Attorney General candidates make their case in candidate forum
Republican candidates for attorney general shared a stage for the first time in an occasionally contentious forum that previewed a race shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested of 2018. Attorney General Steve Marshall, former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin, former Attorney General Troy King and GOP lawyer Chess Bedsole spoke Saturday to the Mid-Alabama Republican Club. Marshall, who was appointed by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, said he is running an independent office focused on enforcing the law, not politics. Martin emphasized her record prosecuting public corruption cases, while King said the state had been embarrassed by recent scandals. Martin criticized Marshall as a party-switcher. Bedsole said he was the only one who had not sought the appointment from Bentley, who resigned during an ethics investigation. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Challengers criticize absent Kay Ivey as governor skips debate
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s Republican primary challengers took aim Thursday night at her decision to skip a televised debate. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, state Sen. Bill Hightower and evangelist Scott Dawson criticized Ivey’s decision to not attend the Thursday debate hosted by WVTM-13 in Birmingham. Ivey was also in Birmingham Thursday night but was throwing out the first pitch at the Birmingham Barons’ minor league baseball game. Dawson said while Ivey is the incumbent, she was never elected or vetted for that post. Ivey, who was lieutenant governor, became governor automatically a year ago when then-Gov. Robert Bentley resigned in the midst of a sex-tinged scandal. “Our current governor was not elected to this position. She was appointed to this position and we deserve to know what she is going to do in the future,” Dawson said. “I have to start asking myself…Are we hiding something?” Dawson said. Asked why he was a better choice than Ivey to be the GOP nominee for governor, Hightower began with, “Well, I’m here. I’m answering your questions. That’s one.” Battle said it was “a shame” that someone would attend a baseball game instead of discussing the issues of the state. Ivey will also not attend a debate next week hosted by al.com. When asked about her debate absences, Ivey told The Decatur Daily Thursday morning that she was focused on governing. “This race is about our individual records and mine is an open book,” Ivey told the newspaper. The three candidates, who had a chance to put questions to each other, used the opportunity to take aim at the absent governor instead. Hightower said Ivey was “taking credit for a lot of things going on in Huntsville” such as low unemployment and the decision for Toyota and Mazda to build an auto plant in that city that will eventually employ 4,000 people. “I want to know how that makes you feel,” Hightower asked Battle. Battle responded chuckling that certain campaign ads make it look like “no one else was there” but said the effort was under way long before Ivey was governor. “It was a huge team effort. It was a local team effort We got the site ready for 10 years. I visited Japan for the past four years.” Battle said. Dawson asked Hightower if Ivey was “engaged” in dealings with the Alabama Legislature. Hightower, in what appeared to be a jab at Ivey’s age, replied that the state needed someone with “the vision, the vigor and the health to carry the state forward.” Ivey is 73. The three GOP candidates agreed on a number of other issues. All three opposed raising the state minimum wage. They also expressed support for Ivey’s proposal to put a work requirement on the state’s few able-bodied Medicaid recipients. Hightower and Dawson expressed opposition to a state lottery. Battle said a lottery could be a “financial tool” to help fund education programs but was not a “cure-all.” The primary election is June 5. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Special grand jury finds no new charges warranted in Robert Bentley investigation
Supernumerary District Attorney Ellen Brooks announced Wednesday the investigation of former Governor Robert Bentley and others has concluded. Brooks released the final report of a Special Grand Jury, empaneled in Montgomery County on July 11, 2016, that determined no additional charges against Bentley are warranted. Montgomery County Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick accepted the report and dissolved the grand jury accordingly. “Many of the allegations we investigated were not supported by the facts,” the report reads. “With respect to the other allegations, the facts did not constitute a crime.” But the grand jury did point out several issues with Alabama’s current ethics laws. “We found a number of serious concerns about current state law that hinder successful prosecution,” the report read: The ethics law does not cover non-spousal intimate or romantic relationships. The law authorizes the governor to appoint the Secretary of Law Enforcement and does not prohibit the governor from initiating, directing, or receiving reports on criminal investigations for illegitimate political purposes. State law does not prohibit non-government personnel from performing the work of a public employee while being paid by a private entity, a so-called “loaned executive” arrangement. The report urged lawmakers to look into updating the laws as soon as possible. “While this list is not exhaustive, the issues are sufficiently serious as to warrant the Alabama Legislature to revisit the Alabama Ethics Law and the Alabama Fair Campaign Practices Act as soon as possible.” Nearly one year ago, on April 10, 2017, Bentley resigned following allegations he used state resources to cover up an affair he was having with one of his former aides. State Auditor Jim Zeigler filed an ethics complaint against Bentley, to investigate whether any state resources were unlawfully used in the alleged relationship. Ultimately the investigation led the Alabama Ethics Commission to find probable cause Bentley violated ethics laws and campaign finance laws. Upon his resignation Bentley was booked on two misdemeanor charges —one for failing to file a major contribution report and another for knowingly using campaign contributions for personal use. He plead guilty to both charges, each carried a $300 bond, and was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation.
