Special primary voters in House District 16 and 55 go to the polls today
The Alabama Democratic Party is holding a special primary election in Alabama House District 55 today. Meanwhile, the Alabama Republican Party is holding a special primary election in Alabama House District 16. Both elections are to fill vacancies in the Alabama House of Representatives. In House District 55, State Rep. Fred “Coach” Plump (D-Fairfield) resigned his seat and pled guilty to corruption-related charges in a federal public corruption probe, The candidates running in the HD55 Democratic primary are Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis E. Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Bernard Womack. Kenneth Coachman is a former two-term Mayor of Fairfield. Travis Hendrix is a former law enforcement officer and is widely seen as an up-and-coming politico with several key endorsements, including from BCA and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels. Ves Marable is a Fairfield City Councilor and the choice of the Alabama Democratic Conference. Cara McClure is a community activist best known as the co-founder of the Birmingham chapter of Black Lives Matter. Phyllis E. Oden-Jones is a Fairfield City Council member and a retired Birmingham police detective. Sylvia Swayne is a recent college graduate and a transgender. She has the support of the LGBTQ+ community. Antwon Bernard Womack is a labor organizer and perennial candidate. No Republican qualified to run in this heavily Democratic majority-minority district. A special Democratic primary runoff, if necessary, will be held on October 24. The special general election is scheduled for January 9, 2024. House District 55 is in Jefferson County. In House District 16, State Representative Kyle South (R-Fayette) resigned his office to accept a position as the President and CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. The House District 16 candidates are Bryan Brinyark, Brad Cox, Greg Fanin, Floyd Rogers Jr., and Mike Simpson. Greg Lowery was previously a candidate but was disqualified by the Alabama Republican Party because he previously ran for Fayette County Probate Judge as a Democrat. Bryan Brinyark is an attorney. Brad Cox is a banker, former high school teacher, and Fayette County Commissioner. Cox is the AEA-funded candidate. Greg Fanin is retired from the military after serving in the U.S. Army and Air Force. Floyd Rodgers, Jr. is the Alabama Communities of Excellence coordinator for the City of Fayette. Rodgers is also a minister. Mike Simpson is an attorney and former law enforcement officer who worked for the City of Bessemer and the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. A special Republican primary runoff, if necessary, is scheduled for October 24. There is no Democratic primary in HD16 as John Underwood is the only Democrat to qualify and, thus, the Democratic nominee. Underwood will face the eventual Republican nominee in the January 9 general election. House District 16 includes Fayette County and portions of northern Tuscaloosa County and western Jefferson County. During the last legislative session, the Alabama House of Representatives divided 77 Republicans to 28 Democrats. You must have a valid photo ID to participate in any Alabama election. There is no same-day registration in Alabama, and you must vote at the polling place you are assigned. Polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Both districts should have representation in place in time for the 2024 regular legislative session. The representatives elected will serve the remainder of this term and then face voters again in 2026. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Democratic Primary in House District 55 is Tuesday
Democratic voters in House District 55 go to the polls on Tuesday to elect their candidate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of State Representative Fred Plump (D-Fairfield). Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis E. Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Bernard Womack are all running in the special Democratic primary. This is likely a winner-take-all primary as no Republican qualified in this Birmingham area majority-minority district. Kenneth Coachman is the former Mayor of Fairfield. He was elected as Mayor in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Fairfield was hit hard by the Great Recession, and even Wal-Mart moved out of the city. Coachman works at Miles College as the chief of staff to the President. Travis Hendrix has a degree from Miles College and a master’s degree from Oakland City University. He is a former school resource officer and served on a task force dedicated to the public housing community. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels have all endorsed Hendrix. Ves Marable is a musician. He has a bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University and a doctorate from UAB. He has held a number of major positions with state government, including serving on the Pardons and Parole Board. He has served on the Fairfield City Council. Marable has been endorsed by the powerful Alabama Democratic Conference as well as the Progressive Democratic Council and the United Mine Workers of America. Sylvia Swayne is the first openly trans candidate in the state of Alabama. He identifies as a woman. Sylvia is endorsed by LPAC, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to electing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) women and nonbinary people to public office, and by former State Rep. Patricia Todd. Swayne has 30,000 followers on TikTok. Swayne has a degree from the University of Alabama. Cara McClure founded the nonprofit Faith & Works, whose goal is to bridge the gap between the faith community and social activists. She co-founded the Birmingham chapter of Black Lives Matter. She worked for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. She studied at Jacksonville State and Alabama State. Phyllis E. Oden-Jones is a retired Birmingham Police senior detective. She is a veteran politician who has served on the Fairfield City Council. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UAB. Antwon Bernard Womack is a perennial candidate. Womack has a Master’s in business administration from Dartmouth College’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration and a bachelor’s in economics from Yale University. He has some experience as a union organizer. Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. is also the deadline for any independent or minor party candidates to turn in all of their filled-in paperwork, including the necessary ballot access petitions, to the Secretary of State office. Rep. Plump resigned after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges involving kickbacks to a longtime legislative aide for State Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham). The polls open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7:00 p.m. HD55 voters who wish to participate in this special election must bring a valid photo ID to the polls. There is no same-day registration in Alabama, and voters must vote only at the polling place they are assigned. The special general election will be on January 9. If necessary, there will be a special Democratic primary on October 24. This is one of three open seats in the Alabama House of Representatives. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Longtime legislative assistant to John Rogers indicted 21 times in federal corruption probe
A longtime assistant to State Representative John Rogers (D-Birmingham) has been indicted on 21 federal charges in an ongoing corruption probe that has already led to the conviction of then-State Rep. Fred Plump (D-Fairfied). Varrie Johnson Kindall is 58 years old and lives in Chelsea. Plump is the founder and executive director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and obstruction of justice in federal court in Birmingham. Plump resigned his seat in the Alabama House of Representatives on May 31 as part of his plea deal with federal prosecutors. Plump, age 76, admits to having taken about $200,000 of the $400,000 that was allocated to the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League by Rep. Rogers before Plump was elected to the legislature. That money was then allocated to “Coach” Plump by Rep. Rogers for the rec league that Plump ran. Plump, in his plea agreement, says that he gave that money to Mrs. Kindall, with whom he claims to have been romantically involved. “Plump understood that if he did not give half of the money to them, Legislator #1 would not direct Fund money to Piper Davis,” prosecutors wrote. The payments took place between 2018 and 2022 before Plump took office. In 2022, Plump challenged veteran incumbent Rep. Rod Scott (D-Fairfield) with the help of Rogers and other Democratic lawmakers who accused Scott of working across the aisle with Republicans too much. Plump narrowly defeated Scott in the Democratic primary runoff. Prosecutors claim that after Plump was informed by federal agents that there was a probe underway, prosecutors claim Plump tried to obstruct the investigation by texting Kindall and giving her a “red alert” about the investigation even though he was warned not to disclose these facts. Plump will be sentenced for his role in this scandal on October 23. Prosecutors are recommending a more lenient sentence as part of his cooperation in the plea deal. Kindall is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, according to the indictment Thursday. Plump pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. Rogers has denied being involved in any illegal activity. Rogers has identified himself as the unnamed legislator mentioned in the Plump court documents. Kindall is already facing federal charges for allegedly collecting federal retirements on both of her parents for years after they were already dead. Kindall is being defended by noted trial attorney Jim Parkman. The special Democratic primary in Coach Plump’s vacant House District 55 is scheduled for Tuesday, September 26. Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Womack are all running for the open House seat. No Republican qualified to run for the seat. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
