Five days until runoff election, final day for absentee ballot: get voting information here
With the Alabama runoff election only five days away voters in the Yellowhammer State need to know where to vote, and who’s on their ballot. Absentee ballots are available for those who cannot be physically present to vote, but today, July 12 is the last day to complete an application. According to the Secretary of State’s office here’s how to apply for an absentee ballot: To obtain an absentee ballot, write or visit the local Absentee Election Manager (usually the Circuit Clerk), request an absentee ballot, and provide the following: name and residential address (or other such information in order to verify voter registration) election for which the ballot is requested reason for absence from polls on election day party choice, if the election is a party primary. (It is not necessary to give a party choice for a general election; however, in a party primary a voter may participate in only one political party’s primary; thus a choice must be designated so that the appropriate ballot can be provided. If the voter declines or fails to designate a choice for a primary or primary runoff ballot, the absentee election manager may send only the ballot for constitutional amendments.) address to which the ballot should be mailed voter signature (If a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be witnessed) The absentee ballot application must be returned to the Absentee Election Manager by the voter in person (or by the voter’s designee in the case of medical emergency voting) or by U.S. Mail. No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the same envelope as another voter’s absentee ballot application. Here are the links to the statewide runoff candidate’s campaign websites: Lieutenant Governor’s race: Will Ainsworth Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh Attorney General’s race: Troy King Steve Marshall Commission of Agriculture and Industries race: Gerald Dial Rick Pate Supreme Court place 1 race: Brad Mendheim Sarah Stewart Civil Appeals Court, place 1 race: Christy Edwards Michelle Thomason Criminal Appeals Court, place 2 race: Rich Anderson Chris McCool Sample Ballots: Jefferson County – Republican: Jefferson County – Democratic: Madison County – Republican: Madison County – Democratic: Mobile County – Republican: Montgomery County – Republican: Montgomery County – Democratic:
Here’s how much statewide runoff candidates have raised, spent since the primary
The July 17 runoff elections less than a week away. Campaign finance reports have been filed weekly with the Secretary of State’s office since the June 5 primary. Looking a them now serves as a good marker of how much support candidates are receiving, and how much money they’re spending on their campaigns in hopes of cinching their party’s nomination. Recap of the month Statewide runoff races have taken a negative turn with Lt. Governor candidates Will Ainsworth and Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh firing shots back and forth at one another via television ads. Restarting their campaigns following the tragic death of Steve Marshall‘s wife Bridgette Genery Marshall, Marshall’s opponent Troy King vowed to keep on message of his political record and qualifications going forward. However, on Monday he filed a complaint against Marshall with the Alabama Ethics Commission, accusing Marshall and his staff of accepting PAC-to-PAC money despite the state’s ban. Even the race for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries took a dark turn earlier this week after Gerald Dial released a campaign ad dredging up a 32 year old divorce document between his opponent Rick Pate and his ex-wife, Carolyn Pate. A look at the numbers Note: All numbers come from weekly campaign finance reports filed from period June 1 to July 6 Lieutenant Governor’s Race: Will Ainsworth Raised: $93,425 Spent: $568,543.94 Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh Raised: $513,300.57 Spent: $658,060.05 Attorney General’s Race: Troy King Raised: $421,610 Spent: $422,598.28 Steve Marshall Raised: $515,344.60 Spent: $263,341.06 Commission of Agriculture and Industries race: Gerald Dial Raised: $58,240 Spent: $209,533.40 Rick Pate: Raised: $97,100 [35,000 in receipts from sources other than cash] Spent: $152,766.52 Supreme Court place 1 race: Brad Mendheim: Raised: $178,050 Spent: $183,521.10 Sarah Stewart Raised: $11,000 Spent: $263,179.52 Civil Appeals Court, place 1 race: Christy Edwards Raised: $120,500 [Receipts from other sources $1,200] Spent: $129,110.69 Michelle Thomason Raised: $23,525 [$51,124.96 in receipts from other sources] Spent: $86,965.83 Criminal Appeals Court, place 2 Rich Anderson Raised: $7,600 Spent: $19,105.23 Chris McCool Raised: $87,000 [$1,448.86 in receipts from other sources] Spent: $107,820.36
