More Democrats on Alabama ballot for Tuesday elections than in previous years
Alabama’s primary ballot features multiple offices and something voters in the Republican-controlled state haven’t seen in years: Democratic races for statewide and congressional positions. Alabama Democrats have 27 total candidates running for state positions or Congress this year, more than double the 13 from 2014. That means there are several Democratic primary races, compared to just one for a statewide office four years ago. Many of the eventual Republican nominees will still run unopposed in the General Election because no Democrats qualified. But with Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump running high and after Democrat Doug Jones’ victory in Alabama’s U.S. Senate in December, the once-powerful party is trying to show signs of life. Aside from the governor’s campaign, in which five Republicans and six Democrats are vying for their party’s nominations, here are some other races to watch: ___ Attorney General Republican appointee Steve Marshall is facing voters for the first time in a statewide race as he seeks election to the office of attorney general, and it might not be easy. Marshall, a former Marshall County district attorney, has served in the job since February 2017, when then-Gov. Robert Bentley tapped him after naming Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate. Marshall is being opposed in the GOP primary by Alice Martin, a former federal prosecutor who was the state’s chief deputy attorney general; Troy King, a former state attorney general and Birmingham lawyer Chess Bedsole. Birmingham attorneys Joseph Siegelman and Chris Christie are vying for the Democratic nomination. Siegelman is the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman. The attorney general is responsible for representing the state in criminal and civil matters, and the office often is a stepping-stone to other positions. Just ask U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama attorney general. ___ Congress Rep. Martha Roby’s bid to hold on to her District 2 seat from the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama for a fifth term highlights the state’s congressional primaries. The House Appropriations Committee member is being opposed by candidates including Bobby Bright, who Roby defeated to claim the seat in 2010. Other opponents include Rich Hobson of Enterprise, who managed Roy Moore’s unsuccessful Senate campaign last year. Roby gained Republican critics after distancing herself from Donald Trump’s vulgar comments about women during his presidential campaign in 2016. The eventual GOP nominee will face either education researcher Tabitha Isner of Montgomery or activist and military veteran Audri Scott Williams of Cottonwood. They’re competing for the Democratic nomination in the Republican-dominated district. Reps. Mo Brooks of Huntsville and Robert Aderholt of Haleyville also have challengers in the GOP primary, and Democrats have primaries in four districts in all. There was just one Democratic congressional primary in 2014. ___ Lieutenant Governor Alabama has been without a lieutenant governor for more than a year, and the primary is a first step toward filling the office. Alabama Public Service Commission president Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh is running in the Republican primary against two state legislators: Rep. Will Ainsworth of Guntersville and Sen. Rusty Glover of Mobile. Cavanaugh has outpaced other candidates in fundraising with nearly $1.1 million in total contributions through April. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democratic minister Will Boyd, who lost the U.S. Senate primary against Doug Jones in the special election last year. The office of lieutenant governor, who is president in the state Senate, has been vacant since April 2017, when Kay Ivey succeeded Robert Bentley as governor following his resignation and guilty plea amid a sex-tinged scandal. Ethics is a top issue in the race as the Legislature looks to review Alabama’s ethics law next year and lawmakers currently face corruption charges. ___ Supreme Court The Alabama Supreme Court isn’t in the news as often as it used to be without Roy Moore as chief justice, but the primary ballot includes three contested races on the nine-member, all-Republican panel. Current court members Lyn Stuart and Tom Parker are vying for the Republican nomination for chief justice. Stuart has been serving in the position since Moore’s suspension for violating judicial ethics and later resignation to run for the Senate. Either Stuart or Parker will face Bob Vance Jr., a Jefferson County circuit judge who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Court appointee Brad Mendheim is opposed by circuit judges Debra Jones of Anniston and Sarah Hicks Stewart of Mobile for the GOP nomination for Place 1 on the nine-member court. And attorneys John Bahakel and Jay Mitchell of Birmingham are both seeking the Republican nomination for the Place 4 seat. The winner will face Democrat Donna Wesson Smalley in November. ___ State School Board Republicans are fighting over two seats on the Alabama State Board of Education, and the winners of both races will have Democratic opponents in the fall. Four Republicans are running for the District 2 seat held by Betty Peters, who isn’t seeking re-election. They include former Dothan school board member Melanie Hill; Coffee County resident Sybil Little; John Taylor of Dothan; and Auburn City School Board President Tracie West. The winner will face Democrat Adam Jortner in November. Business executive and former Madison school board Rich McAdams and Wayne Reynolds, a retired educator and registered nurse from Athens, are seeking the Republican nomination in District 8. The seat is now held by Mary Scott Hunter, who is running for the Alabama Senate. Jessica Fortune Barker is on the ballot as a Democrat in the General Election. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
