Over a year ago on July 4, 2025, I was attending the famous Fourth of July Political Gala in DeKalb County known as the Ledbetter-Livingston Henagar Potato Festival. This event is the last vestige of “ole timey” political events left in Alabama politics. The parade and good eating extravaganza in Henagar in DeKalb County is a must go to event for aspiring, statewide politicians. Indeed, with this being the kickoff to the 2026 election cycle, all statewide Republican candidates were in attendance along with their entourages.

The event is put on by the most powerful political person in the state, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, who hosts the event in his home county. His cohost is Senator Steve Livingston of Scottsboro, who is the Majority Leader in the State Senate and represents DeKalb County in the Senate.

A group of us gathered at a table. Ledbetter, Livingston, and about six others were sitting around the table and the topic of who the top contenders for all of the upcoming state races came up. We went over how the horses would line up for open races.We briefly discussed Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Agriculture Commissioner. Then, the big question wasposed of who the person would be to fill the Seat of Senator Tommy Tuberville, as Tuberville had already announced that he was leaving Washington to run for Governor. We all knew the Senate race would be the premier prize on the 2026 ballot, andwould overshadow all the other races. The question was posed, and they all looked at me and Ledbetter.

The Speaker spoke first, and said succinctly exactly what I was thinking and was going to say. He said, “That race ain’t going to be decided in Alabama. It is already been decided in Washington.” We both knew that the Club for Growth had decided that their Congressman Barry Moore was going to be the next Senator from the Heart of Dixie.

The rich boy Club for Growth owns Republican politics in Republican states in America. It is simple; money is the mother’s milk of politics in America. Always has been and always will be.

My February 18th column was entitled “Trump Endorsement Makes Barry Moore Prohibitive Favorite in U.S. Senate Race.” I wrote at the beginning of the race, it looked like a two-man contest between Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and District 2 Congressman Barry Moore. However, with the endorsement of Congressman Barry Moore by President Donald Trump, coupled with Moore receiving the endorsement and total support of the deep-pocketed, dark money, Right Wing, Republican Club for Growth, this solidified Moore as a prohibitive favorite.

It is no coincidence that the Trump endorsement and Club for Growth endorsement came to Moore on the same date. Trump and the Club are on the same team.

The Club for Growth has become the most powerful force in Republican states in America. They are a quiet, dark money, right-wing organization made up of multi-millionaire and billionaire contributors. They want very restrained government spending and back very conservative-proven candidates who have very conservative credentials.

At one time, when the Club was becoming established as the behemoth in Republican politics, they and Trump were at odds on some races. However, they seemed to coalesce into one solidly aligned team last year, when they primarily financed Trump’s 2024 reelection bid. This Trump and Club for Growth tandem is impossible to beat in any Republican state.

In the Republican Primary, Barry Moore raised and spent over $30 million. The vast majority of that came from the Club for Growth and its surrounding secret PACs. In comparison, his primary runoff opponent Jared Hudson had $3 million. Money is the mother’s milk of politics. Money buys media. Media appearances equate into votes.

In the past decade, since their creation, the Club has progressed from a big dollar contributor to being a mega dollar contributor as well as a very sophisticated campaign organization.

These billionaires have gotten serious about owning American politics. They are the new phenomenon in the nation’s political landscape.

As we enter the traditional Labor Day Holiday, which historically has been the beginning of the political season in American politics, the Club for Growth is the omnipotent power on the stage, especially in the Heart of Dixie.

Happy Labor Day.

See you next week.