October 8, 2025 - An Interesting Political Conversation
I was first elected to the Alabama Legislature in 1982. George Wallace had been elected to his last term as governor that year. Therefore, my first term as a legislator was Wallace’s final and fifth term as governor.
I had met Wallace during his first term as Governor in 1963. I was a 12-year-old Legislative Page and he was an energeticyoung governor. He never forgot that day and always reminded me of it in most of our visits.
In 1983, Wallace would have good days and bad. He was in constant pain from six bullet wounds from a crazed would-beassassin who shot him in a Maryland parking lot while he was running for President in 1972. His memory and demeanor were quite diminished from his earlier years. He was also almost completely deaf. A lot of men his age who had fought in World War II had diminished hearing due to excessive exposure to fighter planes and bombings. Wallace’s deafness had become so pronounced that I wondered on my visits down to his office if he ever heard a word that was said. It really did not matter much anyway, because he usually did most of the talking.
My best legislative friend and seatmate was the legendary Mr. Pete Turnham from Auburn. Mr. Pete came to the House in 1958 and served for 40 years from 1958 through 1998. He was the Dean of the House and had a prime seat on the House floor. Like Wallace, Pete remembered me from my youthful Page days and he adopted me as his protégé. Pete prevailed on the venerable House Clerk, John Pemberton, to give me a seat next to him,which was usually reserved for more veteran members. Mr. Pete and I sat together through 1998. I loved Mr. Pete like a father.
Pete Turnham loved and cared for Auburn and Auburn University more than any other legislator in history. Like Wallace, Pete was a veteran of World War II. Unlike Wallace, Pete had a very important and highly decorated world war experience. He was an officer, who had actually been one of Patton’s lieutenants in Europe. However, like Wallace the bombings had rendered Pete deaf in one ear. So, Pete was hard of hearing like Wallace.
Pete, like most men of his generation, loved agriculture and gardening. Mr. Pete graduated from Auburn and majored in Agricultural Science. Pete’s home was on a large tract of land on Moore’s Mill Road in Auburn. He had a tremendous, well-known garden next to his house. He had a green thumb that was unbelievable. He would feed almost half of Lee County out of his garden. Folks who were down on their luck in Auburn and Opelika would awaken to a week’s worth of fresh vegetables left on their doorstep, left anonymously by Pete. His garden was truly legendary.
One day Wallace had asked me and Pete down for a visit together. I am pretty sure Wallace did not know Pete and I were best friends and seatmates. I do not think Pete knew why Wallace wanted to talk with him. I sort of thought Wallace wanted to inform me and Pete of his plans for an educational initiative. Pete was an educational advocate and Wallace knew that.
Well, Pete and I arrived to visit with Wallace who was in his wheelchair with the ever-present cigar. You could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he adored and admired Mr. Pete. They immediately engaged in conversation, and I stood aside and witnessed one of the funniest conversations in my life. These two World War II legends began their conversation and ended their conversation with neither knowing what the other one was saying and totally agreeing with the other.
Wallace was extolling some education matter and Pete nodded in agreement. Pete was thinking Wallace was asking about his garden and he responded by telling Wallace how his peas and tomatoes were doing. They continued their diatribe for 15 minutes. Each time both nodded and smiled while Wallace was telling Pete about how much good his program was going to help the poor little school children and Pete smiling in agreement telling Wallace how his corn was doing.
See you next week.
October 1, 2025 - Alabama’s Adult Education Is One of Nation’s Best – A 60 Year Legacy
Over the past six decades, Alabama’s Adult Education Programs have been transformed by a
quiet revolution that has been extraordinarily successful.
It was my honor to be able to speak to the Annual Adult Education Conference at the downtown
Montgomery Renaissance Center in late June.
When I accepted their invitation to speak, I thought there would be 50 to 60 attendees. However,
when I walked in, I amazingly saw over 400 passionate, positive, energized educators and
administrators that filled the venue.
It quickly dawned on me that we have one of the most successful Adult Education Programs in
America. These folks in attendance are dedicated to their work. It is their passion and purpose. It
is nothing short of a movement that has changed generations and continues to redefine what
opportunity means in our state.
This was not just a professional development conference, it was a celebration of purpose,
perseverance, and the power of education to transform lives at any age.
Adult education is too often viewed narrowly, through the lens of GED attainment. While that
remains a foundational component, this year’s conference emphasized a much broader and more
dynamic vision – one that includes digital literacy, English language acquisition, employability
skills, workforce certifications, and the alignment of career pathways that lead to sustainable
employment.
