Troy King hit’s hard at Steve Marshall for ‘fat cat fundraiser’ on schedule
It’s safe to say Troy King knows a thing or two about the day-to-day proceedings of the Alabama Attorney General’s office. As the former Alabama Attorney General King — who 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. King later won his own term — is running for the seat yet again, hoping to return to his former office. After the June 5 primary, he’s moved one step closer. In a crowded GOP field, King managed to garner enough votes to pull sitting AG Steve Marshall into a runoff election on July 17, where he’s hoping to ultimately find victory as the Party’s nominee. Now, King is doing all he can to make a case for himself as to why he’s better suited for the position than Marshall. On Monday, he held a press conference outside of the state capitol in Montgomery, Ala. to do just that. “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,” said King standing in front of a blown-up fundraiser invitation for Marshall. He continued, “Today with violent crime at a 20 year high, you might be wondering where is Steve Marshall. Is he home with his staff writing new laws? Is he at a parole board hearing battling for justice that’s been hard-fought for and hard-won, on behalf of victims families who are terrified of having justice snatched out of their hands? Is he in a grand jury room somewhere in Alabama? Is he in a court room somewhere in Alabama?” “No, 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 went on to explain what he’s doing differently. When asked if thought the Attorney General’s office was being bought, he when on to say “it’s at least being rented.” “$425,000 from out of state donors,” King explained. “The only explanation I could come up for is to why people who don’t live in Alabama, who don’t have an interest in Alabama would give the Attorney General that much money if they want something in return.” The winner of the GOP runoff will face Democrat Joseph Siegelman, son of former Gov. Don Siegelman, in November’s general election.
Republicans likely looking at a run-off in Attorney General’s race
Early polls and pundits called the republican primary for the Attorney General’s race the most competitive. Now with over $5 million spent in a sometimes contentious race there’s no clear front runner a run-off looks inevitable. 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.” Current Attorney General Steve Marshall is financially in the lead with $1.9 million in contributions. Chess Bedsole follows him with $1.7 million, former Alabama Attorney General Troy King has garnered $1.4 million and former state assistant attorney general and U.S. Attorney Alice Martin has obtained almost $1 million. Bedsole’s funds came mostly from his own contributions to his campaign. But Republican candidates will also face a somewhat formidable Democratic foe, in the November general election; former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman‘s son Joseph Siegelman has also thrown his hat in the race. And Chris Christie, no; not that Chris Chrisite has joined the race as well. University of Alabama Political Science Department Chairman Dr. Joseph Smith thinks the democratic race might actually gain some traction, due to a decent turnout for a Democratic primary in Alabama. “because of the candidates at the top of the party’s ticket. Gubernatorial candidates Walt Maddox and Sue Bell Cobb are “quality candidates,” Smith told AL.com. The most important thing in winning the race, Smith believes; is name recognition. “Marshall certainly wins on incumbency, and I think he’s got the most advertising going on,” Smith continued. “You would think Troy King would have pretty good name recognition, since he was the former attorney general, but I don’t know if that has faded from people’s heads in the last few years.” Marshall and Bedsole have tied themselves to President Donald Trump in their political ads, while Martin has chosen to emphasize the corruption issue while King has remained a fairly quiet candidate, Brown thinks he’s mostly betting on name recognition getting him into a runoff race. The primaries will be held on Tuesday, June 5.
