and trim every bit of the fat we can,” she concluded. Blanchard is a wife and mother, successful businesswoman, and philanthropist from Montgomery. She served as Ambassador to Slovenia under President Donald Trump. This is her first time seeking elected office.
Lindy Blanchard releases new campaign ad, “Education, Not Indoctrination”
Gubernatorial hopeful Lindy Blanchard released a new campaign ad today titled “Education, Not Indoctrination.” The ad addresses transgender education in Alabama schools and the controversy surrounding the Magic City Acceptance Academy. Blanchard has been critical of the school and of state funding to the charter school. The transcript of the ad follows: President Trump says, “No teacher should ever be allowed to teach transgender to our children.” Yet, Kay Ivey is allowing Alabama tax dollars to be spent on schools designed specifically for transgender students. Ivey could have stopped funding the transgender school but didn’t. Like Trump, Lindy Blanchard says, “No transgender education of minors!” The commercial is referring to the Magic City Acceptance Academy located in Homewood, Alabama. The Magic City Acceptance Academy (MCAA) is an LGBTQ-focused charter school that had its charter approved in November 2020 after three unsuccessful tries. Michael Wilson, the principal of MCAA, said that all kids are welcome at the school, not just LGTBQ youth; he also noted that “We are most likely one of the only schools in the nation to have the statement that we are LGBTQ affirming in our Mission Statement.” In a press release, Blanchard stated, “Every child in Alabama deserves access to a world-class education that prioritizes outcomes over ideology. Alabama is dead last in math – and at the bottom in education. It is unconscionable that even one dollar would be diverted away from reading, writing, and arithmetic to prop up this radical agenda.” The commission had previously voted against the school, leading to accusations of bias and bullying on both sides. With the supporters of the school repeatedly accusing those who voted against it of “bias” towards the LGBTQ community and those on the other side saying they were being “bullied” themselves for being against the controversial school, which is outside the typical scope of charter schools.
Gas tax emerges as issue in Alabama governor’s race
As motorists pump gasoline priced at $4 per gallon, the advertisement by gubernatorial challenger Lindy Blanchard appears on the gas pump screen, calling for a suspension of the state fuel taxes. “We need to put money back in the pockets of hardworking Alabamians,” Blanchard says in the ad. Blanchard is calling on the state to temporarily suspend the state’s 28 cents-per-gallon gas tax — similar to what the state of Georgia has done — to give consumers a financial break and said, if elected, she will work to roll back parts of the 2019 gas tax increase, such as a provision that built in automatic increases. The state’s 2019 gas tax increase of ten cents per gallon, championed at the time by Kay Ivey as a way to fund road and bridge construction, has become an issue in the 2022 GOP primary for governor. Both Blanchard and Tim James have sharply criticized the gas tax increase, seeking to harness voter frustration over skyrocketing prices. Blanchard kicked off an advertising blitz on the subject at a press conference last month outside a Tuscaloosa gas station. “I know you need help, and I know you need help immediately,” Blanchard said at the appearance. “We have struggling families and businesses while our state sits on a surplus and spends enough money to make a drunken sailor blush,” Blanchard said. Asked for specifics of the proposal, Blanchard’s campaign said she supports a temporary suspension of the state gas tax of 28 cents per gallon through legislative or executive action. She said a temporary suspension of gas taxes would being “immediate relief to hard-working Alabamians during a time of high inflation and the highest gas prices in our state’s history.” She said, if elected, she would seek to roll back parts of the 2019 increase. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law suspending Georgia’s fuel tax — 29.1 cents per gallon — through May after lawmakers approved the measure without any opposition. Alabama lawmakers in 2019 approved the increase on gasoline and diesel fuel taxes to fund road and bridge construction. The increase amounts to $6 per month for a person who uses 15 gallons of gasoline per week. It was the first increase since 1992. The 2019 increase also included a provision to adjust the state tax would then be adjusted up or down with the National Highway Construction Cost Index and could increase up to a penny every two years. Asked for a response, Ivey blamed President Joe Biden for high prices. “Number one, everybody’s feeling the pinch. Let’s not lose sight of the main problem here, and that’s Joe Biden’s policies. He’s got inflation at a 40-year record high. … The bottom line is that he is a failure, and we can’t deal with that,” she said. James said he supports a repeal of the entire 10-cent-per-gallon gas increase approved in 2019. The primary election is May 24. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Lindy Blanchard: Another Session Gone–And Where Was Kay Ivey?
Another Legislative session has come and gone, and it’s time to see what was accomplished and what was left undone.It will be a while, of course. Without going through the calendar for both the House and the Senate on a day-by-day basis, you don’t know which bills have been sent and signed by the Governor unless there’s a press release and a photo op. At least it’s an election year, so there have been a lot of those. Sadly, many things that happen in Montgomery are not known just because it’s too hard to find out about them. As your Governor, this is one of the things I’m determined to change, but that’s not the most important thing we need to talk about today.The most concerning thing about this session isn’t how much was left undone but how little real leadership we saw from the Governor’s office on critically important issues. Oh, there was a lot of ‘Election Year Leadership’ from both the Capitol and State House, beginning with the State of the State address, but when it came time for action? There wasn’t a lot of leading going on.During the Governor’s State of the State address, she promised to do everything but lead us to the Promised Land… and she gave the impression that she’d do that, too. Now, 30 Legislative days and a few weeks later, what happened?The Governor halved the business privilege tax on small businesses for 2023 and eliminated it in 2024. It’s good to see this one small step, but why not go ahead and eliminate it completely right now? Why do things by half-measures? Why not make it as simple–and inexpensive-–as possible to start a business in Alabama now? Why wait until 2024?And let’s not forget some of the other things Governor Ivey could have taken the lead on but didn’t. We still have her gas tax. We still have a grocery tax that adds as much as $700 to a family’s yearly grocery bill. We still have a state licensing fee for hair braiding!Why didn’t Governor Ivey call for real tax relief for Alabamians? Mississippi recently passed the largest tax cut in that state’s history. Where was Kay Ivey? Certainly not calling for the Legislature to do the same for us!There are so many critical issues facing our state and so many ways that a real leader could have made life better for Alabamians who are hurting. But, with so little leadership coming from the Governor’s office, too much was left undone. Where was Kay when gas soared to over $4.00 a gallon, and her gas tax remained? Where was Kay as Alabamians made hard choices between gas, food, and medicine? Where was Kay when our churches closed, but abortion clinics stayed open? Where was Kay when we needed her, not just during this session but for the last six years?Where was Kay?Lindy Blanchard is currently running for governor of Alabama and lives with her family in Montgomery.