A key highlight of the conference was the discussion of the newly enacted REACH Act
(Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School), Alabama’s High School
diploma option program. This important Act was sponsored by then Representative, now State
Senator Matt Woods of Jasper.
Participants also explored a variety of employability and technical training programs offered
through the Alabama Community College Innovation Center. These skills for success courses are
designed to equip adult learners with real-world, in-demand skills that directly support
Alabama’s economic growth.
This 60th anniversary event also served as a tribute to the legends and heroes of adult education
in Alabama. First on the list of legends was the late Representative Pete Turnham of Auburn.
Pete is considered the Father of Adult Education in Alabama.
The reason I was asked to speak was not as a political columnist, author, or Alabama political
historian, but to share my experiences and personal knowledge of Mr. Pete Turnham as his friend
and legislative colleague.
Mr. Pete and I sat next to each other for almost two decades in the Alabama House of
Representatives. He was not only my mentor and friend, but he was like a father. My two
daughters thought of him like a grandfather. He was truly a good man. He cared about Alabama.
He especially cared about Auburn. He was dedicated to education in our state.
Pete Turnham was a child of the Great Depression. He achieved success in business along with
being the “Dean of the House of Representatives.” When he retired from the legislature in 1998,
he had served longer than anyone in state history. Mr. Pete never talked about it much, but he
was a World War II hero. He fought with General Patton in Europe. Mr. Pete epitomized “The
Greatest Generation.”
During his many years in the legislature, Pete served on the House Ways and Means Committee,
which appropriates money. Through his Seat, he garnered a $1 million appropriation singularly
for adult education. This was a large amount of money at that time and the first for adult
education in Alabama.
Pete Turnham was a towering figure in Alabama’s legislative history and an unrelenting
champion for nontraditional learners. Mr. Pete’s advocacy was deeply personal, grounded in the
belief that education was not a privilege, but a right – no matter your age or station in life. A
scholarship bears Pete Turnham’s name, continuing his legacy by helping adult learners return to
the classroom.
The sheer turnout at this 60th anniversary event conference reinforced what many of us in
politics should understand, there is a hunger for education in our state. While budgets and ballot
boxes dominate headlines, investments in adult education quietly yield some of the greatest
returns.
See you next week.
September 24, 2025 - Five Good Horseraces Set For 2026
The 2026 election year began on May 19 when campaign fundraising could begin. Our elections will be May 19, 2026. Our Republican primary that day, and subsequent runoffs four weeks later, will be our election day for all statewide offices. Winning the Republican Primary for state office is tantamount to election in Alabama.
Qualifying for all offices next year will be in January. However, for all practical purposes, the primary races are set and the horses are in the chute. It will be a four-month sprint from mid-January to mid-May. All 105 State House Seats and all 35 State Senate Seats are up for election. However, State Senate and House Seats are becoming analogous to Congressional Seats. Very few incumbents are ever defeated, or even challenged. Over 80% of the legislature is running unopposed. There are only three to four open Senate Seats. The makeup of the State Senate will probably remain 28 Republicans and 7 Democrats.
Since all of our statewide offices are held by Republicans and will remain that way, the endorsements and campaign contributions from all of the major pro-business organizations in the state flow to the Republican candidates. These important groups are the Business Council of Alabama, Manufacturing Alabama, the Alabama Forestry Association, and especially ALFA.
Coach Tommy Tuberville has received all of the above organizations’ endorsements in his cakewalk tour to the Governor’s office.
The brass ring of Alabama politics, the governor’s race, will be uneventful given Tuberville’s uncontested victory is inevitable. However, there will be a handful of important statewide battles that will be close, and the ALFA endorsement will be critical in those races.
The ALFA endorsement is golden in a statewide Republican Primary. It has been a pivotal gamechanger in almost every statewide race over the last decade. It gave credibility and impetus to the senate campaign of Tommy Tuberville six years ago. Their continuous endorsements of Governor Kay Ivey have been a fortress for her over the years.
This treasured endorsement is not easily given but earned. They also remain loyal to political figures who are loyal to them. They live by the adage that you do not leave old friends to make new friends.
To get the ALFA) endorsement, candidates have to go to the county leaders in each county and earn their vote and support. All 67 county ALFA organizations have the same vote. The hierarchy of leadership in Montgomery does not dictate the endorsement. It comes from the grassroots throughout the state.
The ALFA endorsements will be critical in the five close statewide races. These races are for Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Agriculture Commissioner, and the U.S. Senate.
The Lt. Governor’s race will be one of the best on the ballot next year. It will pit two very popular Constitutional officeholders striving to capture another Constitutional office. Secretary of State Wes Allen and Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate will be the two horses in this contest. It is so close that it is difficult to say who is the favorite. One of the factors that will play out is if one of them can do a better job than the other in fundraising.