Kay Ivey mandates no more food funds in sheriff’s pockets
After several reports this year of Alabama sheriff’s stealing and pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for inmates food rations, Governor Kay Ivey has said, “no more.” On Tuesday, Ivey issued a memo to the state comptroller rescinding the Yellowhammer State’s policy of “paying prisoner food service allowances directly to sheriffs in their personal capacities.” Funds must now instead go straight to government accounts. “For decades, sheriffs have made extra money – sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars – under a Depression-era system by feeding prisoners for only pennies per meal,” the Associated Press reported. The previous guidelines allowed sheriffs to use $1.75 a day to feed each prisoner, then pocket anything that was left over. This practice led to Monroe County Sheriff Tom Tate to pocket $110,458 over the course of three years; and Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin to collect $672,392 in 2015 and 2016. Ivey’s legal team used 2011 ruling made by former Attorney General Luther Strange to back-up the new mandate. “Based on the facts presented, neither the sheriff nor the county may use the surplus for any purpose other than future expenses in feeding prisoners,” Strange had said. The problematic precedent was previously set in 2008 when then-Attorney General Troy King ruled “the sheriff may retain any surplus from the food service allowance as personal income,” in a letter to Etowah County Commission Attorney James Turnbach. Alabama has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world with 946 people imprisoned per 100,000 people in the state in prison or jail. The state’s prison system has also faced some legal trouble. In 2014, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) to end the poor conditions in the state prison system, including the understaffing of both correctional and mental health workers.
Troy King files ethics complaint against opponent, AG Steve Marshall
The primary runoff race for Alabama Attorney General is once again heating up now that both candidates, Troy King and Steve Marshall, have resumed their campaigns following the tragic death of Marshall’s wife. On Monday, King filed a complaint against Marshall with the Alabama Ethics Commission, accusing Marshall and his staff of accepting PAC-to-PAC money despite the state’s ban. The complaint details how King believes Marshall transferred at least $435,000 from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) PAC to his campaign fund, which has since been spent on television commercials, robocalls, direct mail to voters and other campaign activities. “As Attorney General, Steve Marshall should be upholding the law, not breaking it. Campaign finance laws should apply to him, just like they apply to everyone else,” King said. “As a former Attorney General, I understand that only when our laws are enforced as written do they act as an honest deterrent to election campaign wrongdoing. I am asking the Alabama Ethics Commission to investigate and prosecute this case swiftly and to the fullest extent of the law.” The state’s PAC-to-PAC ban In 2010, the State Legislature passed the PAC-to-PAC ban in 2010 in order to restrict donor’s ability to hide contributions by shuffling them through multiple PAC’s. AL.com recently reported that Marshall’s campaign found a loophole in the law and is doing nothing wrong. In fact, Marshall’s campaign told Alabama Today they’re pleased to accept the RAGA support. “We are pleased to have received support from RAGA Action Fund and trust they have complied with Alabama law,” Julia Mazzone said on behalf of the Marshall campaign. But King points to similar instance involving a RAGA PAC donation that occurred in 2014. Then former Attorney General Luther Strange tried accept a donation from the PAC, but ultimately returned the funds due to the PAC-to-PAC ban after an ethics complaint was filed against him. “Marshall should return the illegal money he received into his campaign immediately,” King continued. “Steve’s Marshall’s flagrant disregard for the law shows that he is not part of cleaning Montgomery up. Instead, he is among its biggest polluters. The corruption will not end until those who are corrupting the system are removed from office. Alabamians who are sick and tired of business as usual will have their say soon enough when they cast their votes on July 17th.” Knowingly violating the PAC-to-PAC ban is considered a Class A misdemeanor and is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine. This article has been updated to include a statement from the Marshall campaign.