NRA endorses Gov. Kay Ivey in governor’s race
The National Rifle Association on Monday endorsed Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey in her bid to win a second full term in office. Ivey, in March, signed legislation abolishing the current state requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public. The new law takes effect on January 1. In a brief campaign event announcing the endorsement, Ivey said people in Alabama will stand up for their constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. “We demand them, and no one will ever take them away from us. I know they won’t be taking my Smith & Wesson from me either,” Ivey said. Ivey faces several challengers in next month’s primary, including Lindy Blanchard, who was former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Slovenia, and Tim James, the son of former Gov. Fob James. The NRA has regularly endorsed sitting governors in Alabama, where there has been no serious endeavor to pursue new gun control measures. Alabama in 2020 had the nation’s fifth-highest rate of gun-related deaths – including suicides and murders — with 1,141 deaths, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Lindy Blanchard launches new campaign ads aimed at questioning Kay Ivey’s record
The campaign for gubernatorial hopeful Lindy Blanchard launched two new ads on broadcast and cable television. Both ads will run statewide. The first ad, raises questions about Gov. Kay Ivey’s record, arguing that some of her actions around Covid-19 and the gas tax have drawn praise from the Biden Administration. The second ad highlights Blanchard’s national security experience as a Trump appointee and compares and contrasts Ivey to Blanchard. “Try as I may, I cannot make sense of Kay Ivey’s liberal record. It’s no wonder she’s trying to rewrite history about her record but her actions speak louder than any campaign ad she may put out,” stated Blanchard. “After signing a pledge to not raise taxes, she led the charge to do just that. Now, while gas prices are devastating family budgets, she refuses to act and lead the effort to provide the relief we need.” “During the pandemic, Kay Ivey shut down Alabama businesses; adding insult to injury she condemned and mocked those who made the personal decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccination. It’s safe to say that when Joe Biden and Anthony Fauci are on your side, you’re on the wrong side of Alabama”, continued Blanchard. “After the 2020 election, where widespread fraud put Joe Biden in office, Kay Ivey gave up on President Donald Trump and welcomed Joe Biden with open arms. When Trump came to town? Ivey couldn’t be bothered to stand with him. Kay Ivey doesn’t believe President Donald Trump won the election and she doesn’t believe Alabama voters are smart enough to see through her weak leadership on the issue. “One of President Donald Trump’s legacies will be his conservative court appointments. Given the same opportunity, Kay Ivey appointed 8 liberal judges to Alabama courts. This includes choosing democrats to run elections in major counties rather than Trump conservatives. “I will stand up for the voters and make sure that confidence is restored to the election process. I will only appoint Republicans,” Blanchard concluded. Blanchard is on the ballot in the Republican primary for Governor on May 24th. She is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from Montgomery, Alabama. A conservative outsider, Blanchard has never run for elected office before and will bring a fresh perspective, vast business and management experience, and conservative common sense to the governor’s office.
New polling shows Mike Durant ahead of Katie Britt in Senate race; Mo Brooks falls into third place
According to new Emerson College Polling, Mike Durant is currently leading in the Republican Primary with 33%, followed by Katie Britt with 23%, and Mo Brooks with 12%. No other candidate reached double digits. Twenty-six percent of voters are undecided. In the race to fill the Senate seat left by retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, the majority of voters (52%) indicate that they’re more likely to support a candidate if they are endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Last week, Trump rescinded his endorsement of Rep. Mo Brooks in a significant blow to the congressman’s campaign. Trump cited Brooks’ performance in the race, poor campaign staffing, and what Trump saw as a softening of Brooks’ stance on election fraud claims. Trump said he will be making another endorsement announcement in the “near future.” Spencer Kimball, Executive Director of Emerson College Polling, noted, “while Durant holds a lead over Britt and Brooks in the primary, he is shy of the necessary 50% to avoid a runoff in June.” Kimball continued, “Whether Durant or Britt clinches the nomination might depend on who former President Trump chooses to endorse. Among the 26% of Republican primary voters who are undecided, 60% are more likely to vote for a candidate if Trump endorses them.” Additionally, the poll indicated that 52% of Alabama primary voters approve of the job Kay Ivey is doing as governor, while 33% disapprove. Ivey holds 48% of support in the Republican gubernatorial primary, followed by Tim James with 11% and Lindy Blanchard with 8%. Twenty-two percent of Republican voters are undecided. The Emerson College/The Hill Alabama poll was conducted March 25-27, 2022.