The Secretary of State race between current State Auditor Andrew Sorrell and dynamic political newcomer CaroleeneDobson began close but Caroleene Dobson may be moving ahead in this race.
The open Attorney General’s race will be an important race to follow since this is one of the most important constitutional offices. Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell is favored to win because he will be endorsed and supported by the Alabama Business Community. However, Assistant Attorney General Katherine Robertson could be a player. She is being supported significantly financially by out-of-state dark money special interests. Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey is working hard and is very well qualified but is lagging behind in fundraising.
The Agriculture Commissioner race will be one of the best. It will be a three-way horserace between State Senator Jack Williams of Mobile, Agribusiness woman Christina WoernerMcInnis of Baldwin County, and Marshall County farmer Corey Hill.
The race for the open Senate Seat of Coach Tuberville will be the big race next year. It will pit Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall against Congressman Barry Moore. Big Washington money will decide this race.
It will be a good political year.
See you next week.
September 17, 2025 - Katie Britt is Alabama’s Most Popular Elected Official for Good Reason
I have been an upfront observer, participant, columnist, and commentator of Alabama politics for over six decades, and I can confidently say one of the most gifted political leaders in the history of our state is also one of its newest and youngest.
Katie Britt’s skills as a public servant and stateswoman were demonstrated beyond measure in a recent statewide poll that ranked her as the single most popular elected official in Alabama — more popular than even Kay Ivey or Tommy Tuberville.
It is easy to spot the ingredients in her recipe for success. Very few people ever have the complete package – but Britt has quickly proven to be a history maker.
Over the last few decades, Alabama’s U.S. Senate delegation is split between one seat that is held by a right-wing conservative who plays to the base with red meat social issues and another seat that is filled by a skilled appropriator amassing funding for infrastructure and local projects back home. Britt uniquely has carved a powerful path in both lanes.
Britt has simultaneously proven herself adept at bringing home the bacon through her seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee while being a staunch, outspoken defender of Alabama’s Christian, conservative values. Like Senator Richard Shelby, she has already brought home billions in investments for our state. Like Senator Jeff Sessions, she has quickly made herself a leading conservative voice on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
To start this year, Britt accomplished what no Member of Congress has done for 30 years – pass immigration enforcement and border security legislation. She masterfully shepherded her Laken Riley Act through the Senate, where you need to garner bipartisan support to get 60 votes to President Trump’s desk. Britt stood right beside Trump in the White House as he signed his first bill into law his second term. This is the kind of career-making legislative accomplishment that normally takes decades.Britt only needed months into her term.
If that was not enough, Britt accomplished another generational feat in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. She has been the leading national champion for tax cuts for working families and secured three separate provisions in the bill to make childcare more affordable. These provisions had not been strengthened since 1986 and 2001, respectively. Because of Britt, parents will now save major money and small businesses on Alabama main streets will have a better shot at retaining and recruiting workforce.
Another of Britt’s wins so far this year has gone underreported. She may singlehandedly have saved the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her advocacy for critical medical research and finding cures has garnered the support of President Trump, RFK Jr., and Trump’s NIH Director, who recently visited UAB at Britt’s invitation to show the Administration’s support. This is the state’s largest employer and Birmingham’s main economic engine. Without Britt, the magic may have left the city. Now, UAB stands to benefit in a huge way.
It is not just her constituents who respect Britt’s work, her colleagues recognize her leadership, too. Britt is serving as Deputy Majority Whip for the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate, which is helping ensure the successful passage of Trump’s legislative agenda and confirmation of his nominees. Her Whip Team has not lost a floor vote in Congress this year. Britt is also Vice Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is responsible for keeping the Senate majority. Britt has raised the fifth most for this effort of all Republican Senators. This success helps her amass even more influence with colleagues and deliver more for Alabamians.
She began her first year in the Senate accomplishing something unheard of in U.S. Senate history. She received a seat on the three most prestigious and powerful committees in the Senate:Appropriations, Banking and Rules. She added Judiciary the next year. It is rare for a Senator to ever get on one of these committees and unprecedented for a first-term Senator to get on all four.
Britt’s rockstar status is heralded not just in the Capitol, but also in the White House. President Trump selected Britt to lead the first official presidential delegation of his term earlier this year. Britt was the United States’ lead representative to celebrate the inauguration of the new Uruguay president.
One thing is for certain, Senator Katie Britt’s political future is bright, infinite, and set to benefit Alabama for decades to come.
See you next week.