Steve Marshall shows fundraising lead over runoff opponent Troy King
In the race for Attorney General, incumbent Steve Marshall is showing a substantial fundraising lead over his opponent Troy King, just ten days prior to the July 17 runoff election. The race has amassed a significant amount of attention from political PAC’s and voters alike, giving good reason for the millions accumulated and spent by both men. Although the title of “Attorney General” might not seem like the most glamorous title in Alabama politics, the position is viewed by many as the second most important job in state government. “The powers given by the state constitution and the Legislature are significant,” Retired political science professor Jess Brown told AL.com. “But the very nature of the office is that the occupant is the chief lawyer for this state and can, in fact, go represent state government even when they don’t want him to.” A look at the numbers Marshall is financially in the lead with $2.4 million raised for his campaign. Thus far he’s spent $2.1 million of those dollars. King follows a significant amount behind having raised $1.8 million, and spending $1.7 million. Both men received a bump in donations after the June 5 primary, but King holds the edge here; Marshall garnered $257,000 in donations, while King amassed $302,000. Both men paused their campaigns after the unexpected death of Marshall’s wife Bridgette Gentry Marshall in late June. Resuming his race on June 30, King vowed to keep on message of his political record and qualifications going forward. Marshall resumed his race earlier this week, saying Bridgette would have wanted him to get back to work and serve the people of Alabama.
AG Steve Marshall resumes his campaign in wake of wife’s death
Incumbent Attorney General Steve Marshall has pressed play on his campaign after pressing pause due to the untimely and tragic death of his wife Bridgette Gentry Marshall. Marshall explained he is honoring his wife’s memory by continuing the campaign saying she would have wanted him to get back to work and serve the people of Alabama. “In the week following Bridgette’s passing, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support my family has received. Bridgette was a precious wife, mother, daughter, and friend. She was the brightest light in my life and in so many others,” Marshall posted to his Facebook page. “As we move forward, I am choosing to honor Bridgette’s memory in all that I do. Right now, that means getting back to work and continuing to serve the people of Alabama.” Marshall’s opponent Out of respect and in solidarity for Marshall, his primary runoff opponent Troy King also paused his campaign when he heard the news of Bridgette’s death. Resuming it on June 30, King vowed to keep on message of his political record and qualifications going forward, “I commit that I will keep my campaign to a discussion of our political records and our Republican qualifications and allow the voters to decide this race on the merits alone — seemingly a change of course from his previous strategy. In the weeks prior to Bridgette’s death, King and Marshall found themselves exchanging political jabs, but both candidates seem resolved to keep things civil for the coming weeks. King and Marshall face-off in the runoff election on Tuesday, July 17.
Resuming campaigning Troy King pledges positive issues-based campaign moving forward
Troy King resumed his campaign Saturday after pausing his campaign Sunday in the wake of the death of his opponent Steve Marshall‘s wife, Bridgette Gentry Marshall. “After a week of pausing our campaign, we will, today, begin to air advertisements on television and radio. My commercials will, as they always have, focus on the issues and my qualifications to be the Republican nominee for Alabama Attorney General, as compared to the qualifications of my opponent,” King posted Saturday on Facebook. King also vowed to keep on message of his political record and qualifications going forward — “I commit that I will keep my campaign to a discussion of our political records and our Republican qualifications and allow the voters to decide this race on the merits alone — seemingly a change of course from his previous strategy. In the weeks prior to Bridgette’s death, King and Marshall found themselves exchanging political jabs. King had recently held a press conference where he pointed out Marshall spending time with “fat cat fundraiser.” “My preacher always said, if you know what to know what’s important to a man, if you want to know where his priorities lie, you look at his calendar. You don’t listen to what he is,” King had said standing in front of a blown-up fundraiser invitation for Marshall. Meanwhile Marshall‘s campaign was working overtime pushing details from his campaign finance report to discredit his assertion that he won’t take gaming money. King’s full post resuming his campaign on Facebook: Paige and I continue to pray for the Marshall and Gentry families. Our hearts go out to them in this unbearable time of tragedy. After a week of pausing our campaign, we will, today, begin to air advertisements on television and radio. My commercials will, as they always have, focus on the issues and my qualifications to be the Republican nominee for Alabama Attorney General, as compared to the qualifications of my opponent. I want to be very clear. I will not speak of Mr. Marshall’s family. I believe there is no place in any political campaign for questions of or attacks on anyone’s spouse or children. During my political career, my family has been attacked and I know what a horrible and unfair toll that takes on your family. I would never do that to anyone else. I commit that I will keep my campaign to a discussion of our political records and our Republican qualifications and allow the voters to decide this race on the merits alone.