In U.S. district 2 race, loyalty to Donald Trump takes center stage
U.S. Rep. Martha Roby could pay a political price for her 2016 criticism of Donald Trump after recordings of him making lewd comments were released during his campaign for president. Roby said then that Trump’s behavior “makes him unacceptable as a candidate for president” and suggested he step aside to let another Republican lead the presidential ticket. Two years later, her comments have become an issue as she seeks to win the GOP primary and a fifth term representing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, a conservative swath where loyalty to Trump has become central issue of the midterm primary. “She turned on Trump,” said Ted Roberts, a 69-year-old retired banker from New Brocton, explaining why he won’t vote for Roby. Roby faces primary challenges from Bobby Bright, who represented the district for two years as a Democrat, state Rep. Barry Moore and Rich Hobson a longtime ally of failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore. Roby said she wants to emphasize her record on issues important to the district, including military and veterans issues. Roby said she has a “good working relationship” with the Trump administration. “What I have done is run on my record. I’m proud of my record. I’m proud that we’ve been able to do the things and accomplish the things that I believe the people sent me to Washington to do,” Roby said. Roby on the campaign trail and in election materials, said she works well with the Trump administration, noting her support for Trump-backed policies such as the 2017 tax cut bill. A television ad touts her support for a border wall. All of Roby’s primary opponents are raising Roby’s comments in the election. Bright, the former Democratic congressman for the district who also served as mayor of Montgomery, is running a television ad with video footage of Roby saying Trump should step aside. “People are ready for a change, and we’re giving it to them,” Bright said during a campaign stop at a drug store as he wore a red hat with the slogan to make the district “Bright Again.” Bright dismissed concerns that a former Democrat will be rejected by GOP primary voters. He said his values and voting record are “more Alabama.” Alabama’s 2nd congressional district stretches from Montgomery through rural southeast Alabama. The district is heavily agrarian. A boll weevil monument in the city of Enterprise pays tribute the agricultural pest that prompted the region’s shift from cotton to peanut farming. The district’s strong military presence is often visible in the skies as planes from Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery and helicopters from the Army’s aviation program at Fort Rucker buzz overhead. “This is definitely Trump country,” said George McCleary, a retired Air Force colonel. “My wife thinks she’s doing a great job. … I don’t think she’s nearly aggressive enough,” McCleary said of Roby. McCleary said Roby’s Trump comments weren’t a concern to him, but he was more worried about issues such as border security. Both Barry Moore and Hobson said Roby’s comments helped inspire them to jump into the race. Hobson said Roby opened the door to challenges with her “disparaging remarks against Donald Trump.” “The comments were just the icing on the cake to a voting record that wasn’t that great anyway,” Moore said. Willie Furr, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, said he is voting for Roby, saying she has worked to improve health care access for veterans. He added that many women, not just Roby, took offense to Trump’s comments. “I think what matters at the end of the day is her track record, what she’s has delivered on,” Furr said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
GOP-hopeful Rich Hobson is giving away AR-15 to celebrate the 2nd Amendment