September 10, 2025 - Cynthia Almond Outstanding Choice for PSC President
One of Governor Kay Ivey’s greatest legacies will be her outstanding wisdom and prudence in her appointments to fill important judicial and governmental openings. She has shown amazing leadership in this capacity over her decade as Governor.
She had the opportunity to make another stellar appointment in June. Ivey appointed State Representative Cynthia Lee Almond to be the new President of the Alabama Public Service Commission. The vacancy occurred when veteran PSC Commissioner Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh left to take the Trump Administration appointment as Alabama’s Director for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She will work closely with President Trump’s Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins.
Twinkle has been one of the most successful political figures in Alabama for several decades. She has served as President of the Public Service Commission since 2012 and was first elected Associate Commissioner in 2010. In 2020, she received the most votes in Alabama history for a non-presidential candidate. Twinkle served a stint as Chairman of the State Republican Party at a young age.
In making the appointment of Cynthia Almond to the important rate setting PSC Presidency, Ivey stated, “Cynthia has proven to be an extremely effective public servant, and I am confident the people of Alabama will be even better served when she takes the helm at the Public Service Commission.”
Governor Ivey’s public comments were exuberant, but privately, she was even more excited to get someone of Cynthia Almond’s character, integrity, and experience to take the post. Cynthia is a successful attorney and legislator.
Cynthia was born and raised in Tuscaloosa. Her daddy was a lawyer and State Legislator in Tuscaloosa. She followed in his footsteps. She has had a prominent career in law and governmental service. She began the practice of law in her hometown after graduating from the University of Alabama Law School. Her legal work has been focused on estate planning, business law, and real estate.
Ms. Almond served four, four-year terms on the Tuscaloosa City Council prior to being elected to her Republican State House seat. Her legislative House seat is within the confines of Tuscaloosa. She has been one of the state’s most outstanding legislators during her two-terms in the House.
In the State House, Almond served as Chair of the Tuscaloosa County Legislative Delegation and as a member of the Ways and Means Education Committee, Judiciary Committee, and RulesCommittee. She has worked closely with Governor Ivey on several of her legislative priorities.
This House seat has become a prominent steppingstone position. It encompasses the upscale Tuscaloosa enclaves. Prior to Cynthia Almond taking the Seat, Representative Bill Poole was in the seat for 10 years. Bill was probably the most important House member of the 105-member body for a decade while he wrote the State Education Budget as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Poole became Governor Ivey’s State Finance Director at the beginning of the quadrennium, where he still serves. State Finance Director is generally considered the most important post in the Cabinet.
Prior to Poole being in this House Seat 63, Dr. Robert Bentley, who was probably the most prominent dermatologist in Tuscaloosa, was in the seat. Dr. Bentley moved from this Druid City Seat to the Governor’s mansion.
Before Governor Bentley, prominent Tuscaloosa Businessman Tim Parker Jr. served in this prized seat. His father, the original Tim Parker, served in this House from Tuscaloosa, also. Tim Parker Jr. was recently named to the Alabama Business Hall of Fame.
In the upcoming special election, Tuscaloosa City Councilman, Norman Crow, is expected to fill this illustrious House seat. He will be tracking Cynthia Almond. He is in the City Council Seat she left to become State Representative. He will do a great job.
There have been several other new legislative seat departures and arrivals this year. State Representative Matt Woods (R-Jasper) has moved to the Senate taking the seat left by Senator Greg Reed, who became head of the new Department of Workforce Development. There are two open seats in Cullman County. Heath Allbright is set to take the seat left by veteran Representative Randall Shedd. Cindy Myrex won a very impressive victory for a hotly contested Cullman County House district this August. She took the seat of retiring Representative Corey Harbison. Debbie Wood left her Chambers County House seat, unexpectedly. She will probably be followed by Kristin Nelson, who is currently the Chairman of the Chambers County Republican Party. Her husband, Jeff Nelson, is the popular Sherriff of Chambers County.
See you next week.
September 3, 2025 - Our Open U.S. Senate Will Be a Big Race
We all knew that this 2026 election year was going to be a big year in Alabama politics. This year’s biggest race will be for the U.S. Senate Seat of Coach Tuberville.
The key to winning this seat like any open U.S. Senate Seat is having or garnering campaign money. Having your own money is always paramount to winning a coveted senate seat anywhere in America. That is why it is referred to as the “Millionaire’s Club.” Although, in today’s world, it more accurately could be called the “Billionaire’s Club.” Over the course of history, it has seen the names of Kennedy, Rockefeller, Danforth, and Kohler.
