Ann Eubank running as a Republican for Alabama State School Board Position – District 3
State School Board District 3 member incumbent Stephanie Bell will not seek another term, setting off a Republican scramble for the post. Conservative activist Ann Eubank is one of four Republican candidates seeking the open seat on the State Board of Education. Eubank said that no issue has been more important to her than excellence in education. Eubank said that her concern over education led to her retiring to become an unpaid full-time citizen lobbyist after witnessing what her grandson was being taught in school. Ann has dedicated the last 15 years to researching and advocating for solutions to the dismal state of affairs in the Alabama Public School System. Eubank said that Alabama public schools’ downward spiral began in 2009 when Common Core was introduced to the State School Board and was adopted the following year despite an outcry from countless parents and voters. “Running for office is the last thing I ever thought I would do, but I decided to run for state school board after Stephanie Bell, representative for School Board District 3, had not yet qualified for re-election,” Eubank said. “It’s imperative that we elect someone who will work to change the trajectory of Alabama education from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the ladder like Florida.” “Parents and students deserve State School Board members who understand this and will listen to their concerns about the serious problems we face in Alabama’s schools,” Eubank continued. “We need a new perspective on the Board. I am the only one running for this position that hasn’t been some part of the education establishment.” Eubank is a member of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, a group of citizen lobbyists from all parts of the state of Alabama who give in-depth analysis about legislation being put forth and passed, what it means, and how it impacts citizens. Eubank is also a member of the Jefferson County Mid-Alabama Republican Club (MARC) and has attended countless Republican club meetings all over the state as a speaker and guest. Eubank is a member of Mom’s For Liberty. “At Moms for Liberty, we understand the importance of having liberty-minded school boards throughout the country that are focused on defending parental rights and improving education,” Eubank said. “We hope to activate these types of people to public service. Every child across America deserves access to a quality education. The decisions made by school board members play a crucial role in shaping the quality of that education.” Eubank serves as Co-Chair of the Alabama Conservative Coalition. She has been a Heritage Action Sentinel since 2010. Conservative news/talk radio listeners have heard Ann in occasional radio hosting duties on WYDE and IC Radio in North Alabama. Eubank was a policy advisor for Tim James’ failed 2022 Campaign for Governor of Alabama. Eubank was a Southeastern Cruz Crew team member in Senator Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign in 2016. Eubank was a Cruz delegate at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that year. Eubank is a member of the National and Alabama Women for Trump group. She was a member of Congressman Mo Brooks’s (R-AL05) 2018 and 2022 Senate Campaign Steering Committees. She is a member of the firearms rights group Bama Carry. Eubank is also a member of the Stop Common Core Alabama Task Force. In that role, Eubank did numerous talks on Common Core, aka National Standards, with politicians and the public. She is also a member of the Alabamians United for Excellence in Education Taskforce and one of the coordinators of the Alabama Opt-Out movement. Eubank’s efforts have been noticed. Ballotpedia identified Ann Eubank as a “top influencer by state” in 2015. She was named on Alabama Today’s 20 Alabamians who belong on any “Most Influential” list. Eubank appeared in the documentary movie “Revelation – Dawn of a Global Government” where she warned how Common Core, aka National Standards, indoctrination would turn our children into “Good Little Socialists.” Eubank has been interviewed by numerous local, state, national, and international radio, print, and television outlets. Eubank has authored many political opinion articles in numerous local and national publications. Eubank participated in Frank Luntz’s HBO Special regarding Roy Moore’s Senate Campaign that aired on HBO and Axios. Eubank, in her role as a leader of the Rainy Day Patriots, helped contribute to the 2010 Republican wave election that led to the GOP taking control of both Houses of the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. She grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and now lives in Hoover. She has been married to her husband, Jim, for 55 years. She has two daughters and two grandchildren. Kelly Mooney, former State Representative Charlotte Meadows, and Melissa Snowden have all also qualified to run for the open school board seat. The Republican Primary will be on March 5. No Democrat has qualified, so the eventual Republican nominee will likely be elected. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Kay Ivey is Governor again