Roy Moore’s former campaign aide and candidate for Alabama’s Second Congressional District is giving away an AR-15, in an effort to draw importance to the Second Amendment. “Get a Free AR-15 for freedom!” Rich Hobson declares on his website. The campaign made the announcement Tuesday that it will hold a drawing to give away a Smith & Wesson AR-15 rifle on Memorial Day. “The name will be drawn on Memorial Day because “[i]t seems only fitting that we would do so on the day that we use to honor those who died defending our freedom,” said Hobson. “America was founded on the idea that people were made to rule themselves. The framers of our Constitution acknowledged that our rights were from God and that our government was to be formed only by the consent of the governed. This is something I believe to my core,” Hobson explained. “But our Founding Fathers also realized that freedom is not possible unless our citizens act with self-restraint, govern their own morality, and take responsibility for every basic need in our life. To that end, true Americans are expected to be hard-working, responsible, and prepared. Because of that, I believe that it is right and proper for every family in the country to own an AR-15 Defense Rifle.” According to a website dedicated to the giveaway, participants must be at least 18-years of age and meet all legal requirements to be a gun owner under federal, state, and local law. Southern Outdoor Sports in Dothan, Ala. will handle the necessary background checks and other legal requirements. The deadline for entry is 12:00 noon CT on Monday, May 28. The publicity stunt is a familiar one for Republican candidates. Just this month, a county judge candidate in Kentucky, Myron Miller, did the same thing. Missouri U.S. Senate-hopeful Austin Petersen launched his second AR-15 giveaway in April, behind Kansas Congressional hopeful Tyler Tannahill’s giveaway in February. Hobson joins for Member of Congress Bobby Bright, State Rep. Barry Moore and Army veteran Tommy Amason in challenging Martha Roby in the June 5 Republican primary. The winner will go on to face whomever prevails from the Democratic primary — Tabitha Isner or Audri Scott Williams — in the Nov. 6 general election.
Roy Moore endorses longtime ally Rich Hobson in congressional race
Failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore is endorsing his former campaign manager in an Alabama congressional race. Moore on Wednesday announced support for longtime ally Rich Hobson in the GOP primary for the 2nd District congressional seat now held by Republican Rep. Martha Roby. In a statement released by Hobson’s campaign, Moore said Hobson’s, “reputation for honesty, integrity, and devotion to duty is above reproach.” Moore lost the U.S. Senate race in Alabama to Democrat Doug Jones amid accusations of sexual misconduct with teens decades ago. Moore has denied the allegations. Hobson has defended Moore and called the allegations a “political assassination.” Hobson managed Moore’s Senate campaign and served as Alabama’s administrative director of courts while Moore was chief justice. He also served as director of Moore’s legal foundation. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Wetumpka TEA Party hosts GOP candidate meet and greet
The Wetumpka TEA Party will host the River Region Candidate Fair on Monday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for candidates running in the 2018 Republican primary election. Over 40 candidates have confirmed their attendance for the event, which will be held at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Advertised as a “meet & greet,” the event will allow Alabamians to meet each candidate individually and ask them questions about the position they are seeking, rather than listen to speeches and debates. The Wetumpka TEA party will also be conducting a straw poll at the end of the night, with results posted Tuesday morning. “Our mission at the Wetumpka TEA Party is to educate citizens on national, state and local issues and help them get involved in our representative government,” said Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson. “It is important that people vote for their elected officials because they know what the candidates stand for and do not just rely on 30 second commercials and attractive yard signs. This is a terrific opportunity to meet the candidates who are running for an elected position, to ask them questions and understand what each candidate stands for.” The following candidates have confirmed their attendance on Monday night: CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES Governor: Bill Hightower, Kay Ivey, Scott Dawson, Tommy Battle (will send a representative) Lieutenant Governor: Will Ainsworth, Twinkle Cavanaugh, Rusty Glover Attorney General: Chess Bedsole, Troy King, Alice Martin Auditor: Stan Cooke, Elliott Lipinsky, Jim Zeigler Secretary of State: Michael Johnson, John Merrill Treasurer: Stephen Evans, John McMillan Commissioner for Agriculture and Industries: Gerald Dial, Rick Pate (will send a representative) STATE LEGISLATURE Alabama House of Representatives 31: Dustin DeVaughn, Mike Holmes Alabama House of Representatives 88: Al Booth Alabama Senate 25: Will Barfoot, Ronda Walker Alabama Senate 30: Clyde Chambliss (Unopposed) ALABAMA COURT SYSTEM Supreme Court Chief Justice: Tom Parker AL Supreme Court Place 1: Sarah Stewart AL Court of Civil Appeals Place 1: Michelle Thomason, Pat Thetford Circuit Court 19 Judge: Bill Lewis (Unopposed) PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Public Service Commission Place 1: Jeremy Oden, Jim Bonner Public Service Commission Place 2: Chip Beeker, Robin Litaker LOCAL AND CIRCUIT RACES: Elmore County Sheriff: Bill Franklin (Unopposed) Probate Judge (Elmore): Vicki Bonner-Ward, John Thornton Elmore County Commission Dist 4: Bart Mercer (Unopposed) Coroner (Elmore): Brad Linville, Jody Jeffcoat Circuit Clerk (Elmore): Michael Dozier, Angie Cruise-Gardner FEDERAL RACE U.S. Congress Dist 2: Rich Hobson, Bobby Bright, Barry Moore A flier for the event may be viewed here: River region candidate fair.