Steve Marshall’s wife Bridgette passes away
According to a release sent by Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office, Marshall’s wife Bridgette Marshall passed on Sunday morning after a long-time struggle with mental illness. “Bridgette was a devoted and much beloved daughter, wife and mother,” the release continued. “We ask that the people of Alabama keep the Marshall family in their prayers during this most difficult time.” Opponent Troy King issued a statement following the news of her passing saying, “Paige and I just learned of the tragic death of Brigette Marshall. Today is a sad and difficult day. Today we are not in different political campaigns or camps. We are husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. We cannot imagine the deep sense of loss and grief the Marshall family must face.” “We offer our deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers for Attorney General Steve Marshall and his family and pray that God’s grace and peace and hope will enfold and sustain them.” “Out of respect for the Marshall family, I have paused my campaign during this time of mourning. I have directed that all of our advertising be stopped.” “May God hold them in the palm of His hand.” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey responded to the tragic news as well; “this morning, I was incredibly saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Bridgette Marshall,” Ivey said. “Bridgette was the loving wife of Attorney General Steve Marshall and the caring mother of their daughter Faith. A mother is the backbone to a family and especially important to her daughter. I pray that Steve and Faith are comforted in this extremely difficult time.” “It is never easy to lose a loved one and certainly not as suddenly as this. I have spoken with Attorney General Marshall and offered my support. I know the people of Alabama will show the Marshall family great love and sympathy during this time.” After the news broke Sunday morning, condolences from Alabama’s legislative officials came pouring in. Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt sent out a statement of his own, saying “My heart breaks for the family of Steve Marshall upon hearing of the passing of his wife Bridgette. I ask you to join me in lifting him, their daughter, family and friends in prayer at this tremendously difficult time.” Lieutenant Governor candidate Will Ainsworth express his sympathies via Facebook: My wife, Kendall, our children, and I send our prayers of comfort and solace to Attorney General Steve Marshall and his family. As fellow residents of Marshall County, Steve and his family are our neighbors, our friends, and our partners in Christ, so we share their hurt. I ask all Alabamians to join us in raising the Marshalls up in prayers of supplication as they seek the strength to move beyond this deeply personal tragedy. Alabama Public Service Commission President, Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh also expressed condolences via Facebook, saying: Jeff and I are heartbroken after hearing of Bridgette Marshall’s passing today. Please join us in praying for Attorney General Steve Marshall, their daughter Faith, and the entire Marshall family. May God hold Steve and Faith in His arms and bring them peace and comfort in the days ahead. John 14:1-4
AL.com tries to follow Troy King’s money; finds dead-ends, leaves many questions