Another advantage for rich candidates is that the big Washingtonspecial interest lobbyists – big dollar contributors – have an unwritten rule that they do not contribute to primaries in wide-open, non-incumbent, senate races. Instead, they wait for the general election. The problem with this for candidates from totally Republican states like ours is that our GOP primary is our election. Therefore, a well-heeled candidate with their own money is in the catbird’s seat.
The two apparent front runners for our open U.S. Senate Seat are Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and First District Congressman Barry Moore. A third candidate is Navy SEAL Jared Hudson. He has movie star good looks and if someone could drop $10 million into his race he would sell. Both Barry Moore and Steve Marshall are very conservative candidates.However, they are both of modest means financially.
Marshall has nothing to lose by running for the senate. He has served his two-term limit as Alabama’s Attorney General. Thus, he simply is striving to move up the political ladder. Whereas if Congressman Barry Moore loses his seat in the U.S. Congress,he is out. Congressmen run every two years, so it is a big political gamble to run for a senate seat. Thus, the old adage –the political graveyard is full of congressmen, who have tried to move to the senate.
The winner of this race will be the one who can tap the Washington spigots of right-wing, fringe, dark money that plays on the Potomac. The biggest player in the right-wingWashington clandestine money pot is the now renowned Club for Growth. They are the Daddy Warbucks of the extreme right wing and are THE players in open U.S. Senate races in conservative Republican states. In fact, they only play in Republican primaries in Republican states. They are hidden deep pocketed donors, who believe in no government.
Ironically, the congressmen who are owned by the Club for Growth come from districts that are the most dependent on military, thus big government spending. The prime example was Alabama’s former Congressman Mo Brooks from Huntsville, who routinely voted against his district’s needs in favor of the Club for Growth. This group is not only anti-government, butanti-Trump. Trump hates them and does not like them owning Republican seats.
Club for Growth congressmen belong to the Freedom Caucus within the Republican ranks and these right-wing clones proudly display their Freedom Caucus membership. Washington insiders and mainstream Republicans recognize them as nuts. The Republican leadership relegates them to the back benches and does not allow them any plum committee assignments. However, these Freedom Caucus Club for Growth extremists do not care because they do not want to get anything done for their districts or state anyway. They thrive on being ineffective. All they want to do is sit on their back bench pews, bark at the moon, and throw reactionary bombs. They adamantly believe it is not their responsibility to help or bring home the bacon for their districts.
The Club for Growth owned two of our congressmen before Brooks left the House to get beaten for the Senate. They now own one. Congressman Barry Moore is their boy. The Club for Growth was doing extensive polling to determine if they could elect him, which is why Moore was late entering the race. This Club is the reason Barry Moore upset Jerry Carl in the new First District two years ago. Carl was blindsided by the Club’s big bucks, sophisticated polling, and ability to hide their money.
The Club for Growth would love to own five or six Republican senate seats. There is no telling what they will spend to buy this Senate seat for their boy Barry Moore. Poor Steve Marshall cannot imagine what is going to hit him. This race will not be decided in Alabama. It will be decided by deep, dark money in Washington.
See you next week.
August 27, 2025 - The 2026 Attorney General and Agriculture Commissioner Races Will Be Good Ones
Two of our major constitutional statewide offices are up for election in next year’s May 2026 GOP Primary. The Attorney General and Agriculture posts are incumbent-free and totally up for grabs. Current Attorney General Steve Marshall has served his constitutionally limited two terms and is running for the U.S. Senate. Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate has term-limited and is running for Lt. Governor.
Jay Mitchell is the clear favorite in the Attorney General’s race as the contest begins. Mitchell has been elected twice to the State Supreme Court with impressive vote totals. He has been a proven conservative pro-business voice on the state’s highest court. Therefore, he will be the candidate of choice of the state’s business community. He has already received the endorsement of the Business Council of Alabama. He has a large early lead in fundraising. He was able to transfer over $600,000 from his State Court campaign fund. He is approaching $2 million in the bank as the summer comes to an end.
Mitchell is 6’8’’ tall and played basketball at Birmingham Southern and was SGA President. He practiced law in Birmingham before being elected to the Supreme Court in 2018. Jay is a longtime resident of Homewood and should benefit from a strong hometown Jefferson/Shelby County vote. He also has family roots in the Wiregrass.
Blount County District Attorney, Pamela Casey, first announced for Attorney General back in January. She has crisscrossed the state extensively for the last eight months. She certainly has the experience. Casey has been District Attorney of Blount County for 15 years. She has been a working D.A. Being a practicing D.A. is the right experience to be Attorney General. She has actually prosecuted criminals. She is therefore, probably the most qualified person in the race.
