Voters headed back to the polls in four of Alabama’s congressional districts on August 11. The turnout was very sparse, as would be expected with one primary race on the ballot. It has been very confusing for voters as to why they were asked to vote in a special primary election. Only the most ardent partisan voting zealots showed up to vote. However, last week’s special primary finally selected the party nominees to these four congressional seats. The only election left is the General Election on November 3.

 

This year’s hurry up election is a national Republican led redistricting effort to pick up as many as a dozen seats in the Deep South. One of those pickups will be in Alabama.

 

The Supreme Court paved the way for the state to use its own legislative map. The State Legislature threw out a gerrymandered federal court drawn map. The federal court drawn district map designed a second majority, minority district. This new district combined former District 2 Wiregrass voters with the Republican voters in Baldwin and Mobile for a Republican District 1, in order to abate the minority Democratic district that encompassed Montgomery, Mobile, and the Black Belt. The Legislature essentially put them back to where they have been for the last 40 years.

 

Former U.S. Representative Jerry Carl won the Republican nomination for the newly drawn District 1 seat, encompassing Mobile and Baldwin counties.

 

This is a solidly Republican Seat which Carl served in previously for four years. The Seat is back to its original orientation that has been the port counties of Mobile and Baldwin. It is a solidly Republican district that has produced some of our most prominent Republican Congressmen, including Jack Edwards, Sonny Callahan, Jo Bonner, and Bradley Byrne.

 

The newly drawn District 2 puts back together the traditional second district, which is a Wiregrass/Montgomery, Republican friendly district. It is designed to be the least Republican laden of the six GOP districts in the state.

 

However, the Democrats will not walk away from the district without a fight. The titular incumbent is Democrat Shomari Figures of Mobile. The national Democratic Party will supply plenty of campaign cash for Mr. Figures.

 

The winner of the Republican Primary last week was State Representative Rhett Marques of Enterprise. Marques has had a successful eight year run in his Coffee County State House Seat. He is well liked by his legislative colleagues, especially by his fellow Wiregrass legislative neighbors. All of them endorsed him and campaigned for him, though the most important endorsement he received was from the President Donald J. Trump. Marques beat back five opponents for the GOP nomination.

 

All eyes will be on this race in November. It will be the only competitive Democrat versus Republican contest come November. Both parties will put a lot of national money into the race. However, the Republican Marques will prevail, probably 55 to 45 percent.

 

Congressman Gary Palmer’s Birmingham-based District 6 was affected, slightly, by all of the redrawing. The popular incumbent easily won his nomination, and will be elected to his seventh, two-year term. Palmer’s district is one of the most Republican districts in the nation.

With the redistricting, District 7 Congresswoman Terri Sewell’s district was altered. So, she, like Palmer, was on the ballot August 11. She had no primary opposition. Her district is our only Alabama Democratic district, and it is a very Democratic venue. Sewell will be reelected to her ninth, two-year term in November.

 

Our two most prominent, powerful, and seniority laden congressmen were not affected by the reapportionment efforts. We will have Congressmen Robert Aderholt and Mike Rogers for at least two more years.

 

Representative Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) will be reelected this year to his 16th, two-year term in Congress. District 4 has been fortunate to have this fine and distinguished gentleman be their congressman for 30 years. He is only 61 years old. At the end of this next 2-year term he will have served in the U.S. House of Representatives longer than anyone in Alabama history. He will, again, serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

 

Representative Mike Rogers (R-Anniston) will be reelected to his District 3, east Alabama seat for an unprecedented 13th term in the U.S. House. Mike Rogers chairs the powerful Armed Services Committee.

 

Representative Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) will be reelected for his North Alabama-Tennessee Valley Seat for a third, two-year term. He is off to a fast start.

 

See you next week.