Who’s who in statewide and congressional races on the primary ballot
Alabama’s primary ballot features multiple offices and something voters in the Republican-controlled state haven’t seen in years: Democratic races for statewide and congressional positions. Alabama Democrats have 27 total candidates running for state positions or Congress this year, more than double the 13 from 2014. That means there are several Democratic primary races, compared to just one for a statewide office four years ago. Many of the eventual Republican nominees will still run unopposed in the General Election because no Democrats qualified. But with Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump running high and after Democrat Doug Jones’ victory in Alabama’s U.S. Senate in December, the once-powerful party is trying to show signs of life. Aside from the governor’s campaign, in which five Republicans and six Democrats are vying for their party’s nominations, here are some other races to watch: ___ Attorney General Republican appointee Steve Marshall is facing voters for the first time in a statewide race as he seeks election to the office of attorney general, and it might not be easy. Marshall, a former Marshall County district attorney, has served in the job since February 2017, when then-Gov. Robert Bentley tapped him after naming Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate. Marshall is being opposed in the GOP primary by Alice Martin, a former federal prosecutor who was the state’s chief deputy attorney general; Troy King, a former state attorney general and Birmingham lawyer Chess Bedsole. Birmingham attorneys Joseph Siegelman and Chris Christie are vying for the Democratic nomination. Siegelman is the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman. The attorney general is responsible for representing the state in criminal and civil matters, and the office often is a stepping-stone to other positions. Just ask U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama attorney general. ___ Congress Rep. Martha Roby’s bid to hold on to her District 2 seat from the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama for a fifth term highlights the state’s congressional primaries. The House Appropriations Committee member is being opposed by candidates including Bobby Bright, who Roby defeated to claim the seat in 2010. Other opponents include Rich Hobson of Enterprise, who managed Roy Moore’s unsuccessful Senate campaign last year. Roby gained Republican critics after distancing herself from Presidential Donald Trump’s vulgar comments about women in 2016. The eventual GOP nominee will face either education researcher Tabitha Isner of Montgomery or activist and military veteran Audri Scott Williams of Cottonwood. They’re competing for the Democratic nomination in the Republican-dominated district. Reps. Mo Brooks of Huntsville and Robert Aderholt of Haleyville also have challengers in the GOP primary, and Democrats have primaries in four districts in all. There was just one Democratic congressional primary in 2014. ___ Lieutenant Governor Alabama has been without a lieutenant governor for more than a year, and the primary is a first step toward filling the office. Alabama Public Service Commission president Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh is running in the Republican primary against two state legislators: Rep. Will Ainsworth of Guntersville and Sen. Rusty Glover of Mobile. Cavanaugh has outpaced other candidates in fundraising with nearly $1.1 million in total contributions through April. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democratic minister Will Boyd, who lost the U.S. Senate primary against Doug Jones in the special election last year. The office of lieutenant governor, who is president in the state Senate, has been vacant since April 2017, when Kay Ivey succeeded Robert Bentley as governor following his resignation and guilty plea amid a sex-tinged scandal. Ethics is a top issue in the race as the Legislature looks to review Alabama’s ethics law next year and lawmakers currently face corruption charges. ___ Supreme Court The Alabama Supreme Court isn’t in the news as often as it used to be without Roy Moore as chief justice, but the primary ballot includes three contested races on the nine-member, all-Republican panel. Current court members Lyn Stuart and Tom Parker are vying for the Republican nomination for chief justice. Stuart has been serving in the position since Moore’s suspension for violating judicial ethics and later resignation to run for the Senate. Either Stuart or Parker will face Bob Vance Jr., a Jefferson County circuit judge who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Court appointee Brad Mendheim is opposed by circuit judges Debra Jones of Anniston and Sarah Hicks Stewart of Mobile for the GOP nomination for Place 1 on the nine-member court. And attorneys John Bahakel and Jay Mitchell of Birmingham are both seeking the Republican nomination for the Place 4 seat. The winner will face Democrat Donna Wesson Smalley in November. ___ State School Board Republicans are fighting over two seats on the Alabama State Board of Education, and the winners of both races will have Democratic opponents in the fall. Four Republicans are running for the District 2 seat held by Betty Peters, who isn’t seeking re-election. They include former Dothan school board member Melanie Hill; Coffee County resident Sybil Little; John Taylor of Dothan; and Auburn City School Board President Tracie West. The winner will face Democrat Adam Jortner in November. Business executive and former Madison school board Rich McAdams and Wayne Reynolds, a retired educator and registered nurse from Athens, are seeking the Republican nomination in District 8. The seat is now held by Mary Scott Hunter, who is running for the Alabama Senate. Jessica Fortune Barker is on the ballot as a Democrat in the General Election. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
2018 statewide election ad roundup: May 11 edition