All of Jay Mitchell’s and Pamela Casey’s campaign contributions have come from Alabama individuals and business. This is definitely not the case for the third candidate in the race for Attorney General.
Assistant Attorney General Katherine Green Robertson has garnered early attention by receiving $1.1 million from a newly formed out-of-state dark money entity. This clandestine dark money organization appears to be controlled by a right-wing billionaire named Leonard Leo. The money funneled to Robertson only has a Nashville, Tennessee post office box as their front. Leonard Leo and Donald Trump are arch enemies. It is doubtful Ms. Robertson will get President Trump’s endorsement in this race. This out-of-state dark money amounts to over 75% of her total campaign revenue. It appears this right-wing fringe benefactor is attempting to buy the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.
If Pamela Casey or Katherine Robertson were to upset Mitchell, they would be the first female Attorney General of Alabama.
The State Commissioner of Agriculture race is emerging as one of, if not the best and closest, races in next year’s election. It looks like it will be a contest between three well-qualified candidates for this important constitutional office. State Senator Jack Williams of Mobile, Agri-Businesswoman Christina Woerner McInnis, and Marshall County farmer Corey Hill are the players.
State Senator Jack Williams is a fifth-generation farmer from Mobile. He has also represented Mobile County in the State Legislature for the last 12 years. If you put his resume of long years of farming and government into a merit system job description, and the job was chosen by the merit system, he would be selected. Jack and his wife, Bobbie, have been campaigning, crisscrossing the state non-stop for over two years.
Baldwin County native Christina Woerner McInnis is a fifth-generation farmer. Her Woerner family is a renowned Baldwin County farm family, which has contributed to Alabama agriculture for over a century. Her family heritage is acknowledged by Baldwin County folks. Their roots go back to when the county was primarily a potato farming county. Her ancestors were German and potato farmers. She is an integral part of their current sod farming operation, which is the largest in the state.
Corey Hill is a farmer from Marshall County. He is a lifelong resident of this pristine, prominent Northeast Alabama County. He is Mayor of the small town of Douglas in Marshall County. He is a fourth-generation farmer and he and his wife, Stephanie, own a local grocery store which his parents started in the 1970’s.If he can get his name and message out, that he is the only candidate from vote rich North Alabama, under the “friends and neighbors” politics philosophy, he might surprise folks in this race. His two opponents both hail from the extreme southern end of the state in Baldwin and Mobile Counties.
See you next week.
August 20, 2025 - Mayor’s Races Around State Next Week
This is a very big election year for cities throughout the state. Most mayors and city councils are running this summer. In fact, the elections are right around the corner on August 26.
The marque race is for Mayor of Mobile. Mayor Sandy Stimpson is retiring as one of Mobile’s most successful mayors after three terms. Sandy Stimpson has clearly chosen Spiro Cheriogotis to be his successor. He has openly endorsed him and raised him money. The business community in the Port City is solidly behind Cheriogotis. He has raised a boatload of money. In fact, he has more campaign cash than all other candidates combined. County Commissioner Connie Hudson and Cheriogotis are fighting for a place in the runoff with Democratic State Representative Barbara Drummond. Either Hudson or Cheriogotis will probably win that runoff.
The other major race in the state is for Mayor of Hoover. Incumbent Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato is being challenged by the veteran Police Chief of Hoover Nick Derzis. This one is expected to be close.
Opelika will elect a new mayor, probably Eddie Smith. Their longtime Mayor Gary Fuller is retiring. He was a fantastic mayor for the legendary Lee County city. Veteran City Council President Eddie Smith, a retired banker and Opelika native, is expected to win. The business community in Lee County is supporting Smith, who has been Mayor Fuller’s longtime ally. They have worked lockstep together over the years.
Albertville’s outstanding Mayor, Tracy Honea, will be elected to an unprecedented fourth four-year term. Mayor Honea and his City Council have an excellent working relationship, which has enabled this Sand Mountain city to grow and prosper.
Wetumpka’s longtime legendary Mayor, Jerry Willis, will be reelected over token opposition.
Longtime Decatur Mayor, Tad Bowling, is retiring. This will be a good race to watch. Decatur insiders suggest Kent Lawrence may be the man to beat.
The Jefferson County City of Trussville has an open mayor’s seat. Either Lisa Bright or J.T. Smallwood are predicted to be the next mayor of this fast-growing prosperous suburban city.
In the upscale Jefferson County City of Vestavia Hills, Ashley Curry, has only token opposition in his reelection bid.
Another prosperous Jefferson County suburban city, Mountain Brook, will have a new mayor. City Council member Graham Smith is well liked and won unopposed for Mayor of Mountain Brook.