Former Alabama Attorney General and current Republican Attorney General candidate, Troy King has found himself in the headlines this week for his campaign donations. His opponent Steve Marshall‘s campaign has been working overtime pushing details from his campaign finance report to discredit his assertion that he won’t take gaming money. AL.com took an in-depth look at King’s donations and found that while he says he will not accept donations from gambling interests, he has “has taken about $90,000 from five South Carolina companies and individuals with links to gaming, records show.” According to the report, one of the major South Carolina donors, Keith Gray, is involved in the gambling business, with one of his businesses being prosecuted in 2017 b the state of Alabama. King does not deny taking money from Gray’s company, but did not comment to AL.com on Gray’s ties to gambling groups. When Alabama Today reached out to King’s campaign to ask about taking money from gaming, they denied it; “Troy King has not accepted donations from gaming,” a representative from his campaign said. They went on to point a finger a Marshall, saying he’s accepted gaming money from various organizations. “Steve Marshall has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from organizations like BCA which is largely comprised of Indian gaming money, from RAGA which is full of Las Vegas gambling money and has accepted a trip to Africa from CWAG which is sponsored by corporations including Caesars Entertainment which is one of the largest operators of Las Vegas casinos,” added the King campaign. Muddled contributions from potential straw donors Perhaps the most alarming news from AL.com’s report (and wholly overlooked by their own reporter who noted it almost as an aside) is that of the donation from Gray’s wife, Phyllis. King’s campaign received $15,000 from her, but when AL.com asked about the donation, “she said she had never heard of Troy King and did not care about the Alabama election.” While easy to gloss over, straw donations — making a political contribution in another person’s name or agreeing to be the named donor with someone else’s money to evade campaign finance limits— is against state and federal laws. In fact, it’s what conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza pleaded guilty to in 2014. Ultimately the court sentenced him to five years probation, eight months in a halfway house (referred to as a “community confinement center”) and a $30,000 fine. President Donald Trump recently pardoned D’Souza saying he had been unfairly treated by the justice system under the Obama Administration. That said, Alabama Today spoke to the King campaign about said donation and got a very different response. “The check from Phyllis Gray was received via mail to the Troy King campaign mailbox,” said a representative from King’s campaign to Alabama Today. “Phyllis and her husband, Keith, are longtime friends of Troy King. We are unsure of who the Phyllis Gray is that the reporter at AL.com claims to have spoken with but we have been in touch with the Gray’s that donated to the campaign this afternoon and they have assured Troy that they have and continue to support him.” King’s history with gambling King says he’s a strong opponent to gambling. During his time as Attorney General, not only did he introduce anti-gambling legislation every year of his time in public office, he also prosecuted several electronic gambling sites, opposed a gambling expansion for the Native American tribes in Alabama, and even requested that the United States Department of the Interior deny the Poarch Band of Creek Indian’s application to broaden their gambling operations in the state. Back in 2013, he filed a series of gambling-related patents with the U.S. Patent office. When questioned about them by AL.com’s John Archibald, “King said he filed the patents simply on behalf of a client. He said he has no financial interest in any of them, and reiterated that “I don’t have anything to do with it.” This practice is common for lawyers, but the appearance hasn’t stopped his opponent from attempting to use it against him in what has turned into a runoff focused on attacks. This story was updated at 2:40 p.m. CT with additional comments from Troy King’s campaign.
