Personnel Update: Kyle South to head West Alabama Chamber of Commerce
On Thursday, State Representative Kyle South was selected as President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. South will resign from his position in the Alabama House of Representatives to accept the position starting in July, so the district will be represented in the remainder of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. There will be a special election this summer to select a new representative for House District 16 later this year. South is presently serving in his third term representing House District 16. The Chamber’s Board of Directors voted to hire South Thursday morning. “The opportunity to lead a 120-year-old business advocacy organization is a challenge that I feel my business experiences and serving as an elected official have prepared me for,” South said in a press release. “The Chamber has a solid reputation for serving businesses by collaborating with national, state, regional, and local government entities. I want to continue to build upon those successes with the team in place at the Chamber and the volunteer network of leaders who recognize what we have here in terms of resources and opportunities.” South is a native of Fayette. He represents Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar, and Tuscaloosa Counties. He formerly was the President and General Manager of West Alabama TV Cable Company. The South family-owned cable company was sold in 2019. “Since the sale of the company and the transition into new ownership, I have been patiently waiting for the right opportunity that allows me to bridge my past work experiences, my love for community, and the ability to affect public policy,” said South when he applied for the Chamber job. “I feel that the Chamber position presents that opportunity, and my political experience is a unique qualifier.” South was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. He was born and raised in Fayette and received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Alabama. He is the father of two daughters. “Today’s announcement is a strategic move for the Chamber,” said board chairperson Michele Coley. “Kyle has the business acumen and existing relationships already in place to continue the important role this organization plays in West Alabama to promote economic prosperity and growth. His abilities to tackle tough issues and seek solutions are qualities that will build upon the solid foundation already in place at the Chamber.” “We would like to thank members of the Executive Search Committee for the many hours invested in the process,” said the Chamber. “Those members include Jheovanny Gomez, Chair-Elect of CCWA, Jalapenos Mexican Grill; Tripp Powell, Immediate Past Chair of CCWA, Yea Alabama; Claude Edwards, Bryant Bank; Matt Fajack, University of Alabama; Chip Fuqua, MBUSI; Katrina Keefer, DCH Health System; Tim Lewis, Tala Professional Services; Blake Madison, Rosen Harwood; Elizabeth Winters, Regions Bank; and Jackie Wuska, United Way of West Alabama.” The former Director resigned earlier this year to take a job elsewhere. Gov. Kay Ivey cannot call a special election for HD16 until South formally steps down. This is a strongly Republican district. Alabama Today is being told by Republican insiders that there is little chance of flipping the district to the Democrats. One prominent Tuscaloosa County Democrat, however, disagrees and said that she would have more to say once Democrats finalize their plans for flipping the seat. Republicans have a commanding supermajority in the Alabama House of Representatives. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tripp Powell announces end to candidacy for Senate District 21
Tripp Powell announced Monday that he will not run for State Senate District 21. Powell was dropped from the GOP Primary in Birmingham after the ALGOP winter meeting in February. The decision to drop Powell stemmed from a $500 donation given to the Democratic gubernatorial primary campaign of Mayor Walt Maddox in 2018. Powell, a lifelong Republican and Tuscaloosa native, was running for the seat currently held by Gerald Allen before the state GOP executive committee prohibited him from challenging Allen in the GOP primary. “Today, I am announcing that I have instructed my campaign team to cease all campaign operations, and I am terminating my bid for this office,” Powell said. “This decision is against my nature as a competitor, as a fighter. But it is true to my nature and to my convictions as a conservative. I am the same Republican today that I was two weeks ago. I cannot – and I will not – become someone else just to seek election to this office.” Powell said because he was a Republican, he must abide by the rules set out by the Republican Party and thanked his supporters. “I do not agree with the decision of this 21-person committee, but if I am, in fact, a Republican, I must agree with the process followed by the Republican Party. If I disagree with that process, then I should take steps to change it. But I can’t stop being a Republican,” Powell said. “It is with the deepest humility and gratitude that I thank those who have already shown support for our campaign. I believe with all my heart we would have been victorious. I will not forget you.” Powell attended the University of Alabama and played football for the Crimson Tide. He bought his family’s wholesale and retail gasoline business in 2009. He has been married to his wife, Lesley, for 20 years, and they have two daughters, Leigh, 15, and Libby, 11.
ALGOP Chair John Wahl stands behind ousting of three candidates; aims to keep ballot ‘pure’
The Alabama Republican Party’s candidate committee voted to remove three candidates from its primary ballot in state legislative races on Saturday, during its winter meeting. House District 10 candidate Anson Knowles, Senate District 21 candidate Tripp Powell, and Senate District 10 hopeful Teresa Rhea were removed from the primary ballot after challenges to their candidacies. The decision to drop Knowles from the ballot was connected to his prior Libertarian Party activity. For fifteen months, starting in 2015, Anson was the Chairman of the Libertarian Party in Madison County, Alabama. Additionally, after his time with the Libertarian Party, Knowles donated to a Libertarian candidate’s campaign. The decision to drop Powell stemmed from a $500 donation given to the Democratic gubernatorial primary campaign of Mayor Walt Maddox in 2018. During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show”, Alabama Republican Party chairman John Wahl applauded the committee’s efforts to keep the ballots “pure”. “[W]e take it extremely serious that we keep the Republican primary ballots pure,” Wahl said. “And what I mean by that is we’re not going to let a Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton come in and run on the Republican ticket. It’s not going to happen. Sometimes it gets hard. It’s very hard to know who is a Republican and who is not a Republican. The candidate committee makes those decisions, and I chair that committee. I choose not to take a vote because I feel like it is important for the chairman dispense all the information to provide the body information they need to make the best decision.” “It’s always a hard process for both sides — the challenger and the defendees, and for us as a committee because it is an uncomfortable situation,” Wahl continued. “But it’s an incredibly important part of the ballot process. I think it is always important to respect how hard that is and know the members do the best job they can. They’re not perfect. They may make a mistake, but they do the best job they can to make sure people know the Republican Party is keeping the ballots pure.” According to party rules, if a Republican elected official donates or endorses a Democrat, there would be instant removal from the party. Wahl argued that if this rule applies to elected officials, the standard should be the same for candidates. Wah stated that there is no standard or statute of limitations, but that it was decided on a case-by-case basis. When asked if he stood by the decision, Wahl stated, “I don’t think there’s any doubt that the candidate committee worked hard to make sure they made the best decision possible for the people of Alabama.”