Women of Influence: State Board of Education member Jackie Zeigler
Jackie Zeigler has been a loyal servant of the public education system and the state of Alabama for over three decades. Born in Cleveland she moved to Mobile, Ala. and earned her Bachelors of Science and Master of Arts degrees in elementary education from the University of South Alabama in 1985, and went on to obtain an Administration and Supervision certificate from the same school. Jackie then began what would become a long and prominent career in the Mobile County School system as a school teacher at Dauphin Island’s Little Red School House in 1980 and later served as acting principal there. Zeigler then moved to Maryvale Elementary School in 1986 where she was a classroom teacher and Title One Coordinator. She then became Assistant Principal at O’Rourke Elementary School in the summer of 1996, and was also an adjunct professor of education at Springhill College where she taught curriculum. Jackie spent the next 14 years of her career as the principal at Mary B. Austin Elementary, during which time the school earned the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, before she finally retired. In 2016, Zeigler ran for the State Board of Education, District 1, against incumbent Matthew Brown who had been appointed to the position by former governor Robert Bentley, despite the fact he had very little experience in the education. Needless to say Zeigler’s 37 years of experience in education spoke for itself. She was sworn in on Jan. 24, 2017. “My hands-on experiences within the school setting that incorporated all the intricacies of curriculum, management, financial accountability, communication with all stakeholders (students, faculty and staff, parents, community) along with a myriad of other daily, fluid responsibilities cements my ability to bring a working knowledge to the SBOE table.” “I am a firm believer, and my open door policy during my school experience authenticated this belief, of maintaining lines of communication that are a two way street with the vital component of listening as the main focus. Listening is the most important aspect in any communication along with keeping an open mind to be a life long learner,” Zeigler told Alabama School Connection. If the name Zeigler sound familiar, thats because she’s married to Alabama’s current State Auditor Jim Zeigler. They have two children, James Baldwin, a graduate of Baker High School, and Mary Magdalene, a senior at Baker High School. Zeigler is a knowledgable woman, with many years of experience in the professional world, and was kind enough to answer some of Alabama Today’s questions about her life, work and influences: How have other women influenced your success? My mother was an excellent role model who showed me that hard work, determination, strong morals and work ethic along with a vision and focus would allow one to make a success in home life and career. My principal mentor who guided me by allowing hands-on experience in leadership roles. She challenged me to think outside the box and gave me opportunities to make a true difference in the lives of students. Her trust in me and my capabilities gave forth to a career that lasted 38 years resulting in a National Blue Ribbon award. Other educators with whom I came in to daily contact were my support team as well as my biggest critics. I quickly learned that everything one does in the school setting must have a positive impact on the students. Take “me” out of any equation or scenario. If what I am determined to do doesn’t have the best interests of the students first and foremost, then step back and punt. Your primary career is as an educator, what piqued your interest in public education? I knew I would be an educator beginning in the third grade. I was blessed to have various educational experiences because my family moved all across our great nation on an average of every 3 years. Private schooling, parochial schooling and public schooling, beginning in k’g through twelfth grade, afforded me the working knowledge of how various school settings work. It cemented my resolve in high school that education was my career of choice and I never looked back. What advice would you give young women considering careers in education? Go for it! My experience as a classroom teacher, Title I facilitator, assistant principal, principal and adjunct college professor all gave me the richest of rewards by working daily with students and other educators. I would challenge one to apply for and accept those situations that are beyond the norm. Utilizing all of one’s talents and abilities in settings that appear the most difficult end up being those of greatest return. Continue to grow through readings, seminars, lectures…never rest on your laurels because the impact you may have on student lives are worth every effort you impart. For her 37 years of service to the Mobile County School systems, and her willingness to continue to serve her community and state throughout her retirement, Jackie Zeigler is clearly an Alabama woman of influence.