The June 5 Republican and Democratic primary is only 25 days away and Alabama’s gubernatorial candidates have taken to the internet and the airwaves with campaign ads in hopes of swaying Yellowhammer State voters to their side. With the primary less than a month away, candidates upping the ante, with several candidates releasing new ads for the first time in months. In the Gubernatorial races, Kay Ivey, and evangelist Scott Dawson, both released new ads this week to combat Tommy Battle‘s massive ad rollout last week. Sue Bell Cobb continued her campaign tradition, issuing a new ad for the eighth week in a row, while Walt Maddox released his first new ad in months. Several Lieutenant governor candidates announced new ads this week, including Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, Rusty Glover, and Will Ainsworth. Attorney General candidate Troy King published his first television ad this week, with opponents Steve Marshall, Chess Bedsole releasing new ads as well. Gubernatorial Ads Republicans Kay Ivey: Title: Life Published: May 9, 2018 Tone: Principled Kay Ivey: Title: Tough as Nails Published: May 9, 2018 Tone: Resilient Scott Dawson: Title: “Learning About Faith” Published: May 11, 2018 Tone: Belief Democrats Walt Maddox: Title: Walt Maddox for Governor Published: May 11, 2018 Tone: Leadership Sue Bell Cobb: Title: SBC LotteryDad Video Published: May 8, 2018 Tone: Hopeful Lieutenant governor ads Republicans Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh: Title: “Shoes” Published: May 8, 2018 Tone: Preserving Rusty Glover: Title: “Peoples Choice” – Rusty Glover for Lieutenant Governor Published: May 3, 2018 Tone: Impactful Will Ainsworth: Title: “Leadership” | Ainsworth for Lt. Governor Published: May 7, 2018 Tone: Initiating Will Ainsworth: Title: “Hostage” | Ainsworth for Lt. Governor Published: May 8, 2018 Tone: Confronting Will Ainsworth: Title: Rickey Cornutt on Will’s Fight for Farmers Published: May 11, 2018 Tone: Folksy Attorney General ads Republicans Troy King: Title: Cause (Troy King for Attorney General) Published: May 8, 2018 Tone: Watchful Steve Marshall: Title: Steve Marshall – Fighting for Alabama Published: May 9, 2018 Tone: Protective Chess Bedsole: Title: Chess Bedsole “Rally” Published: May 1, 2018 Tone: Defensive
Wetumpka TEA Party hosts GOP candidate meet and greet
The Wetumpka TEA Party will host the River Region Candidate Fair on Monday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for candidates running in the 2018 Republican primary election. Over 40 candidates have confirmed their attendance for the event, which will be held at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Advertised as a “meet & greet,” the event will allow Alabamians to meet each candidate individually and ask them questions about the position they are seeking, rather than listen to speeches and debates. The Wetumpka TEA party will also be conducting a straw poll at the end of the night, with results posted Tuesday morning. “Our mission at the Wetumpka TEA Party is to educate citizens on national, state and local issues and help them get involved in our representative government,” said Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson. “It is important that people vote for their elected officials because they know what the candidates stand for and do not just rely on 30 second commercials and attractive yard signs. This is a terrific opportunity to meet the candidates who are running for an elected position, to ask them questions and understand what each candidate stands for.” The following candidates have confirmed their attendance on Monday night: CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES Governor: Bill Hightower, Kay Ivey, Scott Dawson, Tommy Battle (will send a representative) Lieutenant Governor: Will Ainsworth, Twinkle Cavanaugh, Rusty Glover Attorney General: Chess Bedsole, Troy King, Alice Martin Auditor: Stan Cooke, Elliott Lipinsky, Jim Zeigler Secretary of State: Michael Johnson, John Merrill Treasurer: Stephen Evans, John McMillan Commissioner for Agriculture and Industries: Gerald Dial, Rick Pate (will send a representative) STATE LEGISLATURE Alabama House of Representatives 31: Dustin DeVaughn, Mike Holmes Alabama House of Representatives 88: Al Booth Alabama Senate 25: Will Barfoot, Ronda Walker Alabama Senate 30: Clyde Chambliss (Unopposed) ALABAMA COURT SYSTEM Supreme Court Chief Justice: Tom Parker AL Supreme Court Place 1: Sarah Stewart AL Court of Civil Appeals Place 1: Michelle Thomason, Pat Thetford Circuit Court 19 Judge: Bill Lewis (Unopposed) PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Public Service Commission Place 1: Jeremy Oden, Jim Bonner Public Service Commission Place 2: Chip Beeker, Robin Litaker LOCAL AND CIRCUIT RACES: Elmore County Sheriff: Bill Franklin (Unopposed) Probate Judge (Elmore): Vicki Bonner-Ward, John Thornton Elmore County Commission Dist 4: Bart Mercer (Unopposed) Coroner (Elmore): Brad Linville, Jody Jeffcoat Circuit Clerk (Elmore): Michael Dozier, Angie Cruise-Gardner FEDERAL RACE U.S. Congress Dist 2: Rich Hobson, Bobby Bright, Barry Moore A flier for the event may be viewed here: River region candidate fair.
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.
Business Council of Alabama endorses Steve Marshall for Attorney General
ProgressPAC — the political action committee of the Business Council of Alabama — on Monday announced the endorsement of incumbent Attorney General Steve Marshall in the Republican primary. “Attorney General Steve Marshall’s commitment to the rule of law, putting violent criminals in jail and working to put an end to the opioid crisis made our endorsement an easy decision. His willingness to fight federal overreach makes him a tremendous asset to Alabama’s vibrant business community,” said ProgressPAC Chairman Mike Kemp. ProgressPAC’s board of directors said they voted to endorse Marshall because of his character and his support of issues that are important to Alabama’s business community. “For these reasons and others, ProgressPAC is proud to endorse Steve Marshall in the June 5 primary,” explained Kemp. Marshall said he is honored to receive the endorsement. “ProgressPAC understands the importance of fostering a pro-business environment in Alabama and I’m honored to receive their endorsement,” said Marshall. “This support from the business community will give us great momentum heading into the June primary.” Marshall served as district attorney in Marshall County Ala. for 16 years. He built a 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. Marshall faces Alice Martin, Chess Bedsole, and Troy King in the June 5 Republican primary.