Another over the mountain, suburban city, Homewood, has an open mayor’s race. Jennifer Andress, a popular City Councilmember, is favored to become the first female mayor of the prosperous Jefferson County suburb. She is also known as a cross-country runner.
Enterprise Mayor Bill Cooper is running for another term in this fast-growing Wiregrass city. He is expected to be reelected. He is facing the same opponents he bested four years ago. Cooper has been instrumental in Enterprise’s prosperity.
The neighboring Wiregrass City of Ozark has one of the best mayor’s races in the state. Incumbent Mark Blankenship is being challenged by Police Chief Charles Ward. Chief Ward is a lifelong Ozark resident and a former top State Trooper. He is a law enforcement legend and is beloved in Ozark. He may very well be the favorite in this race.
Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone has become a legend in his town. He is the leader of one of, if not the fastest growing cities in the state. He is the founding Mayor of Pike Road. When he became Mayor in 2004, their population was 350 residents. Today, it has more than 10,000 citizens. He has overseen this remarkable planned growth and founded an entire school system over his 21-year tenure. He has a challenger for the first time;however, he should prevail.
Phenix City’s popular longtime Mayor, Eddie Lowe, is unopposed for his fourth term.
Anniston will elect a new mayor. City Manager Steven Folks is the best qualified. He has essentially run the city for the past six years.
Troy Mayor, Jason Reeves, will be reelected unopposed to a fifth four-year term as Mayor.
Andalusia Mayor, Earl Johnson, is running for another term. He will be headed for his sixth term as their mayor. He has served five full terms very successfully.
Dothan’s outstanding Mayor, Mark Saliba, was overwhelmingly reelected to a third term by a six to one margin earlier this month. This eclipses his father’s tenure. No mayor in Dothan history has served three consecutive terms.
Two of our state’s most popular and accomplished mayors, Tommy Battle of Huntsville and Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa, were reelected without any opposition within the past year.
Who the mayor is of your city is probably the most important vote you will cast, so go vote next week.
August 13, 2025 - Three Down-Ballot State Offices Will Be Filled by Three Competent Republicans
This is a big election year in Alabama. All of our constitutional offices are up for election on May 19, 2026, and the races have begun. Included in the cavalcade are Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, and State Auditor. All of our statewide elected officials are Republicans, and all will be after the dust settles next year. We are a one-party state when it comes to statewide offices. Our legislature, House and Senate, are overwhelmingly two-thirds Republican. By the way, all 140 Legislative Seats are up for election in this gigantic election year.
We will discuss the down-ballot races of Treasurer, Secretary of State, and Auditor this week. The Secretary of State and Auditor are open and incumbent free, just like Governor, Attorney General, and Lt. Governor.
Our veteran State Treasurer, Young Boozer, is up for election and will be re-elected to an unprecedented fifth term as Treasurer of the State. Young Boozer is not only the longest serving State Treasurer, he is the most qualified, and bona fide, and successful Treasurer in state history. It is as though he was born to be and his life scripted to be Alabama’s most remarkable Treasurer.
Our Young is actually Young Boozer, III. His father, Young Boozer Jr., was an ultra-successful businessman who founded several major Alabama corporations including Cotton States Life Insurance Company which he sold to ALFA in the 1980’s. This Young Boozer, Jr. came out of Dothan High School and played football with Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama. They were both stars on Rose Bowl and National Championship teams in the 1930’s. Bryant and Boozer remained close friends throughout their lives and Boozer included Bryant on several business ventures he founded. One of which was Ziegler Meats in Tuscaloosa.
Our current Young Boozer III, our Treasurer, graduated from Tuscaloosa High School and matriculated on to the West Coast and attended and graduated from the prestigious Stanford University. He went on to get an MBA from Wharton. He had a super successful career in banking, which began in California, then on to New York and then back home to Alabama where he was one of the top executives with the old Colonial Bank in Montgomery.
Young Boozer was first elected Treasurer in 2010 and served with much success. He was re-elected in 2014 serving eight years from 2011 to 2019. Due to state law, he could not run for a third consecutive term. In 2021, he returned to the office via appointment by Governor Kay Ivey. Upon completion of that term, he was elected to the position overwhelmingly in 2022. We are fortunate to have him be able to run for another term this year. He has actually made the State money as Treasurer. Under Boozer, the State treasury has become self-funded.
The Secretary of State race will be one of the closest contests of the year in 2026. Current State Auditor Andrew Sorrell is looking to move next door to Secretary of State. Sorrell is a very conservative young man and an extremely effective one-on-one retail politician. He has crisscrossed the state nonstop and enjoys it. Andrew Sorrell is also a good family man.