Colonial Pipeline Company to pay $3.3M to Alabama for damages
Both the Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), announced an agreement with the Colonial Pipeline Company on Thursday. The agreement resolves environmental claims made when the company’s gasoline pipeline ruptured in Shelby County, and three other areas in Alabama, in September and October 2016. During the September 9, 2016 disaster, Colonial’s gasoline pipeline leaked into a rural area of Shelby county, southeast of Helena. While a portion of the gasoline was recovered, reports indicate that the pipeline leaked approximately 250,000 gallons into the area. The leak was caused by pipe fatigue that resulted from improper compaction of soil below that portion of the pipeline. The October 31, 2016 pipeline explosion and fire killed one and injured six workers, and involved the release of over 180,000 gallons of gasoline near County Road 251 in Shelby County. Gov. Robert Bentley declared a month-long State of Emergency after the disaster. It was reported that the explosion was caused by an accidental strike to the pipeline by excavating equipment. The strike to the pipeline ignited gasoline, which resulted in releases into the environment. The three remaining releases totaled approximately 21 barrels of petroleum products, a portion of which was recovered. “This agreement first and foremost addresses the environmental damage to land and water caused by significant gasoline spills in Shelby County during 2016,” said Marshall. “I am pleased by the outstanding work of ADEM’s legal team who worked closely with our lawyers to achieve a settlement which I believe is fair, reasonable and benefits the people of Alabama.” The settlement includes several specifications for Colonial including: Colonial must complete the cleanup of petroleum products released into the soil and waters of the State, which will be overseen by ADEM $1.3 million civil penalty $1.8 million in projects to benefit the State of Alabama $200,000 to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as restitution for damages incurred by the closure of its Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area for nearly three months
Steve Marshall qualifies for Alabama Attorney General race
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall officially qualified to run for the office Attorney General on Friday. Marshall was appointed in February 2017 by then governor Robert Bentley to replace Luther Strange as Attorney General. “I want Alabama to know that the office of Attorney General will not shy away from any challenges, and will be on the forefront of the major issues that continue to challenge our state,” stated Marshall. According to Marshall’s Facebook, he is looking forward to “four full years standing up for Alabama’s values, solving the opioid crisis, defending faith, fighting federal overreach, and supporting the rights of everyone (including the unborn).” He has also expressed interest in fighting violent crime and human trafficking. Marshal served as district attorney in Marshall County Ala. for 16 years. He built a strong reputation of fighting crime and was instrumental in the passage of state legislation to track the sale of ingredients used to produce crystal meth. Marshall also took a lead role supporting the passage of the Brody Act which has made it possible to prosecute criminals for two crimes if they kill or injure an unborn baby during an attack on the mother. Marshall also serves as co-chair of Governor Kay Ivey’s Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. Steve and his wife, Bridgette, have a daughter named Faith and currently reside in Albertville, Ala.