New study ranks Alabama 5th worst state for women
With women’s issues on the forefront of nearly every major news source in America today, and March being Women’s History Month, personal finance site WalletHub released a new study on Monday, detailing the Best and Worst States for Women in 2018. Turns out, Alabama is the 5th worst in the nation when it comes to ranking the most women-friendly states. The state came in 47th place in the nation overall, followed only by Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, and in last place, Louisiana. WalletHub’s study compared all fifty states and the District of Columbia across 23 key indicators including; unemployment rate for women, share of women-owned businesses, High School graduation rate for women, and women’s life expectancy at birth. Woman-friendliness of Alabama (1= best, 25= avg.): 29th: Median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living) 42nd: Unemployment rate for women 46th: Share of women in poverty 26th: Share of women-owned businesses 47th: High school graduation rate for women 41st: Share of women who voted in 2016 presidential election 32nd: Female uninsured rate 50th: Women’s life expectancy at birth 31st: Quality of women’s hospitals 24th: Women’s preventive health care Perhaps one of the reasons for these rankings is the supreme lack of women’s representation in the Alabama Legislature. Although our governor is a female, currently only 15 percent of Alabama legislators are women. “It’s sad that we are 52 percent of the population, but we hold so few state legislative seats,” Birmingham-Democrat Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, told AL.com. Se is one of the four females occupying a seat in Alabama’s 35 member Senate. With a bevy of women running for state office, if there was ever a year for things to change for women in Alabama, it’s 2018 According to Steve Flowers, the 2018 election year might just be the year of the woman in Alabama politics. “Currently, Kay Ivey is the favorite in the governor’s race. Twinkle is the favorite in the Lt. Governor’s race. Alice Martin or Troy King is favored in the Attorney General’s race. If you made me bet right now, I would bet that Alabama would at least have a governor and Lt. Governor that are women,” opined Flowers. Here’s a look at how Alabama compares to the rest of the country: Source: WalletHub
Troy King qualifies for Alabama attorney general race
Thursday, former Alabama Attorney General Troy King officially qualified as a Republican for the office of Alabama attorney general. King returned to his home of Elba, Ala. where he signed his qualifying papers to run for his old office during a ceremony at the National Security Group Conference Center. “Elba is where it all started and it was fitting to go back to the place it all began to kick off my campaign,” King posted on Facebook. King 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. King later won his own term, but lost a GOP primary race to Luther Strange in 2010. He served in the position from 2004 to 2010. King will face current state AG Steve Marshall, former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin and Birmingham attorney Chess Bedsole in the June 5 GOP primary. The winner of that race will go on to face Democrat, Birmingham attorney Chris Christie, in the Nov. 6 general election. Watch King’s announcement video below:
AG Luther Strange lauds federal campaign finance ruling
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said Monday that a federal court has upheld of a state law that prohibits transfers of political contributions from one PAC to another PAC. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled in favor of the state last Friday in the case of Alabama Democratic Conference v. Strange. The court ruled the state has an interest at hand — preventing corruption or the appearance of corruption — so compelling that despite a raft of recent rulings claiming such contributions and transfers are 1st Amendment-protected speech, Alabama did not act improperly in restricting them. The ruling stated that although campaign contributions and transfers thereof should be given the presumption of legality since they are de jure equivalent to political speech, Alabama’s law was crafted carefully enough to avoid encroaching on that speech. The court ruled moreover the law was properly aimed at prohibiting only the kinds of illicit transfers of campaign cash primarily aimed at hiding the original source, thereby evading public scrutiny. Strange applauded the move in a release Monday. “I am pleased that the Court has upheld this important tool in Alabama’s ongoing fight against public corruption,” said Strange, first elected AG in 2010 after ousting incumbent Troy King in a GOP primary. “We will continue to defend the PAC-to-PAC transfer law whenever necessary.” Strange also commended his office’s Will Parker, an assistant AG in the Constitutional Defense Division. The ruling was a coup for Strange, who is an ardent supporter of a strong state role within the nation’s federal system. The plaintiff had sought relief against the state’s head law enforcement officer, saying the law was an unnecessarily onerous burden on political activity.