Governor Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory run has been very impressive. Some of you may be wondering how quickly I have been able to resolve that she has indeed culminated her victorious run when the General Election was held Tuesday, and my column’s published date is Wednesday. It is simply, as I have told you numerous times over the past two decades, winning the Republican Primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election. The General Election in Alabama is an afterthought. We are a one-party state when it comes to statewide races. Kay Ivey laid to rest the last hope of the Alabama Democrats being able to win a statewide race, especially for governor in my lifetime and probably in yours, when she beat Walt Maddox like a rented mule in 2018. Walt Maddox was the best shot and best mule the Democrats could ever dream up. Maddox is the young, articulate mayor of Tuscaloosa. He has been and had been mayor of the Druid City for a good while. He has been an excellent mayor with an impeccable record. He ran a good well-run, well-financed campaign for governor. He got 40% of the vote. This seems to be the threshold for a Democrat for governor. Therefore, Kay Ivey’s 2022 run may not be as impressive as her 2018 race. Although, this run has been extremely impressive. Probably the reason that 2022 has gone so well is because she ran so well in 2018. She beat a very formidable field four years ago. She beat the popular mayor of Huntsville, Tommy Battle, in the Republican Primary. His credentials and fundraising prowess were equal to Maddox’s, if not better. Having beaten the 2018 thoroughbreds, Battle and Maddox, so thoroughly, made serious candidates not even consider challenging her. In 2022, to compare Lindy Blanchard, Tim James, and Yolanda Flowers to Tommy Battle and Walt Maddox is like comparing Mutt to Jeff. Governor Kay Ivey has done a good job as governor during the four years, 2019-2022, and folks knew that, and they knew her. There also have not been any scandals or controversies. She had garnered one of the finest men and managers in Alabama political history, Congressman Jo Bonner, to be her right arm and Chief of Staff. They together ran a pretty solid ship of state. Most of us who follow Alabama politics felt like Kay was going to only serve one four-year term when she won the 2018 race. She, deep down, may have thought the same thing. Therefore, she governed with the attitude of what is right for the state and not what is right for reelection. When she decided to run, most of us were in agreement that she would win. She would be well-financed, and national polls revealed that she was one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation. My thoughts were, and I conveyed to you, that the only way Kay Ivey could lose the race was if she beat herself. If she misspoke or did a debate and made a miscue or misstep. She did none of the above. She ran a perfectly scripted, flawless campaign. She campaigned as governor and looked gubernatorial. Most importantly, her campaign TV ads were brilliant. They were folksy with the perfect Alabama flavor. They had her looking good, speaking well, and southern with a grandmotherly appeal. They made her age and demeanor an advantage. She came out of the campaign being better liked than before. Some of her ads came close to being racist when she said, “Folks think we ought to require our schools to teach everyone to speak Spanish. Well, I say, ‘No Way, Jose.’” This prompted ultra-liberal Democrats around the nation to deride her. When Maxine Waters, the liberal Democratic California Congresswoman, criticized her, Kay quipped, “I ought to give Maxine Waters an in-kind contribution proxy for her help in my Alabama Republican Primary campaign.” The big question in the Republican Primary was whether Kay Ivey could win the May 24 Primary without having to go to a June 21 runoff to win. Some doubted that anyone could beat eight opponents without a runoff, especially given that Blanchard and James spent a total of $16 million dollars. She proved them wrong. She beat the field of eight without a runoff and got 54% percent of the vote. My guess is that she got a higher percentage than that on Tuesday. Kay Ivey is Governor, again. 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.
“Gimmick.” Kay Ivey responds to Joe Biden’s call for three month gas tax suspension
Gov. Kay Ivey issued a response to President Joe Biden’s recent comments about the high cost of fuel. Today Biden called on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months. He also asked states to suspend their own gas taxes or provide similar relief. “It doesn’t reduce all the pain, but it will be a big help,” Biden stated. “I’m doing my part. I want Congress, states, and industry to do their part as well.” In 2019 Alabama lawmakers approved the increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes to fund road and bridge construction. It was the first increase since 1992. The gas tax issue became a talking point during the GOP primaries in Alabama, with candidates Lindy Blanchard and Tim James calling for a repeal of the gas tax. “Alabamians and Americans alike are hurting, and it’s a real shame President Biden is failing to address the problem. Folks across our state need relief, but I do not believe that relief will come through a fuel tax suspension at the federal or state levels,” Ivey commented. “In fact, as we have continued to look closely at this issue, I believe that this could cause more harm than good in Alabama, ultimately costing taxpayers.” Biden has publicly critiqued the energy industry for what he says is oil companies prioritizing profits over production. Ivey continued, “President Biden could not be more hard-headed on the issue of American energy independence, but he campaigned on that, so, it comes as no surprise to me. He is closing pipelines with the stroke of a pen. Here in our neck of the woods, the Gulf of Mexico is currently in a moratorium with no lease sales being held, which impacts both our oil and gas industries, as well as the Alabama consumer. He is pointing his finger at the oil industry and is looking anywhere else but home. There is also no certainty that Americans will feel even temporary relief from this band-aid approach. Let’s be clear: We need a permanent solution.” Currently, there is an 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on gas and a 24.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on diesel fuel. If the gas savings were fully passed along to consumers, consumers would save around 3.6% at the pump if the price of gas is $5 a gallon. “The Biden Administration is seeing bad poll numbers, and they’re scrambling. This is a gimmick, plain and simple.”