Bentley-Ivey cabinet: who’s out, who’s in
When Gov. Kay Ivey assumed office last April, following the resignation of scandal-ridden former Gov. Robert Bentley, she pledged the people of Alabama that would work with them to steady the Ship of State and improve Alabama’s image. “Today is both a dark day for Alabama yet also one of opportunity. I ask for your help and patience as we together steady the Ship of State and improve Alabama’s image. Those are my first priorities as your 54th Governor,” Ivey said following her swearing-in. “There’s no doubt there’s been a dark cloud hanging over our great state. People all over the world had their eyes on Alabama, and not for the right reasons. People have lost trust in government leaders.” Part of steadying of the Ship of State has meant cleaning house of the Bentley administration as Ivey has dismissed several Cabinet and staff members. Of her 22-member Cabinet, Ivey has currently replaced nine, or 41 percent, of its members. Ivey’s cabinet as of Jan. 29, 2018: Administrator of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board: H. Mac Gipson Superintendent of State Banking Department: Mike Hill Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education: Jeana Ross Secretary of Commerce: Greg Canfield Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Chris Blankenship As of August 11, 2017 Former: Gunter Guy Commissioner of the Department of Corrections: Jeff Dunn Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs: Kenneth Boswell As of May 5, 2017 Director of the Emergency Management Agency: Brian Hastings As of September 5, 2017 Former: Art Faulkner Director of Finance: Clinton Carter Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources: Nancy Buckner Commissioner of Insurance: Jim Ridling Director of the Office of Information Technology: Jim Purcell As of July 15, 2017 Former: Joanne Hale Commissioner of the Department of Labor: Fitzgerald Washington Secretary of Law Enforcement: Hal Taylor As of August 11, 2017 Former: Stan Stabler Commissioner of the Alabama Medicaid Agency: Stephanie Azar Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health: Lynn Beshear As of July 10, 2017 Former: Jim Perdue Director of Minority Affairs: Nichelle Nix Commissioner of the Department of Revenue: Vernon Barnett As of May 12, 2017 Former: Julie Magee Commissioner of the Department of Senior Services: Todd Cotton As of July 15, 2017 Former: Neal Morrison Director of the Tourism Department: Lee Sentell Director of the Department of Transportation: John Cooper Alabama Military Department: Major General Sheryl Gordon As of July 28, 2017 * Ivey appointments in red.
Robert Bentley says he chose to walk away from office, still sees Rebekah Mason ‘occasionally’
Former Gov. Robert Bentley emerged from the shadows this week, telling the Decatur Daily he decided to leave office rather than risk facing felony charges and losing his medical license. “I was told that I was going to be charged, even though the grand jury had not met, that I was going to be charged with a felony for (two ethics violations related to his campaign finance account). If you have a felony, you lose your medical license, and I was not going to lose my medical license,” Bentley, who now owns a dermatology clinic in Tuscaloosa, told the Decatur Daily. “So, I agreed to (two misdemeanors) and walked away.” In April, Bentley was booked on two misdemeanor charges — one for failing to file a major contribution report and another for knowingly using campaign contributions for personal use — in the midst of a corruption and willful neglect of duty investigation against him, a month after he acknowledged making inappropriate remarks to a female political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Upon pleading guilty, he resigned from the Governor’s office. When asked about Mason, Bentley said told the Decatur Daily, “I still see her occasionally.” Read Bentley’s full interview here.
Steve Flowers: the clock is ticking for Steve Marshall to restore faith in the AG’s office
Jefferson County is transitioning from a Republican to a Democratic county. In the process, they are having an interesting array of intriguing political happenings. You may recall that a few months back I wrote about the indictment of the newly elected Jefferson County District Attorney, Charles Todd Henderson, on perjury charges. To say a lot has happened since then would be an understatement. Dr. Robert Bentley has vacated the governor’s office under a scandalous cloud. Lt. Governor Kay Ivey has ascended to governor, and appears to be the favorite to win election to a four-year term of her own in next year’s upcoming elections. We have had a Special Election to fill the remaining three years of Jeff Sessions’s six-year Senate term. Former Governor Bentley’s appointee, former state Attorney General Luther Strange, was overwhelmingly defeated by former state Chief Justice Roy Moore, and the Ten Commandments Judge is poised to become our junior U.S. Senator. Therefore, that brings me back to Henderson. There is a trial beginning next week regarding the Democrat Henderson. Todd Henderson was a police