A look at the Alabama AG’s race in the wake of the CBS News investigation
In a Tuesday night report, CBS News revealed Republican attorneys general on a retreat hosted by the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA) in April on Kiawah Island, S.C… with lobbyists representing groups like Koch Industries, Reynolds America, Select Management Resources and the National Rifle Association to name a few. Among those attendance was Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Alabama’s top law enforcement official. To some, that fact means nothing. But to many, lobbyists represent all that is bad in politics. Over the years, lobbyists gotten a bad reputation and have been credited with having created a “culture of corruption” and are associated with words like “manipulation,” “corruption,” and “bribery.” The question for some, like Marshall’s primary runoff opponent — former Alabama Attorney General Troy King — is whether or not lobbyists, at retreats like the one in S.C., are influencing how Marshall runs the AG office. Just last week, King called out Marshall for attending another weekend getaway in N.C. with lobbyists. “He’s at an exclusive golf club in North Carolina… he is standing there with fat cat donors and lobbyists who spent $25,000 to spend the weekend with him. And $5,000 a person to come to a political fundraiser,” King said during a press conference in Montgomery. Marshall fights back But Marshall says he’s done nothing wrong and will not apologize for working with other AGs. “He will not apologize for working with other AG’s around the country,” Marshall’s campaign told CBS 42. The campaign went on to say, “Troy King attended several of these RAGA meetings during his time as attorney general, so these attacks are just dripping in hypocrisy.” Our check of Alabama’s campaign finance reports shows RAGA contributed 435,000 dollars to Marshall’s 2018 campaign for Alabama Attorney General. Political impact? CBS 42 askedAlabama’s leading political columnist Steve Flowers about how RAGA might play into the upcoming runoff. “For those people who are prosecutors to be wined and dined and given very large contributions through a nebulous organization, it looks a little like play for pay. I think Marshall is looking bad with a black eye cause he’s taken a lot of money from those people… and they are really people that he should be investigating.”
Five things you need to know about Steve Marshall
Last week, Steve Marshall beat Troy King in the runoff election for the republican Attorney General’s seat. Winning with just over 62 percent of the votes, Marshall now faces Democratic challenger Joseph Siegelman in the November general election. With that in mind, here are five things you need to know about Steve Marshall: 1. Although he moved around a lot in childhood, Marshall has always considered Alabama his true home. Although Marshall was born in Atmore, Ala. his father, Conrad Marshall, was a representative for a sporting goods manufacturer and moved the family across the southeast for most of Marshall’s childhood. They lived in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, where he graduated from high school. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with his bachelors degree, Marshall moved back to Alabama to attend the University of Alabama’s law school, and stayed. “Despite leaving Alabama in first grade and living in several Southern states, Steve knew the Yellowhammer State was his home. He always knew he’d move back,” said the National Association of Attorney’s General (NAAG). 2. When sworn in as the Marshall County District Attorney (DA), Marshall became the second youngest DA in Alabama. In 2001 Marshall was appointed as the District Attorney of Marshall County. At only 36 years old his swearing in made him the second youngest District Attorney in Alabama. As District Attorney, Marshall founded several criminal prosecution and forensic programs and task forces including the Marshall County Major Crimes Unit, Marshall County Computer Forensics Lab and the Marshall County Crystal Meth Task Force. He was also instrumental in instituting and applying the Brody Act. The act holds anyone who kills or injures a mother’s unborn baby as accountable for two crimes, one against the mother and one against the baby. Marshall was one of the first DA’s to apply this law in his district. 3. As Attorney General, he filed a lawsuit against the city of Birmingham over the controversial confederate monument. In August of 2017, then-Birmingham Mayor William Bell ordered a confederate monument at the city’s Linn Park to be covered while the city explored the legality of removing it completely. “We need to take them down. We will deal with the repercussions after that,” said Birmingham City Council President Jonathan Austin. “The monuments are ‘offensive to our citizens,’” AL.com reported. Marshall quickly jumped into action. The next day the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the city, and Mayor William Bell, saying that covering the monument violated state law. “In accordance with the law, my office has determined that by affixing tarps and placing plywood around the Linn Park memorial such that it is hidden from view, the defendants have ‘altered’ or ‘otherwise disturbed’ the memorial in violation of the letter and spirit of the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act,” Marshall said, according to AL.com. “The city of Birmingham does not have the right to violate the law and leaves my office with no choice but to file suit.” 4. He is the founder of Mentor Marshall, a mentorship program in Marshall County Marshall served as chairman of the Big Buddy Program while attending the University of North Carolina. The program, a student-led mentorship program affiliated with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, allowed Marshall to see the effect mentorship can have on young people’s lives. This led him to found Mentor Marshall, a mentoring program designed to impact young people in Marshall county. The program aims to find positive, successful adults and introduce them to at-risk children. The adults then serve mentors and role models to the children to keep them in school, drug-free, and to give them hope and tools to achieve their own goals. Marshall has also been mentoring two young men himself. 5. He is an elder at his church and traveled to India on a missions trip a few years ago Marshall is an elder at the LifePoint Church in Albertville, Ala. and traveled across the world on a missions trip a few years ago. There, his goal was to spread the gospel news of Jesus Christ to people who lived in remote villages in India. “The Great Commission sort of directs us all in some way to be able to make that outreach to those that don’t know Christ, to be able to share,” Marshall said of the mission, according to NAAG. This post was updated from its original version to reflect the runoff election victory.