Steve Flowers: Very impressive, high steppin’ victory for Gov. Kay Ivey
Our popular high steppin’ pistol tottin’ Governor Kay Ivey won a very impressive reelection victory for Governor on May 24. Ivey turned back eight GOP primary challengers to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination without a runoff. She garnered an amazing 54% of the vote and carried every county in Alabama. That is a feat not often accomplished, especially considering she had eight folks running against her. However, her popularity is probably the reason she had no serious thoroughbreds challenge her in the gubernatorial derby. Any knowledgeable political pro could look at the odds of defeating one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation with plenty of campaign resources and walk away from that uphill battle. After all, she had beaten a more impressive field in 2018, which included Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, without the need for a runoff. Six of her male opponents were “also ran” unknown and still unknown candidates. The seventh male in the race, Tim James, whose claim to fame is that his daddy was governor, is becoming a perennial candidate. He has run three times and finished third three times. He got a respectable 15%, but he spent $5.7 million to get that amount. If he tries again, he will be considered in the Shorty Price category. The only female in the race was first-time candidate Lindy Blanchard. She finished second to Kay Ivey with 18%. Therefore, the two females running for governor finished first and second. However, there is a world of difference in getting 54% and 18%. Lindy is a nice lady. If you meet her, you cannot help but like her. She spent an amazing $11 million of her own money. That equates to about $100 per vote. That may be a new record. That should tell her that she just might not be cut out for politics. She nor Tim James ever got any traction or resonated. The fact that Blanchard and James spent most of their $16 million combined on negative ads, and I might add disingenuous ads against Governor Ivey, is even more of a testament to how popular and resilient Ivey remains. I said from the get-go that Ivey would win without a runoff and felt that way to the end. I have to admit that on the night of the election, when it appeared that the turnout was going to be lighter than expected, I wondered privately if she might dip below 50%. However, she outperformed and got about 54%. Kay and her team ran a flawless campaign. Her TV ads were folksy and effective. She did not take anything for granted. She never said a bad word about any of her opponents. In fact, she never acknowledged them or called their name. Even in her victory speech, she said we have got to keep running hard against our Democratic opponent. Even though winning a statewide gubernatorial race as a Democrat is extremely unlikely. Winning the GOP primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election. Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory is almost as remarkable as her mentor and idol and our only other female governor, Lurleen Wallace’s 1966 landslide victory. There are several other constitutional offices that will be decided on June 21. The Secretary of State runoff race will be the closest to watch. State Representative Wes Allen and two-term State Auditor Jim Ziegler are notched in a dead heat. Both got about 40%. Ziegler has name identification, having run a dozen times statewide. Wes Allen has the qualifications. He has been a Probate Judge for over a decade prior to his House term. This one will be close and interesting. The State Auditor’s job will be filled by either Florence State Representative Andrew Sorrell or Kimberly preacher Stan Cooke. The Reverend Cooke did benefit from having run for this job before, and he also received a significant hometown vote from Jefferson County. Our two incumbent conservative PSC members, Chip Beeker and Jeremy Oden, have liberal green-leaning opponents in the June 21 runoff. Greg Cook won an impressive 55-45 victory over Anniston Circuit Judge Debra Jones for Place 5 on the Alabama Supreme Court. He will fit in well with our current conservative and well-credentialed state high court. We will discuss the monumental runoff contest for our open U.S. Senate seat 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.