He will be pitted against the brightest rising star on the Alabama GOP stage, Caroleene Dobson. Dobson is an outstanding candidate who is a Monroe County native, Harvard graduate, accomplished lawyer and quality wife and mother. She ran a sterling race for the Republican Party in the new Democratic 2nd Congressional District last year.
Youthful Derek Chen will be favored to win the open State Auditor post in his first venture on the ballot, although he is not new to politics. At 28, he is the most connected person to Alabama Republican politics at that age that I have ever seen. He is a member of every major conservative business group in the state. He is the largest contributor to conservative Alabama Republican legislative candidates in the state. He is a major donor to President Trump. He started supporting Trump in 2015 when he first came down the elevator at Trump Tower in New York. Derek has stuck like glue to Trump through thick and thin and is a constant guest of Trump’s at Mar-a-Lago. My guess is that Trump will return Derek Chen’s loyalty by endorsing him in his race for State Auditor. Derek has a law degree from Cumberland School of Law and an MBA from the University of Alabama. He is more than qualified to keep up with the state’s desks, chairs, computers, and pencils, which is essentially what the State Auditor does.
See you next week.
August 6, 2025 - 2026 Lt. Governor’s Race May Hinge on Friends and Neighbors Politics
As mentioned last week, the race for Lt. Governor will be one of the best on the ballot next year.
It will pit two very popular constitutional officeholders striving to capture another secondary
constitutional office.
Secretary of State Wes Allen and Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate will be the two horses in
this contest. It is so close that it is difficult to say which is the favorite.
One of the factors that will play out is if one of them can do a better job than the other in
fundraising. Money is the mother’s milk of politics. It could separate the two if one excels in this
important chore. Folks in the political world know who they are, however, today as the race
begins, neither would have over 20% name identification, and name I.D. is a primary factor in
down-ballot races and money buys name ID.
An advantage Allen has is that he is first on the ballot. Contestants are listed on the ballot
alphabetically. It is hard to get ahead of A, “Allen.”
An advantage that Pate has is that his current position of Agriculture Commissioner is the best
steppingstone. People, especially Alabamians, overwhelmingly admire and like farmers. Pate
should make his ads say Agriculture Commissioner, folks may think they are voting for him
again for that job. They have elected him twice to that office and probably would like to elect
him to a third term. While we are on the topic of agriculture, the Alabama Farmer’s Federation
endorsement in this race will be pivotal.
Wes Allen has a unique background in Alabama politics. He was born and raised in Tuscaloosa
and spent the first 23 years of his life in Tuscaloosa County. He graduated high school there and
stayed home to go to college at the University of Alabama. He was actually a walk-on End for
the Crimson Tide. He was there under the tutelage of Gene Stallings and Dabo Swinney.
Wes’s father is popular Tuscaloosa State Senator Gerald Allen. Gerald has been a House member
and Senator from Tuscaloosa for four decades.
Wes moved to Troy in his early 20’s. The Probate Judge office in Pike County came open. Wes
was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley to the job. He did an outstanding job as Probate Judge of Pike
County and became very popular in the county. He moved to the House Seat from Pike/Dale
counties for four years, then was elected statewide as Secretary of State.
I tell you this scenario about Wes Allen because I believe it becomes a factor in the Lt. Governor
race. I have suggested for over two decades in this column that Alabama has a distinct “friends
and neighbors” political affinity when electing our state officeholders. It has existed over 100
years and I contend it still exists today. What “friends and neighbors” means is that people will
vote for someone from their neck of the woods in state races. Wes Allen has two home area neck
of the woods. He will get a homegrown vote in vote-rich Tuscaloosa County and a hometown
boy vote in the Wiregrass. They both will claim him, and he will claim both. He’s already doing
it. I’ve seen him at all events in the Druid City in the Tuscaloosa News.
The Bible of Southern Politics is V.O. Key’s Southern Politics in State and Nation. Key espouses
the importance of “friends and neighbors” politics in southern states and especially in Alabama.
His book is over 80 years old. His primary illustration of the importance of “friends and
neighbors” is the 1946 Alabama Governor’s race.
“Big Jim” Folsom won that 1946 race because he had two home areas. He was born and raised in
Elba in Coffee County in the Wiregrass, then moved to Cullman as a young man to sell insurance
for his Uncle Ross Clark’s Mutual Aid Life Insurance Company. Big Jim got over 80% of the
vote in Cullman and surrounding counties, and he also got over 80% of the vote in all the
Wiregrass counties. It was enough to win.
By the way, the first major road he built was the Circle around Dothan. He named it for his
Uncle Ross Clark.
See you next week.