officer and a youth sports coach that put himself through law school later in life and, ultimately, became a lawyer. He is also a lifelong Democrat. Therefore, when he challenged two-term Republican Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls in the 2016 Election, Henderson won. It was simply another referendum on the party power struggle in our most populous county. The District Attorney race, similarly to all of the judicial races, has become a simple partisan straight ticket voting pattern in imperial Jefferson. Henderson won election in a fair and square unquestionable election. The reason Henderson won was because he was a Democrat and Falls was a Republican. Luther Strange being the Republican Attorney General of course took the Republican mantle and began investigating Henderson to find a way to thwart the Democratic takeover of this powerful post of Jefferson County District Attorney. Strange’s office began investigating Henderson on perjury charges only after he was elected the Democratic nominee. Had Henderson lost to Falls that might have been the end of it. Based on research there has never been anyone in Jefferson County indicted, much less convicted of perjury in a divorce case. But Henderson won. So, on January 13, 2017, just three days before Henderson was supposed to take office, Strange indicted him. When a District Attorney gets indicted, he is immediately suspended from office and the presiding local judge gets to pick who’ll replace him while the indictment is pending. Most folks do not know this, but the recently defeated Falls was well aware of this fact. That is why, according to some, Falls showed up at the judge’s office right after the indictment and made a pitch that he be appointed to fill the position. Just think about that. The voters in Jefferson County had rejected him as their DA with their votes, and he is trying to sneak in the back door as soon as he gets the chance. Fortunately for the voters, the judge was having none of it and appointed Henderson’s chief deputy instead. Now the case is headed to trial and the only way Falls or any Republican can get into the DA office is if Henderson gets convicted. That is because a conviction will remove both Henderson and the judge’s appointment from office, giving Governor Ivey, a Republican, the power to appoint whomever she wants and you can bet it will not be a Democrat. The whole mess stinks to high heaven of political motivation and vindictiveness. Our new Attorney General Steve Marshall, who was not a party to the Strange/Bentley scheme, has the chance to end this chicanery now before the trial starts and restore some faith in the office of Attorney General. The clock is ticking. Marshall, who was appointed by Bentley to fill out the remainder of Luther Strange’s term, is running for a full term. The former Marshall County District Attorney is essentially unknown statewide. Currently, former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin and Birmingham lawyer Chess Bedsole are the frontrunners to win next year’s race for Attorney General. However, if former Attorney General Troy King enters the race, he will win in a cakewalk. 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.
Kay Ivey prepping for 2018 run behind the scenes
Sitting Republican Gov. Kay Ivey may be gearing up to announce she is running for election in her own right next year. Ivey ascended to the Governor’s Mansion in April after former Republican Gov. Robert Bentley resigned the office amid controversy. Since taking over the office, she has enjoyed some of the highest approval and lowest disapproval ratings among sitting governors nationwide. Ivey publicly weighed in on her 2018 plans in June, when she told reporters she would wait until the fall to announce whether she would run, but announcements from another would-be candidate may have telegraphed the longtime elected official’s next move. Anniston Republican Sen. Del Marsh, whose gubernatorial aspirations are well-known, announced last week that he would run for re-election to the senate, and even added that he looked forward to working with Kay Ivey in the future “if she decides to run” for a full term. Later in the week, Ivey reportedly made “the call” to several big names in the business community and state legislature to tell them of her intentions. While the content of those calls was not confirmed, Ivey spokesman Daniel Sparkman said the sitting governor “is considering her options” and that she “plans to decide in the near future.” The speed at which she decides could be influenced by Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who is already in the race and is currently leading the pack in fundraising. Whether or not Ivey can slow Battle down on the fundraising trail, she could likely look forward to racking up some early wins on the trail by forcing her competitors to change their tack. So far, most of the 2018 crop has run on bringing honor and credibility back to the Governor’s Mansion — a strategy that would have played well directly following Bentley, but which is likely to fall flat running against a governor with approval ratings like Ivey’s.