Steve Flowers: We miss Shorty Price
The governor’s races of bygone years were a lot more fun and colorful than today. We would have 10 to 15 candidates. There would be three or four favorites, but we would have ten others that would make an effort to crisscross the state and have fun and cut up a little bit to garner publicity. The “also rans” could not afford the expensive country music stars from Nashville like the George Wallace, Big Jim Folsom, and Jimmy Faulkner frontrunners could to draw a crowd. This year’s gubernatorial race has not been interesting because a popular incumbent governor was running for reelection. However, Kay Ivey did attract eight opponents. However, only two, Lindy Blanchard and Tim James, really mounted a campaign. The six others seem to not do anything, and nobody really knew who they were. The six no-name candidates were Stacy Lee George, Dean Young, Dean Odle, Donald Trent Jones, Dave Thomas, and Lew Burdette. When Burdette qualified, he looked like he had the potential to be a viable candidate, but he seemed to never get out of the gate. If he was running a getting acquainted race, it was unsuccessful. He would probably have as much name identification as a baseball player from the 1960s, who had the same name. As a boy, I had a baseball card of Lou Burdette, who was a pretty good pitcher for the old Milwaukee Braves. Donald Trent Jones probably was hoping that folks would think he was the golf course developer for our famous state links. Dave Thomas was maybe hoping that voters would think he was the Wendy’s hamburgers founder. Today, what we need in the “also ran” category or what I call “run for the fun of it” candidates is another Shorty Price. Most of you do not remember Shorty Price. Ole Shorty was the King of run for the fun of it candidates. He ran for governor every time and really didn’t care how many votes he got. He just ran for the fun of it, and boy was he fun to watch and visit with. He brought new meaning to the word colorful. Shorty was a native of Barbour County, which by the way, is George Wallace’s home county. In fact, Wallace and Shorty grew up together as contemporaries around Clio. Shorty would campaign vehemently and viciously against George Wallace, his nemesis, probably because he was jealous of Wallace’s success as a politician. By the way, Barbour County is called the “Home of Governors” because it has had more governors than any other county in our state’s history. Shorty was maybe the most colorful political clown to ever appear on the Alabama political stage. He not only ran for governor every time, he also ran for numerous offices every time there was an election. That is how he would make his living. He would travel from town-to-town, mostly in southeast Alabama, and panhandle for contributions, and soon after collecting the few dollars that folks would give him, he would convert his campaign contributions into a purchase of a Budweiser beer. In fact, one of his campaign slogans was “Smoke Tampa Nugget cigars, drink Budweiser beer, and vote for Shorty Price.” In one of Shorty’s campaigns for governor, his campaign speech contained this line, “If elected governor, I will reduce the governor’s tenure from four years to two years. If you can’t steal enough to last you the rest of your life in two years, you ain’t got enough sense to have the office in the first place.” Shorty would use recycled campaign signs to save money. He would just change the name of the office he was running for that year. Ole Shorty usually got about two percent of the vote and usually finished last. He was really kind of proud of his usual last-place finish. Indeed, one time the venerable political columnist Bob Ingram mistakenly stated that Shorty finished 13th out of 14th in a particular governor’s race. Shorty blasted Ingram and said, “That’s a blasphemous lie. I finished 14th out of 14.” As stated, Shorty hated George Wallace. One year he was one of many candidates running against Wallace. Shorty coined the slogan, “Shorty, Shorty, he’s our man. George Wallace belongs in a garbage can.” None of these six “also ran” gubernatorial candidates were nearly as good as Shorty. I bet if Shorty were still alive and running today, he would have beaten all six of them. I wish ole Shorty were alive and running in this governor’s race. This governor’s race would have been a lot more fun to watch. 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.
Gov. Kay Ivey avoids runoff in Republican primary
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has turned back eight primary challengers to win the GOP gubernatorial nomination without a runoff in a race that pushed her far to the right. Over the course of the campaign, Ivey repeated former President Donald Trump’s false claims about election theft. Then, the white-haired, 77-year-old Ivey sat at her office desk and pulled three things out of her purse for a campaign commercial: a lipstick, a cellphone, and a revolver. One challenger, former Trump ambassador Lindy Blanchard, slammed Ivey for doing too much to control COVID-19 in a state with one of the nation’s worst pandemic death rates. Another, toll bridge developer Tim James, the son of former Gov. Fob James, did the same and attacked a charter school that opened under Ivey’s watch to cater to LGBTQ youth. Other challengers include Lew Burdette, a former business executive who runs Christian-based group homes; Stacy George, a prison officer and former county commissioner; pastor Dean Odle; GOP activist and businessman Dean Young; Springville Mayor Dave Thomas; and a yoga advocate, Donald Trent Jones. The eventual GOP nominee will face whoever emerges from a Democratic primary runoff between state Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier of Selma and Yolanda Rochelle Flowers, a career educator from Birmingham. Lieutenant governor at the time, Ivey was catapulted to the state’s top office when Robert Bentley resigned amid scandal in 2017. She easily dispatched four Republican primary challengers and won a full term against a well-financed Democrat, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, in 2018. Ivey has pushed a plan to construct new lockups to upgrade Alabama’s crowded, dilapidated prisons, which are the subject of a Justice Department lawsuit, and she passed a gasoline tax hike with automatic increases to fund road work. Challengers have criticized all that as too much big government and also zeroed in on her handling of the pandemic. While some bash Ivey over a COVID-19 response that left the state with nearly 20,000 dead and the nation’s fourth-highest death rate, Republican opponents have hammered her for shutting down businesses and churches to prevent the spread of disease. In a state where roughly 51% are fully vaccinated, Ivey’s claim that it was “time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks” for illness could come back to haunt her. