Those of us who follow Alabama politics had been awaiting late May like kids waiting for Santa Claus at Christmas.
By Steve Flowers
We knew May 19 would be the golden opening date for candidates to begin making their announcements for Governor and other statewide Constitutional offices. Why? Because the law stipulates that candidates can begin raising campaign dollars exactly one year prior to the Primary Election, which is set for May 19, 2026.
The Gubernatorial and the U.S. Senate races will take up all the oxygen and excitement. However, the powers that be in Montgomery—big special interests and big lobbyists—are more interested in the 105 Legislative Seats and more especially interested in the 35 State Senate Seats. Our Constitution bestows a lot of power into the hands of the state legislature.
One of those powers is the most omnipotent one—the power of the purse. Those who have the gold make the rules. You can bet your bottom dollar that the aforementioned Big Mule special interests’ and lobbyists’ phones started ringing off the hook the week before Memorial Day and have not stopped ringing as the members of the House and Senate are dialing for dollars.
These lobbyists are answering these calls and stroking checks. They have been shielded from fundraising calls for three years while they constantly asked legislators for votes. These legislators are cashing in on those “I.O.U.s” because the bell has rung. It is time for lobbyists to pay up with campaign dollars. The statewide gubernatorial and constitutional office candidates are hoping there are some scraps left for them after legislators get through fleecing the golden geese.
It looks like Senator “Coach” Tommy Tuberville will have a cakewalk to the Governor’s office. Therefore, the Big Mules will not have to pony up as much as they anticipated in the Governor’s race.
The big race, next year, will be for the U.S. Senate Seat of Coach Tuberville, which is up for election to a six-year term. The Montgomery mules will get a reprieve in the U.S. Senate race as the candidates for that open seat will be steered to Washington, which is where the real deep well of campaign dollars exists. The hurdle faced by the candidates in this wide-open Senate Seat race is that the Special Interests’ big dollars have an unwritten rule that they do not contribute to primaries but wait for the general election. The problem with that for candidates from totally Republican states like ours is that our GOP primary is our election. Whoever wins the May 19, 2026, primary and subsequent June runoff is home free. Therefore, a well-heeled, very wealthy person with their own money is in the catbird’s seat.
There were two big questions awaiting the late May announcement date. First, would Tuberville actually leave a safe Senate Seat to run for Governor? Second, would State Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell leave a seat on the High Court to run for Attorney General? Both of those have been answered in the affirmative.
Under Alabama law, when a Supreme Court Justice announces for another political post, they renounce their Supreme Court Seat and must leave the court immediately. The Governor appoints their successor.
Governor Kay Ivey has, again, done an excellent job in her selection of Mitchell’s successor to the Court. Governor Ivey chose a good man and a very well-qualified gentleman, Judge Bill Lewis, to take Mitchell’s seat on the High Tribunal. Judge Lewis is a lifelong Republican.
Lewis was appointed to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in February 2024 by Governor Ivey. Prior to that, Lewis served as Circuit Judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit in Elmore County. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of the South and his Law degree from the Cumberland School of Law. He took his seat on the High Court immediately in May.
This gave Governor Ivey another plum appointment to Lewis’s seat on the Court of Civil Appeals. She, again, should be applauded for her choice of Covington County Circuit Judge Ben Bowden to a seat on the Court of Civil Appeals. Bowden has served as a Circuit Judge in Covington County since 2016. Prior to that, he was Probate Judge of Covington County. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a Law degree from the University of Alabama. Bowden, like Bill Lewis, is a lifelong Republican. His parents were leaders in the Pike County Republican Party. I watched him grow up. He was my first legislative Page. Judge Bowdon has always been an outstanding, stellar person who exudes integrity.
Those two prized, important appointments epitomize the legacy Governor Ivey enjoys for making outstanding appointments during her decade as Governor.
See you next week.
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