Steve Flowers: How Alabama ‘friends and neighbors’ politics will play in 2018
There is a proven theory espoused by political scholars that has prevailed in southern political history for decades. The premier political scholar, Dr. V.O. Key, first illustrated this repetitious theme that has wove its way through the southern electorate. He called it “Friends and Neighbors” politics. It is not a complicated hypothesis. It simply means that southerners tend to vote for someone from their neck of the woods. It is a truism in all southern states. However, it is most pronounced in the Heart of Dixie. This friends and neighbors vote comes to light in open races for governor and U.S. senator. Folks in Alabama will consistently vote for someone from their county or surrounding counties or region of the state overwhelmingly. I tell my university southern politics students that this tendency is so pervasive and tenacious that Alabama voters will vote for someone from their neck of the woods even if they know he is a crook or a drunk. They are probably thinking, “I know ole Joe is a crook and a drunk, but by gosh he’s our drunk or crook.” The earliest and best illustration of Alabama’s “Friends and Neighbors” occurred in the 1946 governor’s race. Big Jim Folsom was born and raised in Coffee County in the wiregrass area of the state. At about age 30, he moved to Cullman, sold insurance, and worked for the WPA getting lots of folks’ jobs. In that 1946 race, he ran against the Probate Judge of Calhoun County. Big Jim beat Judge Boozer because he had two home regions. He ran overwhelmingly in both the Wiregrass and North Central Alabama. On election night in 2010, I was sitting on the set of a Montgomery television station doing election commentary and analysis. As I perused and studied the county-by-county returns, I broke into a smile that bordered on a laugh. When I saw what was happening, it was obvious that friends and neighbors’ politics still persists in Alabama. Dr. Robert Bentley was carrying Tuscaloosa and the surrounding counties of Fayette, Lamar, Pickens and Bibb so overwhelmingly that I saw that the hometown vote was going to propel him past Tim James and Bradley Byrne and into the governor’s office. He ran like a scalded dog through Tuscaloosa where he had been a popular medical doctor for 30 years and there are a good many votes in Tuscaloosa. Bentley won because of “Friends and Neighbors” politics. How will “Friends and Neighbors” play out to the advantage of the potential candidates for this year’s open U.S. senate race and next year’s open governor’s race? It is early and all the horses are not in the race yet for governor. If Kay Ivey runs, she’s been around Montgomery so long that she is thought of as a professional politician who has camped out in the Capitol City for decades. There are so few Republican votes in her native Wilcox County that she can’t reap any hometown advantage. Just the opposite for Huntsville mayor, Tommy Battle. He is well-known and liked in the Rocket City. If he is the only major candidate from the Tennessee Valley and it’s a large field, that North Alabama vote might land him in the runoff. Mobile and Baldwin counties have a long history of supporting one of their own. There are a lot of votes down there. Agriculture Commissioner, John McMillan, has been around Montgomery for a while, but he has deep roots in Baldwin County, which is now one of the most populous Republican counties in the state. What about the current ongoing open U.S. Senate race: The two front-runners, Roy Moore and Luther Strange, are thought of as statewide candidates. Although Moore will carry Etowah and Strange will carry Mountain Brook, this race illustrates and reflects more of a class ideological struggle that is playing out in the national as well as state Republican Party. It’s the evangelical Christian/Donald Trump/George Wallace voter versus the Wall Street business big mules. Moore believes he can out religious anyone. It is Moses with the Hebrew children of North Alabama versus the Philistine Mountain Brook giant. The two tribes in the Republican Party will collide with the battlefield being around the Black Warrior River. 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.
New Luther Strange ad vows to drain swamp of ‘never-Trump insiders’
A new TV spot from U.S. Sen. Luther Strange hits the “never-Trump insiders” for trying to frame him as an opponent of the president’s agenda. In the ad, Strange, appointed to the Senate seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, argues that he has actively worked with both Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the fight against illegal immigration by building a wall along the country’s southern border. In the 30-second spot “Drain the Swamp” (also available on YouTube), Strange touts himself as “leading the charge to bring Alabama conservative values and common-sense accountability back to the United States Senate.” “Every day I work to follow the word of Jesus Christ,” Strange says. “And to do what’s morally right.” Next, Strange points out how he made “powerful enemies fighting corruption in Birmingham … and now those ‘never-Trump insiders’ falsely attack me.” He also notes his endorsement by the National Rifle Association, while shooting a target with the words: “Obama’s attack on the Second Amendment.” He continues: “I’m no career politician” – repeating one of the main talking points against Huntsville Republican Congressman Mo Brooks, who is currently serving a fourth term in the U.S. House. “I won’t betray your trust, and I’ll fight for President Trump’s agenda every day.” Facing an intense Republican primary battle, Strange is one of a nine-person GOP field that includes Brooks and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, each running in the staunch conservative lane for the race to complete Sessions’ Senate term. Alabama voters have less than two weeks to decide before the Aug. 15 Republican and Democratic primaries. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