Roy Moore’s campaign manager Rich Hobson challenges Martha Roby for Congress
Roy Moore’s former campaign manager announced on Wednesday he’s launching a primary challenge against Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby. Rich Hobson, 56, made the announcement Wednesday from the steps of the state capitol in Montgomery, Ala. where he outlined his platform which includes issues such as bolstering the military, returning to prayer, and opposing both abortion and LGBT rights. He was also sure to assert his loyalty to President Donald Trump‘s agenda, especially his stance on immigration. Hobson joins State Rep. Barry Moore and Army veteran Tommy Amason who are also challenging Roby in the Republican primary. In 2017, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) identified Roby as their sole target in the Yellowhammer State in their efforts to flip the House after she won her seat by just eight points in 2016. Roby’s Chief of Staff Torrie Matous pointed to the DCCC’s targeting of the seat as a reason why Republicans need a proven candidate like Roby, she commented in response to Hobson’s announcement. “In the 2010 election, Martha Roby beat Democrat Bobby Bright to turn AL-02 red again. With Democrats in Alabama more energized than ever before and Nancy Pelosi targeting our district, it is critical to nominate a responsible conservative who can keep this vital seat in Republicans’ hands,” said Matous. “From her work on behalf of our veterans and the military — including her recent efforts to help bring the F-35 mission to Montgomery — to her support of Alabama’s farmers, Martha Roby is the clear conservative choice for this seat.” The Alabama Republican primary is June 5. The filing deadline is February 9.
Alabama Supreme Court upholds suspension of Roy Moore, will decide on Senate run next week
The Alabama Supreme Court this week reaffirmed the removal of Roy Moore as chief justice. Moore has hinted he may run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by now U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February and currently held by former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange. Moore said he would make a decision on a Senate run sometime next week. In a news conference, Moore blasted the prosecution as “politically” motivated, arguing that he remains Chief Justice even with the suspension over his administrative order against the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “I have done my duty under the laws of this state to stand for the undeniable truth that God ordained marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” Moore told reporters assembled at the Alabama State Capitol’s Old Supreme Court Chambers. As there are no federal issues in the case, Moore is unable to appeal the ruling. “This is it,” he said. Southern Poverty Law Center president Richard Cohen had filed an ethics complaint against Moore, and issued a statement after the ruling: “Roy Moore’s violation of the Canons of Judicial Ethics was egregious. He got what he deserved. We’ll all be better off without the Ayatollah of Alabama as our chief justice.”
Roy Moore considering run for U.S. Senate in 2018
Suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2018, according to a report from WAFF. Through a spokesperson, Moore said he was interested in running for the senate seat against newly appointed incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, but he also has his eyes on other top elected jobs in the state. “As far as Judge Moore’s future, he is being asked to run for several offices: U.S. Senate, Governor, and Attorney General,” said spokesperson Rich Hobson. “He is weighing his options for the future, but his main concern right now is the pending appeal to restore him to the Office he was elected to by the citizens of Alabama.” Moore was suspended in 2016 for not giving in to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Back in 2003, he was forced out of the same post for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument. Last week, Gov. Robert Bentley set the dates for the special election to permanently replace former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions. Bentley’s dates set the primary election for June 5, 2018, followed by a primary runoff, if necessary on July 17, 2018. Moore was on Bentley’s shortlist for the Sessions’ vacated senate seat, though the governor announced Feb. 9 that he had selected Strange.