Five things you need to know about Troy King
The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Attorney General’s seat. In a highly contested and publicized race, Incumbent Steve Marshall and former Alabama Attorney General Troy King both garnered enough support to tip the race into a a runoff election set for July 17. With that in mind, here are five things you need to know about Troy King: 1. He was Alabama’s Attorney General in from 2004 to 2010. It’s safe to say King knows a thing or two about the day-to-day proceedings of the Alabama Attorney General’s office. He was first appointed attorney general in 2004 by former Gov. Bob Riley, after William Pryor left the office to accept federal judge position with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2006, King defeated democratic nominee John M. Tyson in the November general election of that year. He served as Attorney General for one term after his election, and was defeated by Luther Strange in the 2010 Republican primary; but now he’s back and ready to ultimately find victory as the Party’s nominee. 2. He was instrumental in bringing changes to the Yellowhammer State’s sex offender laws. While serving as Attorney General, King made it his mission to bring new laws regarding sex offenders to the state. Specifically he wanted the state to require that Alabama’s sex offenders who were released wear an electronic monitoring bracelet (such as those used for those on house arrest or parole) to monitor the sex offenders whereabouts. He was so adamant about his position that he wore an electronic monitoring bracelet himself during the 2005 legislative session, until the law was changed. 3. Although he is very opposed to gambling of any kind in Alabama, he’s accepted campaign donations from out of state gambling interests. During his time as Attorney General, not only did he introduce anti-gambling legislation every year of his time in public office, he also prosecuted several electronic gambling sites, opposed a gambling expansion for the Native American tribes in Alabama, and even requested that the United States Department of the Interior deny the Poarch Band of Creek Indian’s application to broaden their gambling operations in the state. But a recent report by AL.com claims King has received “about $90,000 from five South Carolina companies and individuals with links to gaming.” According to the report, one of the major donors from South Carolina, Keith Gray, is involved in the gambling business, with one of his businesses being prosecuted in 2017 by the state of Alabama. Gray reportedly used his own name, names of family members, and business associates to donate to King’s campaign, including two companies called Open Ocean Investments and Sycamore Investments. Which have, “disconnected phone numbers, [and] share a post office box in Piedmont, South Carolina.” 4. He was the first Attorney General to sue BP after Deepwater horizon. On April 20, 2010, an explosion on an oil rig off the coast of Luisiana, called Deep Water Horizon, started a chain of events which eventually led to around 4.9 million barrels of oil being pumped into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill caused massive amounts of damage to coastal ecosystems and communities located near the gulf. Under King’s leadership, Alabama was the first state impacted by the Deep water Horizon oil spill to file a lawsuit against the oil rig’s owners, BP. “BP is now on notice,” King told CNN. “Alabama intends to hold you good to your word and to make you put our state back the way you found it.” King’s actions led to a settlement with BP in which the state was awarded $1.3 billion to be paid out over 14 years. 5. His favorite musician is Johnny Cash (at least on Facebook anyway). According to King’s campaign Facebook page, his favorite music to listen to is Johnny Cash. Cash is a very famous country artist best known for his songs “Boy Named Sue” and “Ring of Fire.”