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Kay Ivey stresses record, opponents challenge her on it
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is seeking to avoid a runoff in Tuesday’s Republican primary, while her challengers are seeking to push her into one. In the closing hours of the gubernatorial campaign, Ivey stressed her record as she seeks a second full term in office. But her opponents, including former Trump ambassador Lindy Blanchard and businessman Tim James, portrayed Ivey as not adequately conservative, citing her support of a gas tax increase to fund road and bridge construction and her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including a now-expired mask and business closure mandate. Standing with supporters, including House Speaker Mac McCutcheon and other legislative leaders, during a Monday campaign stop in Huntsville, Ivey stressed her record on job creation and conservative issues — including gun rights and abortion — as she faces a slate of right-flank challengers. She said her opponents have tried to distort her record. “We’re looking for a great night. Y’all have seen it for months; my opponents have been out there, spreading lies, trying to tear me down. It’s just plum sad. The good folks of Alabama know better. That dog won’t hunt,” Ivey said during the Monday campaign stop in Huntsville. She touted legislation she signed as governor, including a bill banning transgender girls from playing on female sports teams at public schools. She said legislation she signed outlawing abortion will be the law of the state, “when Rove v. Wade is finally overturned.” “During this campaign, we’ve stayed positive because I have a very positive record that I’m proud to run on and continue delivering on for four more years. I need y’all’s help to get this thing done without a runoff,” she said. Blanchard said voters thought they were getting a conservative when they voted for Ivey but said that turned out not be the case. “She forced a gas tax on us that goes on forever; I don’t know of any Republican who would do that,” Blanchard said, referencing the tax increase, which includes a mechanism for automatic increases. “I’ll be that conservative governor who makes proactive, not reactive choices and decisions for the state and for the voters. I’m going to give the voice back to the people,” said Blanchard, who served as former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Slovenia. James said Monday that any primary with an incumbent is a referendum on whether “you want to keep this person to lead this state for the next four years or do you want someone to take the state in a new direction.” “We believe that the people of Alabama are ready for a change. They are ready for a new direction,” James said in a telephone interview. “This is not personal. She is a nice lady. She is not an enemy. But the Kay Ivey today is not the same person on policy to what she was, I think, years ago.” Ivey faces a total of eight primary challengers, including Blanchard, 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. The other contenders are former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy Lee George; Opelika pastor Dean Odle; businessman Dean Young; Donald Trent Jones and Springville Mayor Dave Thomas. 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. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama Conservative Party endorses Tim James for Governor
The campaign for Tim James announced today that The Alabama Conservative Party has endorsed James for Governor of Alabama. The Alabama Conservative Party is the exclusion state affiliate of the national political party, Conservative Party USA. “…There is a strong stand out in our opinion. That Stand out is Tim James. Tim has a very strong message backed with solid workable plans to address some of the real issues in Alabama. These set Tim apart from the rest,” the endorsement stated. The group emphasized how the “betrayal” of the Kay Ivey Gas Tax issue swayed their position. The Alabama Conservative Party stated that Ivey “must be defeated” as Alabama’s Governor in the GOP Primary. “Plans not just dry rhetoric on abolishing tax on essentials like food and to remove the Ivey gas tax plus stop the forever increases without a vote and how to pay for it all. Tim clearly shows respect for the U.S. Constitution in his policies and also holds the values we stand for in Conservative Party Alabama. For these Reasons Conservative Party proudly Endorses Tim James for Governor of Alabama in the upcoming 2022 May GOP Primary,” the endorsement continued. James expressed thanks for the endorsement. ”Conservative voices across the nation are being silenced, and it is an honor to receive the endorsement of The Alabama Conservative Party. Alabama needs a Governor who has the grit and the strength to fight back, and I stand ready to be a firewall for this state,” James commented. Additionally, the group has endorsed Mo Brooks for the U.S. Senate race, Jim Zeigler for the Secretary Of State position, Andrew Sorrell for State Auditor, and Brent Woodall for PSC Place 1.
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.