Nearly half of states expect to confront big budget gaps
With the nation’s economy at its healthiest since the Great Recession, a surprising trend is emerging among the states — large budget gaps. An Associated Press analysis of statehouse finances across the country shows that at least 22 states project shortfalls for the coming fiscal year. The deficits recall recession-era anxiety about plunging tax revenue and deep cuts to education, social services and other government-funded programs. The sheer number of states facing budget gaps prompted Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service to call the trend a sort of “early warning.” “After all, if a state is grappling with a budget deficit now, with the economic expansion approaching its sixth anniversary, what will be its condition when the next slowdown strikes?” credit analyst Gabriel Petek wrote in a recent report. The forces at work today are somewhat different than when the recession took hold in 2008. In some states, revenue growth has been stagnant, missing projections and making it difficult to keep pace with expanding populations and rising costs for health care and education. Other states have been hurt by a steep decline in oil prices or have seen their efforts to promote growth through tax cuts fail to work as anticipated. The result is a nation divided between states such as California and Colorado that are riding the wave of the economic recovery and others such as Illinois and Pennsylvania that appear closer to bust than boom. A majority of states have failed to climb back to their pre-recession status, in terms of tax revenue, financial reserves and employment rates, said Barb Rosewicz, who tracks the fiscal health of states for The Pew Charitable Trusts. Alabama, for example, faces a $290 million shortfall after a voter-approved bailout expires at the end of the current fiscal year. Projected cuts would create a $27 million hole in the state’s court system, forcing more than 600 layoffs and leaving just one juvenile probation officer and two clerical staffers in each county, said Rich Hobson, administrative director for the Alabama Unified Judicial System. If nothing is done, the courts will not have the staff to send jury notices, monitor juvenile delinquents, process protection orders and collect and distribute child support payments, he said. “This is an insane proposition,” Hobson said. “The public would suffer.” To avoid the cuts, Republican Gov. Robert Bentley has proposed raising $541 million through increases in the tobacco tax and sales taxes on automobiles. A top Republican in the Alabama Senate has introduced a gambling bill that would ultimately ask voters to decide whether to create a state lottery and allow four casinos. Lawmakers in some other states, including Nevada, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, have also debated whether to raise taxes. Nationally, total tax revenue coming to the states has been rising, but the pace has been slow as employment continues to lag pre-recession levels in more than half the states, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew also found that 30 states are collecting less revenue than at their peak. “What we are seeing across states right now is an economic and financial recovery that is a little bit different than the recoveries we’ve seen in the past,” said Emily Raimes, a vice president with Moody’s Investors Service who tracks state government finances. Previous recoveries were broader, she said, benefiting more states and allowing them to replenish their financial reserves. The Census Bureau recently reported that total state government tax collections in fiscal year 2014, which in most states ended last June, increased 2.2 percent over the previous fiscal year. That represented the fourth consecutive overall increase, but 17 states reported declines in tax revenue from the previous fiscal year, according to the report. Alaska saw the biggest drop, of $1.7 billion. Alaska relies heavily on oil revenue and projects a $3.2 billion budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year. A special legislative session has been called after lawmakers failed to agree on a way to fund the budget, even though the state has plenty of money in reserves to cover the gap. That’s not the case in Illinois, where lawmakers are trying to figure out how to close a $6 billion projected shortfall for the next fiscal year, largely because of the expiration of a temporary tax increase. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who campaigned against the tax plan, has suggested cuts to health care, local governments and other areas. But lawmakers in the Democratic-led General Assembly say spending cuts alone will not close the gap. In Kansas, the Republican governor and GOP-dominated Legislature now confront budget deficits after aggressive tax cutting that prompted them to reduce school funding this spring. Districts across the state have cut staff and programs such as summer school, and at least eight are ending the current school year early to save money. That includes the Shawnee Heights district outside Topeka, where students will begin their summer break two days early. Lawmakers passed a new school funding law that promises the money will be restored and state aid will rise each of the next two fiscal years, but educators are skeptical. “There’s no rational person in education who would think we’ll be getting that money, when the state budget is tanking,” said Charles Walther, a middle school history, government and geography teacher who heads the district union. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
